TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Economic Affairs will provide NT$840 million (US$25.8 million) in subsidies to six domestic companies for chip and AI R&D projects, which the ministry estimates could generate over NT$98 billion in output for the electronics sector, per CNA.

The ministry’s IC design support program offers subsidies to bolster chip development for key growth areas, including drones, autonomous vehicles, virtual reality, and laptops. The program also aims to encourage companies to integrate AI, high-performance computing, and communications technologies into their hardware and software products.

Among the recipients, Phison Electronics plans to upgrade last year’s 6-nm AI solid-state drive controller to a more advanced 6-nm AI controller chip, addressing rising demand for AI training on memory and graphics processing units. The new chip is expected to enhance AI edge computing performance.

Syntronix Corp., working with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., will develop new memory technologies to speed up AI calculations and cut power consumption. 

Himax Technologies will develop a low-power AI vision platform that combines image processors and infrared sensors for use in AI PCs, smart wearables, security systems, and smart factories. The platform processes data locally before sending it to the cloud, reducing data transfer and improving energy efficiency.

Rehear Audiology will create a self-adjusting hearing aid combining six AI models for automated hearing tests and noise reduction, aiming to improve assessment accuracy and lower device costs.

Lastly, AuthenX Inc. is set to develop a silicon photonics chip, which uses light to transmit data at high speeds. The chip will integrate lasers and advanced packaging to reach transmission speeds of up to 3.2 terabits per second, supporting high-speed interconnects for AI GPUs.