TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) led a delegation from the Kaohsiung City Government and National Sun Yat-sen University on a visit to the University of Arizona to promote cross-border cooperation in silicon photonics research.
CNA reported Monday that Chen said the semiconductor industry is entering the post-Moore’s Law era and silicon photonics is key to overcoming bandwidth limits in AI computing. He said Kaohsiung aims to strengthen its technology leadership by combining advanced chip manufacturing with research capacity.
The post-Moore’s Law era refers to a stage when chips are no longer becoming faster mainly by shrinking transistors. Experts say new technologies such as silicon photonics are needed to continue improving AI and computing performance.
The Kaohsiung City Government said the University of Arizona proposed creating a Silicon Photonics Arizona Kaohsiung Center, known as SPARK, to deepen research collaboration. The center would link industry with academic research, allowing companies to present technical challenges while international research teams develop solutions.
“Taiwan plays a critical role in the global semiconductor supply chain,” University of Arizona Senior Vice President for Research and Partnerships Tomas Diaz de la Rubia said. He said Kaohsiung is rapidly building a semiconductor ecosystem and closer cooperation could advance innovation, technology research, and talent development.
College of Optical Sciences Dean Brian Anderson said the school is one of the top optical research centers in the United States. He said its research ranges from telescopes to quantum nanophotonics and now extends into semiconductor silicon photonics development.
National Sun Yat-sen University President Li Chih-peng (李志鵬) said the partnership expands a memorandum of understanding signed between the two universities in 2023. Li said the cooperation will include research projects, academic exchanges, and industry partnerships to train international technology talent, per Liberty Times.
“Silicon photonics and heterogeneous photonic integration are major trends for next-generation semiconductors,” said Yang Jui-lin (楊瑞臨), a research director at the Industrial Technology Research Institute. He said the technologies will support high-speed computing, AI applications, and emerging sectors such as health technology, smart transportation, and cybersecurity.
