TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese cybersecurity hardware firm Jmem Tek opened an office in the Czech Republic on Friday and signed a partnership to strengthen secure semiconductor supply chains in Europe.
CNA reported that the Brno office will serve as the company’s European research and development hub. It also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Czech National Semiconductor Cluster to cooperate on chip security testing and the development of international standards.
South Moravian Region Deputy Governor Jan Zamecnik said the region has long focused on high-tech industry development. He said Brno has become a key engineering and innovation center in Central Europe and welcomed the investment for its potential to boost research cooperation and create jobs.
Brno Deputy Mayor Filip Chvatal said the city’s strong universities and international talent pool make it an ideal base for global technology firms. He added that the arrival of the Taiwanese company will help raise Brno’s profile in the global innovation network.
“Taiwan and Czechia share values such as democracy and innovation,” Taiwan’s representative to the Czech Republic Chen Li-kuo (陳立國) said. He noted that semiconductor security is no longer only a technical issue, but also one of economic security and national resilience.
The expansion builds on years of cooperation through a joint Advanced Chip Design Research Center program. The initiative trains Czech engineers in Taiwan and supports their return home, helping develop local industry while strengthening bilateral ties, per Economic Daily News.
“The program is a new model of international cooperation,” said Tsai Hung-ying (蔡宏營), president of the National Institutes of Applied Research. He said it links research, talent training, and industry development, while extending Taiwan’s semiconductor strengths into the European market.
Jmem Tek CEO Chang Chen-feng (張振豐) said the Czech Republic holds a key strategic position in the company’s European expansion. He said the firm has worked with local doctoral students for over a year and is building a research team as trained talent returns from Taiwan.
He added that the company plans to adopt a “Czech design, Taiwan manufacturing” model. Chips will be designed in the Czech Republic and produced in Taiwan, combining local innovation with Taiwan’s advanced manufacturing capabilities.
The firm develops cybersecurity chips used in defense, data centers, and artificial intelligence systems, which are considered critical infrastructure worldwide. It said building supply chains outside China will help improve security and reliability for governments and industries alike.
