TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hsinchu Science Park and Japan’s Kumamoto Science Park signed a memorandum of understanding Monday to formalize cooperation on semiconductors, startups, and talent development.
Hsinchu Science Park Bureau Director-General Hu Shi-min (胡世民), Kumamoto Governor Kimura Takashi, and Mitsui Fudosan representative Hosoda Kyosuke signed the agreement. The bureau said the platform aims to strengthen semiconductor collaboration, startup incubation, talent training, and industry exchanges.
The deal comes as global semiconductor supply chains undergo rapid restructuring and Japan accelerates efforts to revive its chip industry, with Kumamoto emerging as a key cluster driven by major international investment and supplier concentration.
Kumamoto Prefecture, Koshi City, and Mitsui Fudosan are positioning Kumamoto Science Park as a flagship zone integrating research and development, shared cleanrooms, and cross-sector collaboration. The park is also intended to serve as a hub for attracting overseas semiconductor companies and research institutions.
Hsinchu Science Park is one of the world’s leading semiconductor clusters, having spent 45 years building a robust supply chain spanning IC design, wafer fabrication, packaging and testing, equipment, materials, and applications. The park hosts globally competitive firms and remains central to Taiwan’s chip leadership.
Hsinchu, Kumamoto, and Mitsui Fudosan have maintained frequent exchanges on science park development, industrial strategy, and startup ecosystems, laying the groundwork for the agreement. The pact formalizes those ties and reflects a shared policy direction to advance technological innovation and reinforce supply chain resilience between Taiwan and Japan.
The bureau said it will continue to expand partnerships with major international tech hubs to facilitate exchanges on talent, technology, and resources while helping Taiwanese firms expand overseas. It added that the collaboration aims to strengthen a globally competitive semiconductor ecosystem.
