Taiwan unveils key technologies list, boosts security

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua said on Wednesday (Dec. 6) that the release of the list of key national technologies will not affect businesses as they have been adequately consulted in advance and the focus is on enhancing the protection of critical technologies.

The National Science and Technology Council unveiled, a day earlier, a list of 22 core national key technologies spanning five domains -- defense, agriculture, semiconductors, space, and cyber-security -- including two semiconductor technologies.

According to the National Security Act and the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, personnel involved with key technologies that receive more than 50% subsidies from the government must apply for permission before traveling to China.

The two semiconductor technologies detailed in the newly released list include IC fabrication technology for processes smaller than 14 nanometers, involving key gases, chemicals, and equipment technology; as well as heterogeneous integration packaging technology that encompasses wafer-level packaging, silicon photonics integration packaging, and related essential materials and equipment technologies.

Wang addressed the matter at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA) and the Taiwan Association of Information and Communication Standards (TAICS).

She emphasized that protecting key technologies was paramount to preventing confidential business information leakage and increasing national security standards.

The next steps will involve reviewing and providing lists of personnel who meet certain subsidy thresholds and are involved with sensitive technologies to relevant entities for management purposes.