TSMC, ESMC, and TU Dresden Strengthen Their Strategic Partnership
Saxony’s semiconductor industry gathered this week in Dresden for the Silicon Saxony Days. In the days leading up to the event, TSMC, ESMC, and TUD — three key players in the industry — outlined the next steps in their collaboration.
Joint research on semiconductor technologies, joint educational and recruitment programs to secure a skilled workforce, and greater international visibility and appeal for Dresden as a semiconductor hub: The partners set out these goals in a memorandum of understanding. With this, the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, TSMC, European Semiconductor Manufacturing (ESMC) GmbH, and the Dresden University of Technology (TUD) are deepening their collaboration and strengthening Dresden’s position as Europe’s largest semiconductor cluster.
Representatives from the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC); ESMC in Dresden; the TUD Rectorate; and the TUD Center of Excellence for Innovation, Transfer, and Entrepreneurship (TUD|excite) met at the TUD. The goal was to define the partners’ future strategic collaboration.
In their memorandum of understanding, the partners outlined joint research projects and the development of joint teaching and recruitment programs beyond the already highly successful STIPT program. TUD will administer the joint initiatives. TSMC and TUD have been collaborating on skilled workforce training through the Semiconductor Talent Incubation Program (STIPT) since 2024. The program enables students to spend a six-month semester abroad in Taiwan. With the declaration now adopted, the partners are further expanding their collaboration.
Marvin Chang, Director of University Programs and Design Solutions at TSMC: “This MoU reinforces our commitment to fostering talent in the industry and helps establish a framework for collaboration on cutting-edge semiconductor research. By combining the academic strengths of TU Dresden as a university of excellence with our technological leadership, we are demonstrating how industry and academia can work together to solve the most complex scaling and design challenges.”
Christian Koitzsch, President, ESMC: “We aim to advance educational programs and development projects, thereby helping Dresden assume a leading role in European microelectronics. Our focus is on building the talent pipeline and infrastructure—an important step toward supporting the long-term development of key industries in the EU.”