AMD will open a research center in Taiwan – it will focus on photonics, AI and heterogeneous computing

Advanced Micro Devices will build a research center in Taiwan, where employees will develop technologies in a number of advanced areas such as silicon photonics, artificial intelligence and heterogeneous integration. Previously, the American chipmaker applied for participation in the A+ program, which is implemented by the Ministry of Economy of Taiwan and involves attracting global partners to conduct research and create innovations.

Image Source: AMD

Now AMD’s application has received approval from local officials. According to data published on the Ministry of Economy website, AMD received a subsidy of more than 30% (3.31 billion Taiwan dollars) of the total investment of $8.64 billion Taiwan dollars ($263 million), which will be spent on creating the company’s research center. AMD will invest NT$5.33 billion in this project, and 50% of the research center’s employees will be foreign specialists.

Chiou Chyou-huey, head of the Department of Industrial Technology (DOIT) of the Ministry of Economy, spoke about how department representatives met and negotiated with AMD last year. He said DOIT representatives visited AMD’s Silicon Valley headquarters while attending APEC, which was held in Seattle last year.

«A month before our visit, AMD’s market value rose to $170 billion, it overtook Intel and became the world’s most valuable company among processor manufacturers and the second in the production of AI chips,” the official said in a statement. He also said that after nearly a year of discussions, the investment plan was finalized at a meeting on June 5 during the Computex exhibition between AMD CEO Lisa Su and Economy Minister Kuo Jyh-huei.

The official emphasized that the AMD research center in Taiwan will develop technologies in the field of silicon photonics, artificial intelligence and heterogeneous integration. 33 Taiwanese companies will be involved in the research program, due to which the volume of investment will increase to NT$15 billion. At the same time, more than 1,000 local AI specialists will be trained at the site annually.