Taiwan's next frontier in semiconductor competitiveness is shifting beyond wafer fabrication into chip design, verification, simulation, and system integration. Synopsys (新思科技, Nasdaq: SNPS), a global leader in electronic design automation (EDA) and system design solutions, marked its 35th anniversary in Taiwan on June 15, inaugurating a new office at the Hsinchu Science Park X Software Park and signing a strategic cooperation agreement with the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI, 工研院). The collaboration will span semiconductors, silicon photonics, quantum computing, AI-assisted design, multiphysics simulation, and robotics and Physical AI.
The event was held in two sessions. The first focused on Synopsys's 35-year presence in Taiwan and the opening of its new Hsinchu facility. The second featured the signing of the strategic agreement, with Synopsys Vice President of Sales and President of Synopsys Taiwan Robert Li (李明哲) and ITRI Senior Technology Expert Chih-I Wu(吳志毅) signing on behalf of their respective organizations. Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chin-Tsang Ho(何晉滄) and Synopsys President and CEO Sassine Ghazi witnessed the signing — marking a deeper alignment between industry, government, and research institutions in advancing next-generation AI-driven technologies and semiconductor system design capabilities.
Ghazi Visits Taiwan in Person: "Taiwan Is One of the World's Most Important Semiconductor Innovation Hubs"
Synopsys President and CEO Sassine Ghazi traveled from the United States specifically to attend the event. "For 35 years, Synopsys has been honored to partner with Taiwan, one of the world's most important semiconductor innovation hubs," Ghazi said. He noted that as artificial intelligence drives system complexity into a new era, market demand for integrated silicon, software, and physical technologies is intensifying rapidly.
Ghazi emphasized that through continued investment, the new Hsinchu office, and a strengthened relationship with ITRI, Synopsys is deepening its commitment to Taiwan and accelerating innovation with local partners "to unlock a new generation of AI-driven breakthroughs."
The office opening lends the 35th anniversary event broader significance beyond a corporate milestone. According to official figures, Synopsys Taiwan has doubled its R&D investment over the past seven years and has become one of the company's top three global R&D centers outside its headquarters. Synopsys also established an AI R&D center at its Hsinchu office as early as 2020, anchoring core technology development and talent cultivation in Taiwan.
Ho: Taiwan Cannot Rely on Manufacturing Alone — IC Design and EDA Are Equally Critical
Deputy Minister Ho said in his remarks that beyond manufacturing prowess, IC design and EDA technology are equally foundational to Taiwan's critical position in the global semiconductor industry. He noted that Synopsys has made long-term contributions to Taiwan's design capabilities and overall industrial competitiveness through sustained R&D investment and talent development on the island.
Ho affirmed Synopsys's ongoing participation in major domestic R&D programs — from advanced-node EDA and AI-integrated chip design to key technology advances in the More-than-Moore era and intelligent automotive chips — all closely aligned with Taiwan's semiconductor industry upgrade trajectory. The opening of new office floors within the science park, Ho said, reflects Synopsys's commitment to deepening its roots in Taiwan and connecting with industry needs.
His remarks reflect a structural inflection point facing Taiwan's semiconductor sector. As advanced nodes push below 2 nanometers, and as demand rises simultaneously for AI chips, automotive chips, silicon photonics, and multi-chiplet system design, design complexity is escalating rapidly. The ability to shorten design cycles, reduce verification costs, and improve first-pass success rates will be critical to sustaining Taiwan's competitive advantage across the semiconductor supply chain.
Partnering With ITRI on Silicon Photonics, AI-Assisted Design, and Physical AI
The strategic cooperation agreement signed in the second session outlines a range of forward-looking technology collaboration areas, including semiconductors, silicon photonics, and quantum computing, as well as AI-assisted design, multiphysics simulation, and robotics and Physical AI.
The industrial significance of this partnership lies in a fundamental shift in semiconductor design: it is no longer confined to individual chip circuit design but is increasingly moving toward system-level integration. AI chips and high-performance computing applications are placing simultaneous demands on power consumption, thermal management, interconnect, packaging, and reliability — elevating the strategic importance of EDA tools, multiphysics simulation, and system-level verification.
Li said in his remarks that Taiwan Synopsys has long cultivated deep roots in Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem and has become a key strategic partner driving industrial innovation. He noted that Synopsys works closely with Taiwan's industry, government, academic, and research communities to continuously introduce new technologies and help customers overcome R&D challenges. With the integration of Ansys into Synopsys, Li said, the company has further consolidated its capabilities across chip design, IP, and simulation analysis — enabling more comprehensive system design solutions for customers in semiconductors, high-tech, automotive, and aerospace industries.
Looking ahead, Li said Taiwan Synopsys will continue to invest in Taiwan, leveraging its full engineering solutions portfolio to support next-generation AI-driven semiconductor and system innovation. He identified deepened collaboration in semiconductors, photonics and silicon photonics, quantum computing, Physical AI, AI-assisted design, multiphysics simulation, and robotics as priority areas going forward.
From the A+ Program to Automotive AI Chips: Design Platforms Accelerate Industry Deployment
The partnership between Synopsys and ITRI is not starting from scratch. The two organizations have previously collaborated under the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Global R&D Innovation Partnership Program — the A+ Program — across multiple R&D initiatives spanning deep-submicron EDA, advanced process technologies, AI chips, More-than-Moore technologies, and intelligent automotive chips.
According to official data, since 2019, the two organizations have carried out more than 30 advanced semiconductor research collaborations in Taiwan, producing over 10 papers in international journals and generating 13 patent applications. Synopsys has also co-established an AI Chip Laboratory with ITRI, aimed at lowering barriers to AI chip design and helping Taiwanese firms enter the market more rapidly.
One notable outcome of the collaboration is the development of Taiwan's first Generative AI and Intelligent Automotive System-on-Chip Integrated Reference Design Platform. Combining high-speed computing performance with automotive-grade safety design, the platform enables IC design firms to assess performance and power consumption in early-stage development — shortening design timelines, reducing R&D costs, and improving design success rates.
A second phase of the program has extended into sub-2nm physical verification, next-generation EUV, SysMoore silicon technologies, and automotive AI chip verification methodologies compliant with ISO 26262 and ISO 21434 standards, continuing to lay the groundwork for Taiwan's next generation of semiconductor technology development.
As AI, high-performance computing, intelligent automotive applications, and Physical AI advance rapidly, the competitive focus of Taiwan's semiconductor supply chain is broadening. From advanced nodes and advanced packaging on the manufacturing side, to EDA, IP, simulation and verification, and system design capabilities on the design side, none of these elements can be overlooked going forward. Synopsys's strategic repositioning in Taiwan at the 35-year mark underscores the growing importance global semiconductor design toolchain providers place on Taiwan's industrial ecosystem — and signals that Taiwan's competitive landscape is extending well beyond wafer fabrication into system-level innovation. （Related： Manz Asia Successfully Delivers World's First 310mm × 310mm Panel-Level Packaging ECD Production System ｜ Latest ）
