Holcomb, Purdue officials travel to Taiwan, South Korea for semiconductor partnerships

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, along with Purdue University College of Engineering Dean Mark Lundstrom, were among those arriving in Taiwan on Sunday morning as part of an economic development trip to Asia, which also includes a visit to South Korea. According to Gov. Holcomb’s office.

The move to Taiwan follows two recent semiconductor industry announcements in Indiana, including Taiwan-based MediaTek announcing the opening of a semiconductor chip design center in West Lafayette in July. The company plans to hire 30 top engineers and ten graduate students by 2025.

The visit also comes after the recent signing of the federal CHIPS and SCIENCE Act. The legislation, previously known as the United States Innovation and Competitiveness Act in the US Senate, was co-sponsored by Indiana Senator Todd Young.

He landed in Taipei to start a journey of economic development in Taiwan and South Korea. Indiana is home to 10 Taiwanese and 12 South Korean businesses. This week marks my second trip to South Korea as governor and I am proud to be the first governor to visit Taiwan before the outbreak.

— Governor Eric Holcomb (@GovHolcomb) August 21, 2022

Lundstrom will leave Taiwan and return to Indiana, where Purdue University President-elect Mung Chiang will join the delegation in Seoul, South Korea.

Indiana is home to more than 1,050 foreign-owned businesses, from more than 40 countries and territories — including 10 from Taiwan and 12 from South Korea.

Gov. Holcomb is the first US governor to visit Taiwan since 2019 and the first Indiana governor to visit Taiwan in 17 years. The cost of the trip is being paid for by private donations to the Indiana Economic Development Foundation, according to Gov. Holcomb’s office.

“Purdue University is pleased to be invited by the State of Indiana to be part of the delegation led by Governor Holcomb and Secretary Chambers,” said Dr. Chiang. “Boilermakers has long-standing academic partnerships with institutions in Taiwan and South Korea, and we look forward to attracting technology companies and jobs to the Hoosier State along the Hard Tech Corridor.”

Gov. Holcomb’s trip to Taiwan comes several weeks after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which raised diplomatic tensions between the US and China. Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan reportedly angered China.