Taiwan Dangles $335 Million to Woo Foreign Chipmakers

Taiwan’s cabinet plans to allocate more than NT$10 billion ($335 million) to entice foreign chipmakers to set up R&D facilities locally, people familiar with the plan said, escalating global competition for much-sought-after semiconductor technology.

The seven-year blueprint to be unveiled Thursday aims to subsidize as much as half of all the research and development costs incurred by global chip companies that build centers on the island, said the people who asked not to be identified because the plan isn’t public yet. The program would also apply to local chip firms that convince foreign suppliers to establish such operations in Taiwan. The government is hoping to secure new investments from at least one company each year, according to the people, who added that certain requirements such as on the amount invested and the number of jobs created would apply.