TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan and Slovakia opened a joint semiconductor laboratory in the Central European country, reports said Saturday.

The new institution was the result of a bilateral five-year cooperation plan for key industries concluded in 2023, per CNA. Slovakia’s Deputy Economics Minister Vladimir Simonak and Taiwan Envoy in Bratislava David Lee (李南陽) attended Friday’s launch ceremony.

The opening of the lab is a milestone in technology ties between Slovakia and Taiwan, according to Simonak. The cooperation lays the base for future innovation and economic development in the country, he added, emphasizing the role the lab could play in connection with the local car industry.

Even though Slovakia amounts for just 2% of the EU population, it accounts for 5% to 10% of the semiconductor production of Central and Eastern Europe, Lee said. The diplomat said Slovakia had a reputation for power semiconductors designed to be used with high levels of electrical power, as required by the EV sector.

Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute was also involved in the lab project, assisting with preparations and with the training of local talent. The institute said it hoped to expand their cooperation to other areas of technology.