TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will open registration for this year’s Research and Development Substitute Services program on Feb. 2, offering positions at leading research institutes, the Ministry of the Interior said Saturday.

Eligible applicants are draft-age men born between 1993 and 2004 who have not completed compulsory military service and hold a master’s degree or higher, per CNA. The program aims to retain technical talent in industry and research while fulfilling service requirements.

Launched in 2008, the project has placed more than 55,000 participants at over 1,800 organizations. They have contributed to more than 5,700 patents and 10,700 academic papers, according to ministry data.

This year’s participating employers are concentrated in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, machinery, information technology, and electronics. Major institutions include Academia Sinica, the Industrial Technology Research Institute, and TSMC.

Selections will be conducted in three rounds from Feb. 9 to March 5, March 14 to April 29, and May 9 to June 25. Further details are on the ministry’s website.