DTI Secretary Meets with Semiconductor Industry Leaders and Filipino Researchers in Belgium

Semiconductor & Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. President Dan Lachica, Secretary of Trade and Industry Alfredo Pascual, PTIC-Brussels Commercial Counselor Magnolia Misolas-Ashley, and First Secretary Charles Andrei Macaspac met with Director of IMEC Academy Rudy Lauwereins, SEMI Europe President Laith Altimime, and SEMI Europe Director for Advocacy and Public Policy Christopher Frieling at IMEC’s headquarters in Leuven, Belgium on 18 March 2024. (Brussels PE photo)

LEUVEN 25 March 2024 – Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual met with officials of IMEC and SEMI Europe on 18 March 2024 at IMEC headquarters in Leuven, Belgium.

With US and EU versions of the CHIPS Act diversifying the supply chain of semiconductor chip manufacturing, discussions revolved around the feasibility of eventually setting up a state-of-the-art semiconductor wafer production facility in the Philippines.

Secretary Pascual was also given a tour of IMEC’s ultra-modern clean room wafer research facility, which can manufacture the most advanced 200- and 300-mm semiconductor wafers.

Finally, Secretary Pascual met with Filipino researchers working at IMEC. He encouraged them to either eventually go back to the Philippines or impart their knowledge via online platforms to Filipino students interested in chip design and research.

SEMI is the leading semiconductor industry association, while IMEC is the world’s leading independent nanoelectronics R&D hub based in Leuven, Belgium. END

DTI Secretary Alredo Pascual (right) and Semiconductor & Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. President Dan Lachica poses with a 300-mm semiconductor wafer chip outside IMEC’s clean room research facility in Leuven, Belgium on 18 March 2024. (Brussels PE photo)

DTI Secretary Alfredo pascual (seated, second from right), Semiconductor & Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. President Dan Lachica, First Secretary Charles Andrei Macaspac (standing, leftmost), and PTIC-Brussels Commercial Counselor Magnolia Misolas-Ashley pose with IMEC’s Filipino researchers at IMEC’s headquarters in Leuven, Belgium on 18 March 2024. (Brussels PE photo)

For more information, visit  https://www.brusselspe.dfa.gov.ph,  https://www.facebook.com/PHinBelgium/ or https://www.instagram.com/phinbelgium/.