TUCSON, AZ (March 17, 2026) — Leaders from Southern Arizona and Southern Taiwan signed a six-party Memorandum of Understanding on March 13 in Tucson to strengthen collaboration across the semiconductor supply chain and expand joint work in optics, photonics, advanced manufacturing, research, and workforce development.
The agreement brings together the Arizona Commerce Authority, Pima County, the City of Tucson, the University of Arizona, the Kaohsiung City Government, and National Sun Yat-sen University.
The partnership connects two regions that are of growing importance in the global semiconductor ecosystem. Southern Arizona is known for its strengths in optics and photonics, anchored by the University of Arizona’s James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences and Tucson’s “Optics Valley” cluster, while Southern Taiwan plays a major role in semiconductor manufacturing and industrial production.
Under the agreement, the partners will focus on three areas: industrial resilience, talent development, and institutional exchange. That includes sharing best practices related to industrial policy, innovation, natural resource stewardship, and ecosystem development, while also creating new opportunities for academic exchange, joint research, and workforce training between the University of Arizona and National Sun Yat-sen University.
The agreement also reflects Arizona’s deepening economic relationship with Taiwan, which became the state’s second-largest trading partner in 2025 with more than $21.2 billion in total trade. Arizona exported $4.5 billion in goods to Taiwan last year and imported $16.7 billion.
Arizona Commerce Authority President and CEO Sandra Watson said the agreement marks an important milestone in Arizona's partnership with Taiwan and expands opportunities for collaboration in workforce development, research, and semiconductor supply chains.
University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella said international collaboration is critical to advancing research and innovation, particularly in semiconductor-related fields that are important to Arizona’s economic future.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai said the partnership moves beyond general policy support toward deeper integration among government, academia, and research institutions. He said the long-term competitiveness of the semiconductor industry depends on talent and ecosystem strength, and that the agreement is intended to help build a stable international pipeline of highly trained workers and researchers.
National Sun Yat-sen University President Li Chih-peng said the new agreement builds on a 2023 memorandum between his university and the University of Arizona. He said future efforts will focus on joint research, faculty and student exchanges, and industry-academic collaboration in semiconductors, optoelectronics, artificial intelligence, and health technology.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said the agreement links Southern Taiwan’s semiconductor manufacturing leadership with Tucson’s strengths in optics and photonics, while also supporting the region’s broader goals around sustainable economic development. She added that Taiwan’s expertise in water treatment and recycling technologies used in semiconductor manufacturing is especially relevant to a desert community like Tucson.
Pima County Board of Supervisors Chair Jennifer Allen said the signing gives local government, academic, economic development, and workforce partners an opportunity to work together on growth that supports communities while protecting land, air, and water resources.
For Southern Arizona, the agreement builds on the University of Arizona’s internationally recognized leadership in optical sciences, led by the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences, along with Tucson’s broader network of companies and institutions involved in imaging, sensors, precision manufacturing, and other advanced technologies that support semiconductor production.
For Arizona leaders, the agreement is another sign that the state’s relationship with Taiwan is expanding beyond large-scale chip investments to include research collaboration, talent development, and regional partnerships that could shape the next generation of semiconductor innovation.