iTec Targets Overseas Markets with Taiwanese Company... "Securing System Semiconductor Tester Platform"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] I-TECH announced on the 5th that it has taken the first step to secure various tester platforms related to system semiconductor testing, starting with Taiwan, the global leader in the semiconductor market, by partnering with Prowon, a Taiwanese joint venture of Saehan Microtech.

I-TECH is a specialized company in post-process testing that inspects all produced wafers and semiconductor chips (package testing) to distinguish between good and defective products. Its development and support teams participate in the fabless (design) process and R&D from the early stages, creating wafer test programs from the beginning to reduce defects and increase yield, demonstrating differentiated technological capabilities. Earlier this year, the company announced a semiconductor test equipment investment plan worth 16 billion KRW and is making proactive investments in preparation for the semiconductor supercycle.

Prowon, established locally in Taiwan in 2005, is responsible for manufacturing and marketing probe cards and custom probe needles for the semiconductor wafer test industry. Through collaboration with numerous semiconductor companies, it achieved sales of approximately 10 billion TWD as of 2020.

The Taiwanese market that I-TECH aims to target consists of global giants like TSMC and numerous medium and small enterprises forming the semiconductor ecosystem. It serves as a bridge to the Chinese, North American, and European markets, making it a pivotal market even amid the semiconductor boom.

According to the Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association, the production value of the semiconductor industry surpassed approximately 3 trillion TWD (about 120 trillion KRW) in 2020. The market size of the test sector, which I-TECH focuses on, is about 171.5 billion TWD (about 7 trillion KRW), significantly exceeding the domestic market size. A company official explained, “The local government is expected to expand policies to attract investment and promote exchange and cooperation with foreign companies in the semiconductor materials and equipment sectors. It is definitely worth attempting for our company, a domestic leader in the test industry, to explore entry into the Taiwanese market.”

I-TECH plans to steadily explore not only the domestic market but also overseas markets. A company representative said, “We will secure various tester platforms with related companies in each country,” adding, “We will become a sustainable global company through the development of differentiated programs and sales strategies.”

Janghyuk Lee, CEO of I-TECH, stated, “Before fully pioneering overseas markets, rapid understanding of the market and efficient decision-making are necessary, so we promised to actively strengthen business cooperation with Prowon, a local Taiwanese company,” and added, “To enhance shareholder value and competitiveness, we will actively invest not only in the domestic market but also in overseas markets.”