Taiwan has emerged as a global leader in the printed circuit board (PCB) industry, having developed it for over four decades. With the world’s largest PCB industry chain, Taiwan has been the world’s largest exporter of PCBs for 11 consecutive years, boasting an impressive market share of 32.8% as of 2022. In terms of its domestic contribution, the PCB industry ranks the third greatest industry in Taiwan, with the semiconductor and display device industries taking the top two spots.

During the early stages of Taiwan’s PCB industry, ITRI played a significant role in providing favorable products and reliable equipment testing environments. In 1982, ITRI introduced innovative PCB materials, which were then transferred to businesses, laying a strong foundation for the trillion-dollar PCB industry.

To enhance the PCB industry, ITRI collaborated with prominent industry players. In 1985, the Institute signed a PCB automated production technology transfer agreement with Nan Ya Plastics, which bolstered the industry’s technological advancements. Then, in 1988, ITRI joined forces with Eternal Materials Co., Ltd. to develop alkali developing-type dry film photoresists to minimize the cost of PCB plants. In the same year, ITRI also partnered with Great Eastern Resins Industrial Co., Ltd. to develop dry film photoresists, which catalyzed the industry’s development toward multi-layer and high-density PCBs. In 2005, ITRI constructed multi-task-structure inkjet-type planting processes for optoelectronic subcomponents and collaborated with Taiwan’s leading PCB company to innovate inkjet printing technology for mobile phone PCBs, replacing the previous wire production processes.

However, the PCB industry has faced several challenges over the past few years, including an aging labor force, experience gaps, and poor testing quality. To address these issues, ITRI has assisted businesses in developing smart manufacturing technologies. In 2016, ITRI and the Taiwan Printed Circuit Association formed the PCB Equipment Communication Protocol Alliance, launching equipment communication protocols and promoting industry standards used by more than 100 factories. In 2018, ITRI partnered with industrial computer manufacturer Advantech and a selection of PCB companies and automation companies to establish a smart manufacturing alliance named PCB A-Team, creating Taiwan’s Industry 4.0 demonstration cases. In 2021, ITRI created a smart manufacturing service platform for circuit board industry by integrating technologies such as information and communication standards, cause analyses, and AI smart image redrawing, paving the way for digitization in the PCB industry.