Cisco to Establish Cybersecurity Center in Taiwan

FILE PHOTO: A Taiwanese flag is seen on top of Taiwan's central bank in Taipei, Taiwan, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Taiwanese flag is seen on top of Taiwan's central bank in Taipei, Taiwan, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
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Cisco to Establish Cybersecurity Center in Taiwan

FILE PHOTO: A Taiwanese flag is seen on top of Taiwan's central bank in Taipei, Taiwan, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Taiwanese flag is seen on top of Taiwan's central bank in Taipei, Taiwan, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo

US networking equipment maker Cisco said on Monday it would set up a cybersecurity center in Taiwan and work with the government to train more people to work in the sector.

Democratically governed Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, has repeatedly complained of cyberattacks coming from China, targeting government officials and departments as well as tech firms as part of a broader pressure campaign, Reuters reported.

China denies involvement in hacking attacks.

Cisco said that as part of what it calls its Taiwan Digital Acceleration Plan 3.0, it would focus on cybersecurity, planning to partner with the government to train people and address a broader global talent shortage.

"In addition, Cisco aims to collaborate with relevant tech associations to establish a security center in Taiwan for enhanced threat intelligence and cyber readiness," it said in a statement.

Guy Diedrich, the company's global innovation officer, told reporters it would "be doing a great deal of work around security" including the new "security innovation center" in Taiwan, though he declined to provide investment figures.

"The nice thing about the digital acceleration program is that there is no ceiling on investments. We continue to make them," he said of the project, that also covers artificial intelligence in areas like transport and sustainability operations at Kaohsiung port in southern Taiwan.

Launching the plan, Diedrich told an audience that included Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim that he hoped there would be a fourth round of investment.



South Korea's SK Hynix to Invest $75 Bln by 2028 in AI, Chips

The logo of SK Hynix is seen at its headquarters in Seongnam, South Korea, April 25, 2016. (Reuters)
The logo of SK Hynix is seen at its headquarters in Seongnam, South Korea, April 25, 2016. (Reuters)
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South Korea's SK Hynix to Invest $75 Bln by 2028 in AI, Chips

The logo of SK Hynix is seen at its headquarters in Seongnam, South Korea, April 25, 2016. (Reuters)
The logo of SK Hynix is seen at its headquarters in Seongnam, South Korea, April 25, 2016. (Reuters)

South Korea's SK Hynix, the world no.2 memory chip maker, will invest 103 trillion won ($74.6 billion) through 2028 to strengthen its chips business, focusing on AI, its parent SK Group said on Sunday.

SK Group also said it plans to secure 80 trillion won by 2026 to invest in artificial intelligence and semiconductors as well as fund shareholder returns, while streamlining its more than 175 subsidiaries.

The sprawling conglomerate outlined the plans following a two-day strategy meeting, aiming to revive the group after SK Hynix, its main money maker, and the group's electric vehicle battery arm suffered heavy losses.

SK Group said it sought to improve its competitiveness by focusing on its AI value chain, including high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, AI data centres and AI services such as personalised AI assistants.

At a time of transition, a "preemptive and fundamental change is necessary," SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won was quoted as saying in the statement

During the meeting, the executives also agreed to take gradual steps to adjust the number of subsidiaries in the group to a "manageable range", without specifying the scale of the reduction.

Local media had said SK Innovation, which owns the county's largest oil refiner and battery maker SK On, was expected to pursue a merger with profitable gas affiliate SK E&S.

The group expects its profit before tax to reach around 22 trillion won this year, turning around from a loss last year, with the goal of hitting 40 trillion won in profit before tax by 2026.

South Korea, home to the world's top memory chip makers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, has fallen behind some rivals in areas such as chip design and contract chip manufacturing.

Earlier this year, the government announced a 26 trillion won ($19 billion) support package for its chip businesses, citing a need to keep up in areas like chip design and contract manufacturing amid 'all-out warfare' in the global semiconductor market.