NATIONAL CHIAO TUNG UNIVERSITY

Their core work

National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) is a leading Taiwanese research university with strong capabilities in telecommunications infrastructure and advanced semiconductor materials. In H2020, they contributed expertise in 5G network architectures — particularly edge computing and fog computing — and in the physics and fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials such as MoS2 and other transition metal dichalcogenides for next-generation transistors. Their work bridges fundamental materials science with device-level engineering, making them a valuable partner for projects requiring deep semiconductor and nanoelectronics knowledge outside Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

NCTU's H2020 trajectory shows a clear pivot from telecommunications to advanced materials. Their early projects (2017–2019) focused on 5G network infrastructure — fog computing, edge intelligence, and virtualised radio access. From 2020 onward, they shifted entirely to nanoelectronics and 2D semiconductor research, working on transistor reliability, material growth via CVD, and van der Waals heterostructures. This evolution suggests the university is moving toward deeper materials science and post-silicon device research.

NCTU is moving firmly into next-generation semiconductor materials research, positioning itself as a partner for post-CMOS and 2D-material device development.

How they like to work

NCTU has never coordinated an H2020 project — they join as a participant or third-party partner, contributing specialized technical knowledge from outside Europe. With 21 unique partners across 8 countries from just 4 projects, they operate in medium-to-large consortia and connect with a broad range of European institutions. This pattern indicates a specialist contributor that European coordinators bring in for specific Taiwanese semiconductor or telecom expertise.

Despite only 4 projects, NCTU has built connections with 21 partners across 8 countries, reflecting the large consortium sizes of their 5G and nanoelectronics projects. Their network spans multiple European countries, consistent with their role as a non-EU specialist partner.

What sets them apart

NCTU is one of Taiwan's top-tier universities in electrical engineering and semiconductor research, giving European consortia direct access to Asia-Pacific expertise in 2D materials and nanoelectronics. Their dual competence in both telecom systems (5G) and fundamental semiconductor physics is uncommon — few partners can bridge network-level and device-level research. For consortia needing international reach beyond Europe or deep knowledge of transition metal dichalcogenide devices, NCTU fills a distinct niche.

Highlights from their portfolio

• 5G-DIVE
  Focused on real-world 5G vertical experimentation with edge intelligence, combining pre-commercial hardware validation with fog computing architectures.
• GO2NANO
  Targets groundbreaking nanoelectronic applications of 2D materials and van der Waals heterostructures — directly relevant to the global semiconductor roadmap beyond silicon.