DAEGU — TSE, South Korea's largest designer and manufacturer of semiconductor test equipment, will establish a semiconductor test design center in Daegu. The company plans to train workers to its own specifications through industry-academia partnerships with Kyungpook National University and Keimyung University, expanding the local chip ecosystem and encouraging talent to stay in the region.
Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho and TSE Chairman Kwon Sang-jun signed an investment agreement for the center at the city government's Sangyeok office on the morning of the 3rd, the city said. The presidents of Kyungpook National University and Keimyung University also attended the ceremony, formalizing a cooperation framework among industry, academia and government to train semiconductor engineers.
TSE designs and manufactures semiconductor test equipment, supplying core inspection components to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix as well as global technology and foundry companies including Micron, AMD, Intel and TSMC. The company develops and produces all three key hardware pieces used in chip testing — probe cards, test sockets and interface boards — and supplies integrated test solutions.
TSE chose Daegu as a research and development base to secure design engineers ahead of rising global orders, citing the city's infrastructure for training talent. Under the agreement, the company will expand a circuit design center it opened in Daegu in December to create the test design center. It plans to invest 30 billion won by 2030 to install the latest design equipment and hire 150 research and development staff.
Kyungpook National University and Keimyung University will support TSE's expansion through close cooperation, including tailored training programs and curricula linked to hiring. The city government will provide hands-on support to help TSE settle in, such as securing office space, assisting with recruitment and connecting the company with universities. Daegu also plans to accelerate efforts to attract chip companies by leveraging its position as a training hub for semiconductor engineers outside the greater Seoul area.
Kwon, a graduate of Kyungpook National University's electronic engineering department, plans to use the investment to deepen ties with his alma mater and other local universities. "We decided to invest in this center because we trust the quality of the talent coming out of this region," Kwon said. "We will develop Daegu into a core base for semiconductor test design and strengthen our competitiveness in the global market."
"We will spare no administrative and policy support so that young people who study semiconductors in Daegu can settle here and grow into world-class design experts," Choo said.
