News from LCA to go

United Microelectronics Corporation, a leading global semiconductor foundry, today announced its successful participation in the European Union (EU) 7^th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7), becoming the first Taiwanese electronic firm to join as an official member of this program. As part of a team of 18 participants from 9 countries spanning industry, academia, and R&D (including Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute, or ITRI), UMC jointly proposed Boosting Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Use In Small-To-Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Development of Sectoral Methods and Tools, or the LCA to go project.  This project was approved by the European Commission (EC) in October 2010 and received technology funding from Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in February 2011.  Successful participation in the FP7 demonstrates that UMC's capability in green technology innovation has achieved world-class standards and gained recognition from EU industrial, governmental, academic, and R&D spheres.

UMC's CEO, Dr. Shih-Wei Sun, said, The goal of the LCA to go project—to develop an easy-to-use, cost-efficient tool for calculating products' carbon footprint—is in line with UMC's promotion of green products and low-carbon supply chains.  Participation in this project represents the practical implementation of UMC's customer-driven values and climate change policy, UMC's recognition of the importance of the European market's demand for green products, and the fulfillment of UMC's duties as a responsible global and corporate citizen.

Dr. Sun continued, UMC recognizes the increasingly swift pace of new electronic applications and the growing demand for green design and low-carbon products.  With UMC's carbon footprint experience and the support of supply chain partners, our collaboration with the EU in green technology provides customers with comprehensive, tailored low-carbon services and helps customers acquire information on their products' carbon footprint with minimal time and resources to reduce negative impact from green trade barriers.  At the same time, the results of LCA to go will promote carbon reduction and raise low-carbon competitiveness for the industry.

For more information on Taiwanese firms' participation in the EU FP7, please visit the EC's website at http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/projects_en.html or the website for the Taiwan office for FP coordination at http://ncp-tw.ntust.edu.tw/front/bin/home.phtml.

For more information on UMC's climate change policy, please refer to http://www.umc.com/English/news/2011/20110309.asp.