Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the strategic advancements of United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) in the field of Silicon Photonics and Co-Packaged Optics (CPO), driven by the explosive growth in global AI and high-performance computing (HPC) demand [1][3]. Group 1: UMC's Strategic Initiatives - UMC is actively upgrading its mature process technology and has established its new Fab 12i P3 in Singapore as a core base for Silicon Photonics and CPO technology, aiming for mass production by 2027 [1]. - The company is enhancing the added value of its mature processes by focusing on special applications in the 22/28nm process, which will serve markets such as communications, automotive, IoT, and AI [1][3]. - UMC has confirmed that Silicon Photonics is a key technology in its special process advancement, with plans for risk production starting in 2026 [1][3]. Group 2: Collaboration and Technology Development - UMC has signed a technology licensing agreement with imec, a leading semiconductor research center, to adopt the validated iSiPP300 Silicon Photonics process platform, which will accelerate the development of UMC's 12-inch Silicon Photonics platform [2]. - This collaboration combines UMC's extensive experience in 8-inch Silicon Photonics mass production with imec's advanced technology, enabling UMC to offer photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for optical transceivers [2]. Group 3: Market Context and Future Outlook - The investment in Silicon Photonics is driven by the limitations of traditional copper interconnects, which face bandwidth and energy consumption challenges as AI data loads increase [3]. - CPO technology allows for the integration of optical engines with computing chips, significantly reducing signal transmission distances and improving efficiency, which is crucial for data centers [3]. - UMC's future plans include integrating advanced packaging technologies to enhance system architecture towards CPO and optical I/O solutions, providing high bandwidth, low energy consumption, and scalable optical interconnect applications [3].