Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Mourns Loss of Key Leader! Powerchip Chairman Hwang Ching-ren Passes Away in His Sleep; Hsieh Tsai-chu to Serve as Acting Chairman, Successor at PSiA Pending

The Taiwan semiconductor industry has lost a key entrepreneur. Powerchip Technology (6770) and PSiA jointly announced today (31st) that their Chairman, Hwang Ching-ren, passed away peacefully at home this afternoon due to cardiopulmonary failure. Powerchip has activated its chairman succession mechanism, with Vice Chairman Hsieh Tsai-chu assuming the role of acting chairman in accordance with legal procedures. The company emphasized that all production, sales, and operational activities will proceed as planned, and the existing management team will continue to ensure stable daily operations.

Powerchip stated that all employees will "continue to work wholeheartedly" to carry forward the vision of founder Dr. Hwang Ching-ren in advancing Taiwan's high-tech industry. This message aims to reassure shareholders, customers, and employees that leadership continuity is secured and business operations will not be disrupted.

Meanwhile, PSiA, where Hwang also served as chairman, has not yet announced an acting or permanent successor. In its official announcement, PSiA stated: "The successor chairman will be appointed in accordance with regulations and announced separately upon confirmation." The company emphasized that its management team will continue to advance operations as planned to safeguard the interests of shareholders, employees, and stakeholders. Thus, while Powerchip has an immediate acting chairman, PSiA must complete its formal appointment process, indicating differing succession arrangements between the two companies.

Hwang Ching-ren was a long-standing figure in Taiwan's semiconductor sector, with deep expertise spanning DRAM memory and foundry businesses. He led his companies through volatile memory market cycles, financial restructuring, and strategic pivots, making him a significant entrepreneur in the evolution of Taiwan's semiconductor industry.

Facing global shifts in memory supply and demand and intense competition, Hwang steered PSiA toward a strategic transformation—shifting focus from branded memory products to wafer foundry and technology services. He also led Powerchip's return to the capital markets. In recent years, Powerchip has expanded into mature process technologies, specialty memory, logic chips, and advanced packaging, with Hwang frequently articulating the company's strategic direction and market outlook.

Hwang's passing marks the loss of a seasoned industry leader who navigated multiple cycles of growth and crisis. It also brings attention to the future governance and succession planning at both Powerchip and PSiA. While Powerchip has a clear interim leadership structure, PSiA's next steps remain pending. Both companies have affirmed that business operations will continue uninterrupted, but stakeholders will closely monitor the formal succession plans and the continuity of Hwang's strategic initiatives in production, investment, and technology development.