By Christine Chou--Mainland Chinese semiconductor companies sent shockwaves through the market after reports revealed they had been offering ever more lucrative salaries ¡ª up to a three-fold increases ¡ª to recruit Taiwanese talent.

According to local media reports, Tsinghua Unigroup (×Ϲâ) and Hefei Chang Xin (ºÏ·ÊéLöÎ) aiming to compel technical employees with Inotera Memories (ÈA†¿Æ) to jump ship. The talent war is heating up as local government-backed Hefei Chang Xin has offered three times Inotera Memories' current salaries, far higher than Tsinghua Unigroup's proposed two-fold increase.

Reports said Hefei Chang Xin plans to hire 200 Taiwanese staff skilled in chip production processes.

Market analysts said a damaging top workforce drain may be expected next year for DRAM chipmakers Inotera Memories and Nanya Technology (Äρ†¿Æ), as retaining staff could become a major management challenge.

The news comes a year after former Nanya high-ranking executive Charles Kau (¸ß†¢È«), dubbed the godfather of the local DRAM industry, left the firm to join mainland Chinese-based rival company Tsinghua Unigroup. After the switch, nearly 10 executives from his former firm and Inotera jumped ship to join him. Nearly 100 of the senior and junior staff left the local DRAM sector, according to local media.

The latest news marks the biggest-scale hiring effort launched by mainland semiconductor firms in Taiwan since Kau's departure.

Mainland China buys about half of the world's supply of semiconductors.

By: DocMemory
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