2026-08-06 Transcene Drives High-Value Circular Economy Solutions and Joins TSMC's Supply Chain
Source: Wealth Magazine, Issue No. 769
By Chiu Yi-Sung
Chin-ho Hsieh and Ya-Min Hsieh Discuss How Waste Can Create New Business Opportunities
Transcene Drives High-Value Circular Economy Solutions and Joins TSMC's Supply Chain
As the importance of recycling technology waste and advancing resource circularity continues to grow, the circular economy is creating new business opportunities across industries.
In an exclusive interview with Wealth Magazine, President Chin-ho Hsieh spoke with Ya-Min Hsieh, General Manager of Transcene, about emerging trends in the circular economy and the company's long-term strategy for sustainable resource management.
With the rapid growth of the semiconductor and renewable energy industries, waste management has become an increasingly important issue, prompting more companies to invest in circular economy solutions. Founded on semiconductor CMP sludge recycling, Transcene successfully entered TSMC's supply chain and has since expanded its business into solar panel recycling.
The following is an edited transcript of the interview between Wealth Magazine President Hsieh Chin-ho and Transcene General Manager Ya-Min Hsieh.
With the rapid growth of the semiconductor and renewable energy industries, waste management has become an increasingly important issue, prompting more companies to invest in circular economy solutions. Founded on semiconductor CMP sludge recycling, Transcene successfully entered TSMC's supply chain and has since expanded its business into solar panel recycling.
The following is an edited transcript of the interview between Wealth Magazine President Chin-ho Hsieh and Transcene General Manager Ya-Min Hsieh.
Interview
Chin-ho Hsieh (Q): Although Transcene was founded only a few years ago, it has successfully entered the semiconductor circular economy and become part of TSMC's supply chain. Could you share the background of the company's establishment and its development strategy?
Ya-Min Hsieh (A): Transcene was founded in 2019 by a team primarily composed of alumni from the Department of Resources Engineering at National Cheng Kung University, spanning approximately five graduating classes. Guided by the concept of urban mining, we are committed to transforming materials once regarded as waste into valuable resources through innovative recycling and reuse technologies.
In the early stages of our business, we found that many semiconductor manufacturers had only a limited understanding of the different types of waste generated during production, their characteristics, and their potential for resource recovery. To address this gap, we actively engaged with industry leaders at semiconductor exhibitions and other professional events, helping companies better understand the waste they generate and developing customized recycling solutions based on the properties of different materials.
Through continuous communication and collaboration with the industry, Transcene was later awarded a long-term contract by a leading semiconductor foundry to establish and operate a CMP sludge recycling facility within the Taichung Zero Waste Manufacturing Center at the Central Taiwan Science Park. The facility transforms CMP sludge—once considered difficult to process—into recycled resources with economic value, contributing to the advancement of a circular economy.
Creating Greater Value Through Solar Panel Recycling
Chin-ho Hsieh (Q): CMP sludge generated during semiconductor manufacturing was traditionally treated as industrial waste. How does Transcene create new value from these materials today?
Ya-Min Hsieh (A): CMP sludge is primarily generated during the chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process in semiconductor manufacturing. In the past, the primary objective was simply to dispose of this material. Through the development of resource recovery technologies, however, CMP sludge can now be transformed into valuable raw materials for the construction industry, as well as products for the steel industry.
The concept is somewhat similar to steel slag, a by-product generated during steel production. The difference is that Transcene redirects waste generated during semiconductor manufacturing back into the steel and construction industries, enabling these resources to enter a new cycle of reuse.
Chin-ho Hsieh (Q): In recent years, typhoons have damaged large numbers of solar panels in parts of Taiwan, raising public concerns about whether they contain toxic substances that could pollute the environment. What is your view on this issue?
Ya-Min Hsieh (A): Public concern over solar panels mainly stems from the use of cadmium telluride (CdTe) in certain products. However, these types of solar panels account for only a very small share of Taiwan's market. The vast majority of solar panels installed in Taiwan today are silicon-based, which generally do not pose toxicity concerns. The key lies in identifying the panel material before recycling. If the panels are not CdTe-based, there is no need for undue concern regarding toxicity.
In fact, solar panels themselves represent an urban mine of valuable resources. They are composed of materials such as glass, aluminum frames, conductive ribbons, and junction boxes, and also contain economically valuable metals including silver and copper, all of which can be recovered and reused through appropriate recycling technologies.
Transcene has established a solar panel recycling facility in Yunlin with a material recovery rate exceeding 95%. Rather than simply crushing discarded panels, we preserve the glass sheets whenever possible so they can be directly reused in applications such as greenhouses and building materials. The remaining materials are then carefully sorted by material type., allowing silver to be recovered as silver, copper as copper, and silicon as silicon, thereby maximizing the value of each recovered resource.
As global solar power installations continue to expand, the industry will eventually face the first major wave of end-of-life solar panels. Current global recycling capacity remains far from sufficient. Therefore, we aim to develop our Yunlin facility into a replicable demonstration plant and eventually introduce this model to overseas markets.
Growing Opportunities Amid Semiconductor Expansion
Chin-ho Hsieh (Q): What are Transcene's development plans in the field of high-value resource recovery?
Ya-Min Hsieh (A): We will continue to focus on two key areas. The first is semiconductor resource circularity, with a continued focus on expanding the recycling and reuse of silicon-related materials. The second is solar resource circularity. Solar panels contain valuable materials such as silver, copper, aluminum, and silicon, all of which can be recovered and reused through advanced recycling technologies.
Chin-ho Hsieh (Q): Transcene is still in the investment and expansion stage, which may affect its short-term financial performance. How do you view the company's future prospects?
Ya-Min Hsieh (A): At present, there are relatively few companies specializing in the recycling and reuse of semiconductor silicon-related materials. As the circular economy market continues to grow rapidly, Transcene occupies a unique position in the market. Although we continue to invest in equipment, technologies, and market expansion, which has an impact on our short-term financial performance, we believe the company's long-term growth potential is substantial as demand for circular solutions in the semiconductor and renewable energy industries continues to rise.
Chin-ho Hsieh (Q): Transcene is currently listed on the Taiwan Innovation Board and may eventually pursue a main board listing. We also expect to see more outstanding circular economy companies in Taiwan enter the capital market, where access to capital and continued technological advancement will help drive the industry's long-term growth.
Ya-Min Hsieh (A): Our goal is to establish a strong position in both the semiconductor and solar industries. As market demand continues to expand, we aspire to become one of Taiwan's leading representatives of the circular economy.
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#OldHsiehTalk EP284 | Wealth Magazine featuring Ya-Min Hsieh, General Manager of Transcene：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYfYB421OTU&list=PLRBNqKN6oqkX54Whc9V7KF_oUTINnoYxh&index=2