Taipei, Sept. 8 (CNA) German multinational company Merck KGaA founded its first IC Materials Application Development Center in Asia Friday in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan.

Rico Wiedenbruch, the science and technology company's senior vice president of the IC Materials Division, attended the opening ceremony and lauded the center for serving as the first responder to problems related to semiconductors and electronic wafers in Taiwan and Asia.

The newly founded center, which was a NT$100 million (US$3.33 million) investment, provides both front- and back-end applications, Wiedenbruch said.

The center's location in Kaohsiung will allow clients in Taiwan and nearby Asian countries, such as South Korea, Japan and China, to receive customer service more quickly than before, he added.