I-SHARPS 2026 International Forum

Dates : October 28 (Wed) – October 30 (Fri), 2026 

Location : Suwon Youth Hostel, Korea

Poster : SON Heiin designer

Background

The semiconductor industry has become one of the key drivers of the AI era and digital transformation. Governments around the world are investing heavily in semiconductors as strategic national industries, while multinational corporations continue to expand manufacturing facilities and global supply chains.

Behind this remarkable growth, however, lie serious human rights concerns, including occupational diseases, exposure to hazardous chemicals, environmental pollution affecting surrounding communities, labor rights violations throughout supply chains, and inadequate chemical safety management. Although semiconductor manufacturing is fundamentally a chemical-intensive industry involving thousands of hazardous substances, workers' right to know and access to information about the chemicals they handle remains insufficiently protected in many countries. Women workers continue to face occupational diseases and reproductive health risks. At the same time, hazardous work is increasingly outsourced to subcontracted and migrant workers, while environmental contamination, restrictions on freedom of association, and labor rights violations remain persistent challenges across the global semiconductor industry.

To respond to these shared challenges, SHARPS is organizing the I-SHARPS 2026 International Forum on Semiconductor Workers' Health and Human Rights, bringing together workers, occupational disease victims, trade unions, civil society organizations, researchers, and advocates from around the world to establish a global platform for solidarity.

Agenda

Directions

Suwon Youth Hostel

• Address: 32 Seoho-ro, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do

• Contact : +82) 031-278-7828, 2383