On October 24, Tsaiying Lu, the director of the Climate Resilience and Sustainability Research Group at DSET, joined the Indo-Pacific Expert Roundtable at the invitation of Akira Igata, a Project Lecturer at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST) at the University of Tokyo.
This roundtable, organized by RCAST, the Economic Security Research Program (ESRP), and SINOPSIS, brought together experts from Europe and the Indo-Pacific to address the increasingly complex geopolitical and security challenges facing these regions. Building on a previous meeting in Prague this April, the agenda included key discussions on economic security, security flashpoints in the Indo-Pacific, the analysis of CCP narratives, and subnational CCP engagement in Europe and Japan.
Representing DSET, Lu presented her research, “Climate Resilience for Economic Security: Taiwan’s Silicon Shield 2.0,” emphasizing how climate resilience is essential for maintaining Taiwan’s—and the global—economic stability. In her speech, Lu introduced the “Silicon Shield 2.0” concept to Indo-Pacific experts, focusing on climate resilience as a pillar for bolstering Taiwan’s semiconductor sector.
Lu explained that water and energy shortages are not unique to Taiwan, urging that governments and industries adopt diverse adaptation strategies to strengthen the economic security of semiconductor supply chains. Based on DSET’s ongoing research, she suggested that Instead of discussing “total” consumption and demand, we propose how to ensure a stable output in terms of “regional” power and water supply, backup plans for possible interruptions, sufficient green electricity, and water recycling management. These are the actual issues that need to be dealt with..
Lu also noted that while many stress the higher water and energy consumption of using EUV tools in producing advanced chips, the amount consumed by the air conditioning and exhaust systems should not be neglected, especially when factoring in the scenario of heat waves and shorter winters.
Climate risks should be understood in terms of potential physical damages and operational implications. This matters not only for Taiwan but the entire semiconductor supply chain since it is deeply integrated with global markets and relies heavily on equipment and materials from partners in Japan and the European Union. The varied risks posed by climate change in different regions should be considered in the decision-making process of further expansion.
Lu suggested that the government should set up a review mechanism for a certain time span on the regional supply-demand of water and energy.
DSET welcomed the opportunity to exchange perspectives with European and Indo-Pacific experts at the roundtable, aiming to contribute a uniquely Taiwanese viewpoint on economic security and climate resilience to the ongoing international dialogue.