The DSET 2025 Forum—National Strategic Summit on Supply Chain Resilience, organized by the Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET) and the NCCU Supply Chain Resilience Center (SCRC), was held on June 14, attracting over 550 registered participants. Attendees included officials from foreign representative offices, leaders across multiple industries, and representatives from nearly 100 domestic and international media outlets. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions with prominent scholars, former government officials, and corporate executives from Taiwan, the United States, Ukraine, France, Japan, South Korea, and Australia on topics spanning semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), energy security, and drone supply chains.
The summit opened with keynote remarks by Cheng-Wen Wu, Minister of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), and Yuh-Jye Lee, Advisor to the National Security Council of the Office of the President.
Cheng-Wen Wu: Taiwan to Lead in Trusted Industrial Development
Minister Wu highlighted that during a June 12 meeting between summit delegates and President William Lai, the President reaffirmed that building an international democratic semiconductor supply chain is a national strategy. As a global semiconductor hub, Taiwan plays an indispensable role in this effort. He noted that the NSTC will continue advancing the “Five Trusted Industries” initiative, leveraging Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors to integrate domestic drone, low-Earth orbit satellite, and smart robotics sectors, fortifying Taiwan’s leadership in advanced manufacturing.
Yuh-Jye Lee: Deepening Strategic Cooperation with Like-Minded Partners
Advisor Lee emphasized that in the face of geopolitical and technological challenges, Taiwan is committed to working with like-minded nations to shape the future. He expressed hope that this year’s summit will further strengthen strategic cooperation between Taiwan and its international partners.
Semiconductor Supply Chain Resilience Dialogue: Toward a Democratic Semiconductor Alliance
During the Semiconductor Panel, Stephen Yates, Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, proposed that existing global trade institutions are increasingly influenced by China. He advocated for a new international alliance centered on emerging technologies—such as a “T7” to replace the traditional G7—with Taiwan as a core member.
Jeremy Chih-Cheng Chang, CEO of DSET, emphasized Taiwan’s commitment to strengthening its export control systems to become a reliable and responsible chip supplier, aligning with DSET’s research mission. Jimmy Goodrich, Senior Advisor at RAND Corporation, cautioned that democratic tech alliances must avoid partnerships with countries lacking shared democratic values. He cited concerns over recent Trump-era tech collaborations with Middle Eastern nations closely tied to Chinese and Russian supply chains, urging Taiwan to proceed carefully.
Kazuto Suzuki, Director of Japan’s Institute of Geoeconomics (IOG), praised TSMC’s investment in Kumamoto and underscored the tight link between the Kumamoto and Hsinchu ecosystems. Jeong-Meen Suh, President of Korea’s KOSTI, noted that AI development and strengthened export controls are top priorities of Korea’s new administration under President Lee Jae-myung, supported by bipartisan consensus.
AI Supply Chain Dialogue: Taiwan’s Window of Opportunity in AI
In the AI Panel, Anthony Bak, Head of AI Implementation at Palantir Technologies, discussed how the company supports clients in building digital twin systems using AI. He emphasized that the greatest barrier to adoption remains trust, with varying levels of confidence in AI safety among governments, industries, and defense sectors. He called for global cooperation to establish shared AI safety certification standards.
David Lin, of the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), presented a framework for evaluating national AI capabilities across hardware, software, and talent. He urged Taiwan to transform into an “AI Island,” expanding beyond hardware to build robust software and talent ecosystems.
Mathieu Duchâtel, from France’s Institut Montaigne, challenged the view that Europe’s regulatory frameworks hinder innovation. He highlighted the EU’s latest “AI Factories” initiative as an example of how regulation and industrial support can coexist to foster growth.
Kai-Shen Huang, Director of DSET’s Democratic Governance Program, noted that while countries like the U.S. and France are “AI producers,” Taiwan remains an “AI consumer.” He emphasized Taiwan’s potential to shape global standards—particularly in AI safety—and warned that without proactive engagement, Taiwan risks having its future shaped by others.
Energy Supply Chain Resilience Dialogue: Diversifying Supply to Protect Taiwan’s Future
The Energy Panel featured experts from Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and the United States addressing rising energy demands, climate challenges, and geopolitical risks.
Tsai-Ying Lu, Director of DSET’s Energy Security and Climate Resilience Program, noted Taiwan’s growing reliance on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and stressed the need to diversify imports while accelerating hydrogen adoption in power generation and industry.
Harry Krejsa, Director of Studies at the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology, warned of risks stemming from Chinese influence over key energy infrastructure.
Daisuke Harada, Director General at the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC), presented Japan’s gas policy framework and called for enhanced multilateral cooperation to promote clean energy.
Ian Satchwell, Senior Fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), emphasized Australia’s abundant natural gas and hydrogen potential, positioning it as a key Indo-Pacific energy partner.
Yao-Ting Wang, President of Taiwan Power Company, shared progress on Taipower’s hydrogen demonstration projects, while Charles Tsai, Head of the Hydrogen Energy Business Division at Delta Electronics, presented Taiwan’s innovations in next-generation hydrogen fuel cell technologies.
Drone Supply Chain Dialogue: International Collaboration Is Key to Taiwan’s UAV Breakthrough
In the Drone Panel, Cathy Fang, Policy Analyst at DSET, previewed DSET’s forthcoming U.S.-Taiwan drone report. She noted that while Taiwan’s UAV output and exports are growing, cooperation with the U.S. is limited by regulatory and production constraints. DSET advocates expanding collaboration in procurement, certification, and co-production.
Mark Valentine, Global Head of National Security Strategy at Skydio, remarked, “What matters is not the drone itself, but its application.” He shared lessons from Skydio’s deployment in Ukraine, where battlefield innovation and electronic warfare were game-changers—lessons Taiwan must learn from.
Ming-Huang Tsai, Director of the Military Business Division at Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC), outlined Taiwan’s next priorities: gaining Blue UAS and Green UAS certifications, advancing domestic AI automation, and encouraging local semiconductor firms to enter the UAV chip market.
Yurii Poita, a Ukrainian defense expert and the head of the Asia-Pacific Section at the Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies, described how drones have evolved from reconnaissance tools to autonomous weapons capable of strike and jamming operations.
Peter Mattis, President of the Jamestown Foundation, explained how China is adapting lessons from the Russia–Ukraine war. He argued that Taiwan must scale up production and accelerate the development of drone swarming capabilities to prepare for future threats.
