The Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) hosted the 2025 Taiwan–Japan–Korea Trilateral Technology Dialogue on December 6, bringing together experts from Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea to discuss shared challenges and opportunities across the semiconductor, artificial intelligence, energy security, and drone industries.

Deputy Minister Dr. Faa-Jeng Lin of Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), Dr. Kazuyuki Katayama, Representative of the Japan–Taiwan Exchange Association, Mr. Sang Wook Koh, Acting Representative of the Korea Mission in Taipei, and National Chengchi University President Li Tsai-Yen delivered opening remarks.

Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea Call for Expanding Supply Chain Cooperation

NSTC Deputy Minister Dr. Faa-Jeng Lin emphasized that Taiwan’s Five Trust Technologies remain a central policy objective under President Lai Ching-te. The themes covered in this dialogue closely align with these national priorities. He noted that at the recent APEC Summit, NSTC Minister Dr. Wu Cheng-wen reiterated Taiwan’s commitment to sharing semiconductor strengths with partners as part of its role in global democratic supply chains. Dr. Lin highlighted:

  • Semiconductors & AI: As TSMC expands investments in Kumamoto and Korean demand for Taiwanese chips increases with AI growth, Taiwan seeks to advance regional AI collaboration models.
  • Energy Security: With rising geopolitical and climate-related risks, the three economies—each heavily dependent on imported energy—face shared challenges that call for deeper cooperation.
  • Drone Industry: Taiwan aims to serve as the “Indo-Pacific hub of the democratic drone supply chain,” and hopes to strengthen trilateral collaboration.

Representative Dr. Kazuyuki Katayama expressed gratitude for DSET’s proactive engagement with Japanese think tanks and highlighted growing Taiwan–Japan semiconductor cooperation, including TSMC’s second fab in Kumamoto. Combined with the establishment of the Japan–Korea Science and Technology Cooperation Committee, these developments underscore the importance of trilateral dialogue in building a “non-red supply chain.”

Acting Representative Mr. Sang Wook Koh noted that the APEC “Gyeongju Statement” reaffirmed the importance of global supply chain resilience. He welcomed Taiwan’s recent creation of a parliamentary group dedicated to Northeast Asian regional economic and security cooperation, expressing hopes that this dialogue would complement governmental and legislative efforts.

Panel I | Semiconductor Supply Chain Resilience—The Northeast Asian Semiconductor Triangle: Cooperation, Competition, and Strategic Balance

Moderator:

  • Dr. Jeremy Chih-Cheng Chang | CEO of DSET; Director, Economic Security Program (also serving as moderator)

Speakers:

  • Ms. Cheng Ting-Fang | Chief Technology Correspondent, Nikkei Asia
  • Dr. Seok Joon Kwon | Professor, School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)
  • Professor Hideki Wakabayashi | Distinguished Professor, Research and Education Institute for Semiconductors and Informatics, Kumamoto University

Ms. Cheng Ting-Fang assessed TSMC’s global expansion, noting that the U.S. fab faces regulatory and cost challenges, while developments in Kumamoto have slowed amid softening demand. She emphasized deepening cross-border cooperation in AI data center and memory supply chains among private firms.

Professor Hideki Wakabayashi outlined a strategic “Dual Silicon Triangle” model integrating Taiwan’s foundry capacity, Japan’s strengths in equipment and materials, and South Korea’s leadership in memory chips.

Dr. Seok Joon Kwon called for concrete technology alliances, including international joint R&D platforms to tackle next-generation bottlenecks and establish new standards.

Panel II | AI Supply Chain Resilience—Peripheral Innovation: Policy Pathways for AI Development Beyond the U.S.–China Axis

Moderator:

  • Dr. Kai-Shen Huang | Director, Democratic Governance Program, DSET

Speakers:

  • Mr. Hung-wen Lin | Consultant, BusinessToday Weekly; Author of The Radiance of the Chip Island
  • Dr. Jong Hee Park | Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Seoul National University
  • Mitsunobu Koshiba | Co-founder, Cdots LLC; Former President and Representative Director, JSR Corporation

Dr. Kai-Shen Huang introduced the concept of peripheral innovation, highlighting the strategic importance of AI development outside the U.S.–China axis. He emphasized that combining Taiwan, Japan, and Korea’s respective strengths in AI hardware can enhance regional competitiveness.

Mr. Hung-wen Lin argued that the three economies should jointly pursue value-added production and work toward building an Asian community that transcends U.S.–China rivalry.

Dr. Jong Hee Park advocated trilateral collaboration in frontier domains such as AI hardware and quantum computing, pooling elite talent to cultivate globally influential next-generation strategic enterprises.

Mr. Mitsunobu Koshiba emphasized leveraging shared democratic values, professional specialization, and resource integration to construct a resilient technological defense line.

Panel III | Energy Security Cooperation—Building Resilient Energy Partnerships among Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan in an Era of Indo-Pacific Uncertainty

Moderator:

  • Dr. Tsai-Ying Lu | Director, Energy Security and Climate Resilience Program, DSET

Speakers:

  • RADM (ret.) Katsuya Yamamoto | Senior Research Fellow, Sasakawa Peace Foundation
  • Dr. Eun-jung Lim | Professor, Division of International Studies, Kongju National University
  • Mr. Wei Yang | Researcher, Taiwan Climate Action Network (TCAN)
  • Dr. Eun-jung Lim | Professor, Division of International Studies, Kongju National University (joining online)

Dr. Tsai-Ying Lu stressed that any potential blockade or coercive action by China would pose significant risks to regional energy security. Given their similar energy structures and reliance on imports, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea must strengthen joint preparedness.

RADM (ret.) Katsuya Yamamoto warned that a crisis in the Taiwan Strait would disrupt sea lines of communication, resulting in severe economic impacts for Japan and South Korea. He emphasized that “a crisis for Taiwan is a crisis for Japan—and also a crisis for Korea.”

Dr. Eun-jung Lim recommended creating a trilateral early-warning mechanism for LNG disruptions, expanding market information-sharing, and conducting coordinated scenario-based war games.

Mr. Wei Yang highlighted that climate change is increasing energy system vulnerabilities and must also be treated as a national security issue. He emphasized long-term cooperation on renewable energy deployment.

Panel IV | Development of Drone Industries—Building a Robust Indo-Pacific Drone Supply Chain

Moderator:

  • Ms. Cathy Fang | Policy Analyst, National Security Program & Economic Security Program, DSET

Speakers:

  • Dr. Alex Tsai｜Vice President, Military Programs and New Business, Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC)
  • Dr. Hyon Lim | Founder and CEO, UVify Inc.
  • Mr. Kakuya Iwata | Executive Director, Japan UAS Industrial Development Association (JUIDA)

Ms. Cathy Fang reviewed developments in Taiwan’s drone industry, noting that although multiple MoUs exist between Taiwan and Japan, substantive cooperation remains limited, and Taiwan–Korea industrial collaboration is still at an early stage.

Dr. Alex Tsai highlighted export progress driven by the Taiwan Excellent Drone Industry Building Operations Alliance (TEDIBOA), and identified next steps including scaling domestic production, advancing autonomous navigation R&D, and developing globally competitive brands.

Mr. Kakuya Iwata outlined JUIDA’s expansion and growing coordination with the Japan Self-Defense Forces, emphasizing Japan’s strengths in automation equipment, propulsion systems, and drone software.

Dr. Hyon Lim noted that while Korea currently holds advantages in production scale, Taiwan has numerous hidden champions in the supply chain. He emphasized the geographic proximity of the three economies as a major asset for deeper supply chain integration.