In late October, DSET visited Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, where Director Dr. Wen-Ling Tu and CEO Dr. Chih-Cheng Chang led a delegation of overseas researchers, including Min-Yan Chiang and Yun-Pu Tu, for discussions with Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Glenn Tiffert and Visiting Fellows Anna Puglisi and Frances Hisgen.
The discussions focused on Taiwan-U.S. research security policies, addressing challenges such as the unauthorized outflow of technology and foreign threats to research integrity. During a follow-up roundtable, DSET introduced Taiwan’s “Silicon Shield 2.0” geostrategic framework, exchanging views with Hoover Institution researchers on Taiwan’s perspective on global semiconductor security.
Tu outlined DSET’s short- and medium-term policy research agenda and welcomed future collaboration with the Hoover Institution on emerging technology research. Dr. Chang provided an overview of Taiwan’s legal framework for research security, highlighting legislation on national core technologies and its role in safeguarding Taiwan’s research ecosystem. He cited Taiwan’s National Core Technology Research Project Security Manual as an example of government efforts to prevent intellectual property leaks.
The Hoover Institution, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), has been working with leading U.S. academic institutions to create a resilient and secure research environment in response to emerging challenges. During the discussions, DSET Non-Resident Research Fellow Min-Yan Chiang presented three case studies illustrating security threats faced by Taiwan’s research community:
- China’s “Thousand Talents Program” recruiting Taiwanese scholars to access confidential research projects
- Illegal operations by Chinese academic institutions within Taiwan
- Unauthorized transfers of government-funded semiconductor research to China
The Hoover Institution’s 2023 publication, Silicon Triangle: The United States, Taiwan, China, and Global Semiconductor Security, explored Taiwan-U.S. cooperation in securing the global semiconductor supply chain, sparking discussions in Taiwan’s policy community. At the roundtable, Dr. Chang emphasized that Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is deepening ties with democratic allies in the Global North. He argued that Taiwan must continue leveraging its industrial advantages while coordinating sustainable “friend-shoring” strategies with allies to enhance global semiconductor security and competitiveness.