On November 4, DSET hosted a high-level delegation from the Institut des Hautes Études de l’Entreprise (IHEE). Founded in 2000, IHEE aims to cultivate France’s next generation of leaders through practical, experience-based training that brings together participants from government, business, media, and labor organizations. The visiting delegation comprised 35 members, including senior officials from the defense, finance, and justice ministries, as well as private-sector executives.
DSET introduced the institute’s mission and key research priorities, including semiconductor and supply chain security, artificial intelligence governance, energy resilience, and emerging defense technologies such as unmanned systems. The institute plays a dual role: providing policy recommendations to international partnerswhile also serving as a domestic policy advisory body. DSET continues to strengthen collaboration with European think tanks to enhance Taiwan’s resilience in both technological and national security domains.
During the roundtable, DSET researchers presented an overview of Taiwan’s strategies for energy security, communications infrastructure, and defense resilience. They noted that Taiwan remains highly dependent on imported energy—over half of which comes from natural gas—while accelerating renewable energy development through international partnerships. Although Taiwan’s semiconductor industry retains global leadership, it faces challenges such as talent outflow and growing competition from China in mature-node chip manufacturing. DSET underscored that export controls should be treated as a national security tool rather than a bargaining instrument, and that building a non-red supply chain is essential to mitigate systemic risks.
In the field of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), DSET highlighted Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to establish an independent drone supply chain. Despite local component costs being two to three times higher than those of Chinese suppliers, Taiwan remains committed to achieving technological autonomy and expanding international cooperation. The discussion also addressed the vulnerability of Taiwan’s international communications, which rely heavily on undersea cables. DSET emphasized that low-Earth-orbit satellite networks cannot fully replace this infrastructure and advocated for deeper collaboration with international partners to develop redundant and resilient communication systems.
Delegation members expressed strong interest in Taiwan’s approach to sustaining semiconductor innovation, countering disinformation and AI-driven influence operations, advancing energy transition, and balancing international cooperation with strategic autonomy. In response, DSET highlighted that Taiwan’s vibrant civil society and high level of media literacy remain key assets in resisting information manipulation. The institute concluded that Taiwan’s leadership in critical sectors such as semiconductors and unmanned systems not only reinforces its own national security but also plays a pivotal role in strengthening the democratic supply chain resilience of its international allies.
