This week, representatives from the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) visited the DSET to exchange views with research team leaders on technological development, Taiwan’s political, social, and economic landscape, and the future of Taiwan-Europe relations. Both sides also engaged in discussions on key issues such as cybersecurity, supply chain disentanglement, international strategy, and communication resilience.
During the meeting, Janka Oertel, Director of ECFR’s Asia Program, emphasized cybersecurity and climate infrastructure as critical areas of concern. She expressed particular interest in Huawei’s role in the international supply chain and diplomatic relations, noting that a deeper understanding of Huawei’s business operations and its impact on the global technology supply chain remains a pressing challenge.
Additionally, Jeremy Chih-Cheng Chang, Executive Director of DSET and Leader of the Economic Security Group, shared insights from DSET’s research on the semiconductor supply relationship between TSMC and Huawei, analyzing its implications for global technological competition.
Lu Tsaiying, Leader of the Sustainable Resilience Group, discussed Taiwan’s energy supply development and submarine cable applications with the European delegation. Meanwhile, a researcher from DSET’s National Security Group explored Taiwan-Europe cooperation on drone policies with the visitors.
The ECFR delegation noted that, in response to the evolving situation in Ukraine, EU member states are increasing investments in Ukraine’s drone supply chain, creating greater opportunities for collaboration with Taiwan’s emerging drone industry. Furthermore, with Germany recently approving a major fiscal plan to increase defense spending, the EU is seeking to reduce its reliance on U.S. defense suppliers. The delegation also engaged in discussions with DSET’s National Security Group on communication resilience and low-earth orbit satellite research.
DSET continues to expand its policy collaboration with Europe. In November last year, it hosted its first forum in Berlin, inviting key European think tanks to visit Taiwan and signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen cooperation. This year, DSET plans to deepen collaboration with European think tanks on topics such as TSMC’s investment in Germany, drone supply chain cooperation, satellite communication resilience, energy technology cooperation, and disinformation countermeasures. These initiatives aim to provide clear policy recommendations for both Taiwanese and European governments.