German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) Indo-Pacific Program Director Bonnie Glaser led a delegation from the Taiwan–US–Europe Policy Program (TUPP) on March 2 to visit the Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET). The two sides exchanged views on Taiwan–US economic and trade relations, Taiwan’s energy transition, Taiwan–US cooperation in the drone industry, and democratic resilience.
On trends in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, DSET CEO Chang Chih-cheng noted that amid global supply chain restructuring and intensifying technological competition, Taiwan’s semiconductor sector is moving toward further advancement in leading-edge manufacturing and more diversified overseas expansion. He emphasized that Taiwan is also strengthening institutionalized cooperation and risk diversification mechanisms with democratic partners in the United States and Europe.
Regarding economic and trade issues, participants discussed the potential implications of recent Taiwan–US trade agreements for Taiwan, including possible impacts on Taiwan’s energy imports. Lu Tsai-ying, Director of DSET’s Energy Resilience Program, pointed out that economic development remains a key consideration for countries seeking to balance energy supply, and that Taiwan is working to diversify its energy sources to mitigate risks.
DSET also outlined the progress and challenges of Taiwan’s energy transition, including renewable energy deployment, grid resilience enhancement, and rising industrial electricity demand. Both sides explored the potential for Taiwan–Europe cooperation in green energy technologies.
On emerging technology and security issues, participants exchanged views on the development of Taiwan’s drone industry and its potential alignment with US supply chain systems, as well as ways to enhance system integration and indigenous R&D capabilities while ensuring supply chain security. In addition, Huang Kai-shen, Director of DSET’s Democratic Governance Program, responded to questions from the delegation regarding the impact of generative AI on democratic institutions, including Taiwan’s policy experience in countering disinformation and gray-zone operations.
