Min-yen Chiang, Deputy Director of the Economic Security Program at the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET), was recently invited by the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) to contribute to a print roundtable published in its academic journal Asia Policy, titled “Taiwan at a Techno-Geopolitical Nexus: Challenges and Opportunities across Critical Technologies.”
In his article, “Securing Leadership: How Will Taiwan Transform Semiconductor Strength into Next-Generation AI Advantage?”, Chiang analyzes Taiwan’s recent policy initiatives in frontier artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Analysts Wei Chen-An and Cheng Ping-Hsin of DSET’s Economic Security Program also contributed to this research.
📌 The full roundtable is available on NBR’s website: https://www.nbr.org/publication/taiwan-at-a-techno-geopolitical-nexus-challenges-and-opportunities-across-critical-technologies/
According to the Asia Policy editors’ introduction, Chiang’s analysis focuses on three frontier technologies that are central to Taiwan’s role in the global AI supply chain: silicon photonics, quantum computing, and AI robotics. The article notes that Taiwan’s recently proposed development programs in these areas are closely aligned with current U.S. economic and industrial policy priorities. It highlights Taiwan’s existing technological capabilities while underscoring the importance of alliance relationships and U.S. investment in advancing these technologies.
The article further points out that Taiwan’s “New Top Ten AI Infrastructure Projects,” announced in 2025, represent the country’s first comprehensive, national-level strategic response to the global AI wave. Silicon photonics, quantum technologies, and AI robotics are positioned as key foundations for future improvements in AI computing performance, energy efficiency, and application scalability.
Chiang argues that Taiwan’s AI development pathway is highly complementary to U.S. policy priorities in the context of U.S.–China technology competition. While the United States, through the CHIPS and Science Act and related AI initiatives, has focused on strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity and shaping global AI governance frameworks, Taiwan has concentrated on building the “physical infrastructure” underpinning AI ecosystems. In particular, Taiwan’s strengths in advanced manufacturing, heterogeneous integration, and large-scale production capacity help address structural gaps within the U.S. industrial system.
In the area of silicon photonics, the article notes that as AI computing power consumption continues to rise, photonic-electronic integration and advanced packaging have become critical pathways for overcoming the limits of Moore’s Law. Taiwan’s existing advantages in advanced packaging and manufacturing ecosystems position it to further consolidate its global role in silicon photonics and co-packaged optics (CPO). In recent years, the government and industry have accelerated commercialization and ecosystem integration through industrial alliances, R&D subsidies, and the establishment of testing platforms.
Regarding quantum technologies, the research observes that although large-scale commercial applications of quantum computing remain some distance away, quantum technologies are increasingly developing in tandem with AI and advanced semiconductor technologies. At this stage, the government’s key role lies in building long-term research capacity, cultivating talent, and establishing the infrastructure required for future industrialization. Taiwan has already achieved incremental progress in areas such as quantum hardware, cryogenic control systems, and quantum communications through its “National Quantum Team” initiative.
In the field of AI robotics, Chiang argues that Taiwan’s comparative advantage does not lie in a single breakthrough technology, but rather in its comprehensive manufacturing base and multi-layered system integration capabilities. Given the highly interdisciplinary nature of the AI robotics industry, the article calls for government policies that systematically support the parallel development of startups, established manufacturers, and international collaboration.
The article also cautions that China remains a major structural challenge for Taiwan’s technology ecosystem. These challenges stem not only from China’s rapidly expanding industrial capacity, but also from state-backed price competition, supply chain integration strategies, and risks related to talent and technology leakage involving Taiwanese firms. Chiang emphasizes that as Taiwan advances its frontier technology industries, it must simultaneously strengthen its economic security framework through export controls, investment screening mechanisms, and protections for critical technologies in order to mitigate systemic risks.
The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) is a Washington, D.C.–based, non-profit, non-partisan policy research institution focusing on security, economic, technological, and governance issues in Asia. Through policy research, academic publishing, and high-level policy dialogues, NBR seeks to advance understanding and cooperation between the United States and Asian partners on key strategic issues. Asia Policy, NBR’s flagship journal, publishes research contributions from scholars, think tanks, and policy practitioners worldwide.
