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Taiwan's NSTC Minister Cheng-Wen Wu Talks to EE Times During Computex 2026

EE Times
EE Times•Jun 2, 2026

Why It Matters

Taiwan’s integrated approach—leveraging manufacturing excellence, cutting‑edge photonics, and sustainable policies—will shape the next wave of AI hardware, influencing global supply chains and geopolitical tech alliances.

Key Takeaways

  • •Taiwan prioritizes four pillars: manufacturing, global collaboration, applications, sustainability.
  • •Silicon photonics and quantum computing are central to Taiwan’s AI roadmap.
  • •Government‑backed science parks streamline R&D and attract international partners.
  • •Taiwan aims to reduce resource scarcity via overseas manufacturing investments.
  • •Net‑zero goal drives cleaner semiconductor processes and energy‑efficient networking.

Summary

At Computex 2026, Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council minister Cheng‑Wen Wu detailed the island’s evolving role in the global augmented‑reality and AI ecosystem. He framed Taiwan’s ambition around four strategic pillars: sustaining advanced manufacturing capabilities, deepening international research collaborations, expanding AI‑driven application domains, and meeting net‑zero environmental targets.

Wu emphasized that maintaining leadership in semiconductor and AI server production requires both robust R&D funding and partnerships with the United States, Europe, Japan, and other democratic allies. He highlighted silicon photonics and quantum computing as core technologies that will underpin future data‑center, edge‑computing, and autonomous‑system workloads, noting recent proof‑of‑concept demonstrations with partners in Thailand, Japan, and telecom firms.

The minister also praised Taiwan’s government‑run science parks, which provide a single‑window interface for companies, streamline academia‑industry cooperation, and have historically accelerated the semiconductor supply chain. He stressed that these parks, combined with overseas manufacturing investments, aim to alleviate resource constraints such as electricity, water, and skilled labor.

Wu concluded that Taiwan’s strategy positions the island not only as a manufacturing hub but also as a catalyst for global AI innovation, while safeguarding environmental standards and geopolitical resilience.

Original Description

During Computex 2026 in Taiwan, EE Times editors sat down with Minister Cheng-Wen Wu, Minister Without Portfolio, Executive Yuan, Minister, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).
In a wide ranging discusison, the minister talked about Taiwan's role in the burgeoning AI ecosystem, about the country's strengths and values, about challenges in the AI supply chain arising from increasing geopolitical and security pressures, about the technological research areas that Taiwan's institutes are focusing on, and how it is encouraging its startups.
A key message was around the need for international collaboration on many fronts - not just manufacturing, but also in talent, resources, and the opportunity for shared economic growth. The discussion also looked at a particular focus on silicon photonics, widebandgap semiconductors, and quantum computing.
Watch the full interview at the link.
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