Colley Hwang Eric Huang

COVID-19 alongside the Russia-Ukraine war have brought about an enormous across-the-globe impact to demonstrate no one can remain insulated from the global change. US-China’s rivalry, coupled with Japan’s and Korea’s ceaseless moves, plus ASEAN countries’ & South Asian nations’ significant advances are likely to herald an era of unprecedented change. Is Taiwan well prepared to avert falling victim to the war of two superpowers?

Never count on a handful of aces up your sleeve, a game-changer may just turn your longstanding advantage into a future liability.

Semiconductors and the supply chains are Taiwan’s most significant strategic assets to engage with the international community. In retrospect, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry led by industry leaders like Morris Chang and Ming-Kai Tsai, had achieved a global leading position. Corporate strategies employed by Taiwan’s representative rivals as Intel, U.S. and Samsung, Korea all feed into their distinct future development.
Semiconductors are ubiquitous in an era of Internet of Things. Ironically though, is Taiwan’s semiconductor industry coming as the most coveted possession or Taiwan’s sacred mountain? The rapid changes of global status have upended global geopolitics, which can far outweigh the impact on enterprises in terms of technological innovation and business reform. Bearing the brunt amid the clash of interests between the U.S. and China, Taiwan again is sensing the strong gunpowder smell. In the face of Japan-Korea coopetition, coupled with ASEAN and South Asian emerging players breathing down the neck, Taiwan needs to mull it over and address these austere yet meaningful challenges to maintain its cutting-edge in the semiconductor industry.
How would Taiwan create a back-to-back miracle against the backdrop of risks posed by geopolitics?