Amid the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, shifting geopolitical dynamics, and the restructuring of global semiconductor supply chains, Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) and the Taoyuan City Government jointly hosted the “Industry and Technology Summit Forum” on October 6 at the Chang Ching Yu Memorial Library on the CYCU campus.
Under the theme “Global Semiconductor Strategy and Supply Chain Resilience,” the forum brought together experts from government, industry, and academia to examine key issues shaping the future of Taiwan’s semiconductor sector. Discussions covered AI-driven industrial development, supply chain resilience, energy and computing infrastructure, edge computing, sustainable governance, and the cultivation of future-ready talent.
Deputy Secretary-General Chih-Yu Chin of the Taoyuan City Government attended the forum on behalf of Mayor Shan-Cheng Chang. He noted that Taoyuan is home to a comprehensive manufacturing ecosystem and serves as a key hub in Taiwan’s electronics and semiconductor supply chains. As industries respond to geopolitical shifts, the net-zero transition, and the rapid development of AI, he emphasized the need to advance technological innovation while strengthening supply chain resilience and talent development. The Taoyuan City Government, he added, will continue to connect universities with industry resources to help young people better understand emerging industrial trends and future career opportunities.
CYCU President Ying-Ming Lee delivered a keynote address titled “Why Has Taiwan Not Become an AI Industry Empire on Its Own?” In his remarks, President Lee examined Taiwan’s strong hardware manufacturing capabilities and highly integrated supply chain, while identifying several areas that will be critical to expanding Taiwan’s global influence in the AI sector. These include business models, application markets, capital markets, branding, international standards, and the development of advanced software and systems architecture talent.
President Lee emphasized that competition in the AI era extends far beyond manufacturing capacity. It increasingly involves the strength of an entire industrial ecosystem encompassing platforms, services, software, brands, and international standards. He therefore encouraged students not only to develop professional expertise, but also to build interdisciplinary perspectives and a deeper understanding of the markets, industries, and global environments in which technology operates.
Cheng-Hua Lu, Secretary-General of the Chinese National Federation of Industries, addressed the transformation of global political and economic conditions and the restructuring of supply chains. He observed that companies are moving away from models focused solely on efficiency toward strategies that place greater emphasis on risk management and resilience. Businesses are increasingly diversifying sourcing, adopting nearshoring and friend-shoring strategies, and building inventory buffers to reduce the risks associated with supply disruptions.
Yen-Wei Keng, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Economic Development, Taoyuan City Government, discussed industrial development from the perspective of AI computing capacity and energy resilience. He noted that as demand for AI computing continues to rise, reliable energy supply has become a fundamental requirement for industrial growth. Taoyuan will continue to strengthen energy resilience, industrial corridors, and corporate sustainability, while recognizing that stable, low-carbon, and flexible energy systems will play an increasingly important role in industrial competitiveness.
From an industry application perspective, Tung-Lung Chang, Vice President of Daken Optics, shared insights into emerging AI trends and noted that AI-driven semiconductor demand is expanding across data centers, edge devices, automotive applications, energy systems, and telecommunications. Meanwhile, Hsuang-Yuan Liao, Distinguished Research Fellow and Director of the Institute of Information Science at Academia Sinica, examined developments in edge computing, including the integration of hardware and software and the evolution of related technologies, highlighting the growing diversity of AI applications.
The forum also featured a panel discussion titled “Green Chips under Geopolitical Pressure: Sustainability Governance Challenges in the Semiconductor Supply Chain.” Moderated by Chao-Ming Fu, Dean of CYCU’s College of Semiconductor Industry, the discussion brought together Yen-Wei Keng of the Taoyuan City Government; Hsuang-Yuan Liao of Academia Sinica; Tung-Lung Chang of Daken Optics; Wen-Che Chien, Associate Vice President of the Management and Human Resources Division at MSI; and Shih-Hsiang Chen, Executive Director of PwC Taiwan Innovation Consulting. The panel explored semiconductor development from the perspectives of geopolitics, energy, technology, industry, and sustainability governance.
In response to the semiconductor sector’s growing demand for interdisciplinary talent, CYCU continues to integrate the resources of its College of Semiconductor Industry, the Semiconductor Materials and Advanced Optics Research Center, and cross-disciplinary education programs. Through industry–academia collaboration and practice-oriented learning, the University is strengthening student training in semiconductor materials, manufacturing processes, packaging and testing, and smart manufacturing, while building a more comprehensive talent development ecosystem for the semiconductor industry.
CYCU stated that in an era of rapid technological change, university education must go beyond technical specialization. Students must also understand the industrial, geopolitical, governance, ethical, and sustainability dimensions behind emerging technologies. Looking ahead, CYCU will continue to integrate semiconductor education, interdisciplinary learning, and industry–academia–research resources to cultivate a new generation of technology professionals equipped with professional expertise, global perspectives, and humanistic awareness.
