Prime Highlights
- Speakers at the Japan-Taiwan Innovation Summit call for closer U.S., Japan and Taiwan cooperation on technology development and protection.
- A U.S. State Department official attends and speaks at the conference for the first time this year.
Key Facts
- TSMC’s Kumamoto plant, opened in 2024, is cited as a strong example of Japan-Taiwan collaboration, with a second plant planned.
- Taiwan’s Startup Island Taiwan initiative has helped more than 20 Taiwanese startups expand into Japan since 2024.
Background
The United States, Taiwan and Japan should deepen cooperation on developing and protecting technology, given the geopolitical pressures each country faces, speakers said at a conference held recently in Japan.
Hsiao Chen-Jung, director general of the Department of Industrial Development at Taiwan’s National Development Council, said the global industrial landscape has shifted quickly in recent years. He pointed to recent geopolitical conflicts and their impact on business, adding that Taiwan has played a key role in supporting the tech industry during periods of stress.
The remarks came at the Japan-Taiwan Innovation Summit, a business matchmaking event now in its fifth year, held in Osaka and Tokyo this week.
John Speaks, the U.S. State Department’s regional technology officer for East Asia, said technologies like AI, semiconductors and quantum computing now sit at the center of global strategic competition. He said trusted technology ecosystems offer a framework for stability, referencing Pax Silica, a U.S.-led initiative launched in 2025 to support cooperation on tech investment and critical materials.
Hsiao pointed to TSMC’s Kumamoto chip plant as a strong example of Japan-Taiwan collaboration, with Taiwan also working to expand startup ties through its Startup Island Taiwan initiative, which recently signed a new partnership agreement in Osaka.