Taiwan has launched an ambitious strategy to establish itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence, with plans to generate more than T$15 trillion ($510 billion) in economic value by 2040. The initiative, titled the “Ten Major AI Infrastructure Projects,” is aimed at building a comprehensive foundation for innovation, talent development, and industrial transformation.
The government is focusing on three key technologies: silicon photonics, AI robotics, and quantum computing. These are considered strategic priorities due to their potential to drive cross-sector applications and global competitiveness. Silicon photonics, a field in which Taiwan already has a foothold through firms like TSMC, is expected to support high-performance AI workloads with greater speed and energy efficiency.
The initiative also includes large-scale investment in robotics infrastructure, leveraging Taiwan’s mature ICT and hardware supply chains. A new alliance led by Foxconn Chairman Young Liu was launched to coordinate industry-wide support for AI robotics development. Parallel efforts are underway to establish a homegrown quantum tech industry, reinforcing Taiwan’s long-term ambitions in next-gen computing.
Sovereign AI, investment funds, and research labs to drive local capacity
To ensure domestic control over foundational technologies, the government is advancing projects in sovereign AI and regional infrastructure distribution. These efforts aim to reduce reliance on foreign platforms while enabling AI adoption across industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics.
Taiwan plans to mobilize over T$100 billion ($3.08 billion) in venture capital for AI startups and innovation hubs. It also aims to create 500,000 jobs and build three international-level AI research laboratories by 2040. Premier Cho Jung-tai stated that the vision is to transform Taiwan into a “smart technology island” that can influence the global AI landscape through homegrown expertise.
