By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-09-29 18:20:09 | Updated at 2026-09-29 20:38:32
2 hours ago
SANTA CLARA, Calif.—The 2026 Taiwan Tech Summit brought nearly 1,000 technology professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, and young talent to the Santa Clara Convention Center in Silicon Valley on Sept. 26.
The topics of artificial intelligence (AI), technology talent, and U.S.–Taiwan technology cooperation took center stage.
Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, speaking in a prerecorded video message, said Taiwan is actively advancing its AI infrastructure to drive economic growth through technological innovation. As a key hub in the global AI supply chain and an important innovation partner, Taiwan is working closely with the U.S. technology sector, she said.
“We firmly believe that forward-looking technologies must be rooted in universal values, such as freedom, transparency, and democracy,” Hsiao said, adding that these shared values have made the U.S.–Taiwan strategic partnership stronger than ever.
She said Taiwan’s government is leading cross-sector efforts in the United States this year to deepen bilateral talent flow and startup exchanges between the two countries.
NDC Minister: Talent, Innovation Key to Growth
Taiwanese National Development Council (NDC) Minister Yeh Chun-Hsien led a delegation from Taiwan to attend the summit.
Yeh said at the event that Taiwan is advancing technology and AI initiatives, and that “talent and innovation” are key to turning Taiwan’s technological strengths into future economic growth.
He said the delegation came to Silicon Valley to build closer connections with the region’s talent and innovation community, exchange ideas, and create new opportunities for cooperation.
“I hope the connection we make through Taiwan Tech Summit today will continue well beyond this event,” Yeh said.
‘Global Hub for Physical AI’
Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) Chairman Tsung-Tsong Wu said at the event that the rapid rise of AI, combined with major geopolitical shifts, is creating new strategic opportunities. He said AI could be applied to drones, autonomous vehicles, smart robots, and other technologies.
Wu said that just as Silicon Valley’s innovation and entrepreneurship combined with Taiwan’s manufacturing and engineering strengths in the 1980s, the United States and Taiwan now have an opportunity to work together again in the era of physical AI.
Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors, hardware, manufacturing, and system integration, combined with U.S. leadership in AI, software, entrepreneurship, and venture capital, could help build the next generation of physical AI, he said.
“I believe Taiwan can become a critical global hub for physical AI,” Wu said.
Complementary Strengths
David Chih-Hsiang Wu, director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, said the NDC delegation’s visit sent a clear message that Taiwan is serious about talent, innovation, and connecting with the world.
“Taiwan is very good at making things work, while Silicon Valley is pretty good at asking, ‘Can we make that faster and smarter?’” Wu said at the tech summit. “Sometimes if you just put these two together, we can have something pretty amazing.”
Wu said his office is ready to help technology professionals and companies establish connections with Taiwan.
“We’re probably not good at writing code … but we are really good at building connections,” he said.
Connecting US, Taiwanese Tech Talent
This year marked the fifth Taiwan Tech Summit. Katie Hsieh, founder and CEO of the TaiwanNext Foundation, said in a speech that the summit has grown into an important bridge connecting talent and startups between Taiwan and the United States.
This year’s event focused on physical AI, agentic AI, and AI computing. Hsieh said the summit seeks to harness Silicon Valley’s innovative ecosystem to connect international talent, startups, investors, and major technology companies while highlighting Taiwan’s important role in the development of AI.
Speakers also included CK Tseng, vice president of global physical AI and North America sales at Arm; Wei Lin, CTO of Phison Electronics; Wei-Cheng Kuo, co-founder and chief product officer of Spuree; Chih-I Wu, vice president and senior expert at ITRI; Edward Y. Chang, a professor at Stanford University; and Daniel Yu, CEO of MetAI.
Speakers addressed physical AI, intelligent robotics, AI infrastructure, integrating NAND flash technology with AI systems, and other emerging technologies.
Companies Recruit Talent
The summit also featured a career exhibition, with more than 30 technology companies and organizations operating recruiting booths. Large numbers of young technology professionals, students, and other job seekers gathered at the booths to explore employment opportunities and speak directly with company representatives.
With support from the National Development Council, organizers also launched Taiwan Career Day at this year’s summit, bringing Taiwanese government agencies, companies, and universities to Silicon Valley to recruit talent.
