Taiwan and Czechia Deepen Strategic Partnership
The 6th Supply Chain Resilience Center research symposium was held November 3 in the Mingda Lecture Hall of the College of Law at National Chengchi University, co-hosted by National Chengchi University and Charles University in the Czech Republic, with Taiwan and Czech scholars and industry representatives participating. The meeting focused on supply chain restructuring driven by geopolitical shifts and demand for artificial intelligence, addressing economic security, technological development and international cooperation. DFI Information Products Center General Manager Zhang Jiayi was invited to share frontline industry observations.
Opening Remarks Emphasize Trusted Connections
At the opening ceremony, Czech Representative to Taiwan David Jarkulisch said supply chain resilience depends on trusted partnerships, noting that Taiwan and Czechia, both innovation-driven, export-oriented economies, can deepen links through semiconductors, digital technology and academic exchanges. NCCU Vice President Chen Shu-heng said the Charles University delegation grew from 16 members last year to 24, with exchanges continuing to expand. Charles University Vice-Rector Karel Kouba said the cooperation already has an institutional basis and will involve more faculties and humanities and social sciences perspectives in the future, expanding cooperation through seed funding, planning for a Taiwan Center and student exchanges. College of Social Sciences Dean Yang Wan-ying and Charles University Faculty of Social Sciences Dean Tomáš Karásek also delivered remarks, and a memorandum of understanding between the NCCU College of Social Sciences and the Charles University Faculty of Arts was signed that day.
Economic Security and Technology Governance Challenges
The first session on geopolitics and international relations, chaired by NCCU Department of Diplomacy Chair Wu Chung-han, analyzed differences between the Czech government’s and president’s diplomatic statements and actual decisions, as well as how Taiwan is expanding links through overseas semiconductor deployment, talent cultivation and research cooperation. The second session on economic security and technological resilience, chaired by NCCU Department of Public Administration Distinguished Professor Du Wen-ling, analyzed Czech online media semiconductor discourse from 2017 to 2026, shifting from production and business toward supply shortages, strategic investment and resilience, while cautioning that the level of media attention cannot be directly equated with the level of risk. The research also noted a governance gap between governments pursuing autonomy and industries valuing international interdependence, adding that small and medium-sized economies should build resilience through cross-sector coordination and reliable international cooperation.
Strategic Technologies and Industry Practice
The third session, chaired by NCCU Department of Economics Associate Professor Li Hao-chung, used U.S. patent data to analyze semiconductor innovation, finding that participating regions have increased while innovation remains concentrated in major hubs, with knowledge accumulation and breadth of technical experience helping entry into new technology fields, and recommended improving employee invention, trade secret and rights acquisition systems. The final session on industry perspectives on investing in Europe, chaired by NCCU Department of Business Administration Professor Lo Ming-hsiu, recommended improving the availability of key components through supply source mapping, trusted alternative suppliers, and Taiwan-Czech cooperation in design, packaging and testing, R&D and talent. Zhang Jiayi noted that large cloud operators’ investment in AI infrastructure has extended lead times for some materials to 24 to 52 weeks, with Europe accounting for about 35% of DFI’s business, and the closing session featured a general discussion hosted by Taiwan Studies Center Executive Director and NCCU SCRC Principal Investigator Lien Hsien-ming and Charles University SCRC Director David Emler.