In the high-stakes world of global semiconductors, where microscopic precision meets massive geopolitical shifts, Dr. Tien Wu stands as a rare figure: a leader who balances the exacting standards of a $22 billion tech giant with a deeply humanistic philosophy.

Taiwan’s innovation engine ran hot in 2025. The Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) announced on February 26, 2026, that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) topped Taiwan-based invention patent applicants for the 10th consecutive year, filing 1,485 applications.

US cloud service providers (CSP) continue to invest heavily in artificial intelligence (AI), with Nvidia’s latest fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings report showing record-high revenue, highlighting ongoing strong demand for AI infrastructure. Benefiting from the AI boom, Wiwynn reported consolidated revenue of NT$950.66 billion (US$30.46 billion) in 2025, up 163.7% year over year, with AI products accounting for more than half of sales.

Since mid-February, Meta Platforms has unveiled multi-year strategic partnerships with leading chipmakers Nvidia and AMD, underscoring an ambitious US$100 billion capital expenditure plan for 2026. The investment signals more than a race for computing power: it marks a decisive push to translate AI breakthroughs into scalable, real-world applications.

Yageo CEO David Wang said that although seasonal factors reduced working days from the previous quarter, capacity utilization is expected to rise by 3-5pp sequentially, supported by sustained AI demand and strong order intake. Revenue, gross margin, and operating margin in the first quarter of 2026 are all projected to increase slightly from the fourth quarter of 2025.

As AI-driven demand continues to lift global semiconductor output, TSMC is accelerating the localization of electroplating additives used in advanced packaging to secure a stable supply. Through four measures — production line guidance, equipment optimization, quality inspection, and sample validation — the company has supported Japanese suppliers in establishing production in Taiwan, cutting production cycles from 60 days to 20 days and improving logistics efficiency by 90%.