South Korea’s optoelectronics industry once grew rapidly with Gwangju as its center, but growth slowed under competition from China. The National Assembly of South Korea recently held a forum to discuss the current state of the photonics market, including opportunities and challenges for Gwangju, which was once a major photonics hub. As optical technologies become core infrastructure supporting AI, cloud computing, and autonomous driving, South Korea’s industry is calling for Gwangju to make a transformative integration.

Taiwan is overhauling how it selects offshore wind developers, abandoning protectionist localization requirements in favor of environmental credentials and proven execution capability—a major policy pivot for one of Asia’s most ambitious renewable energy markets.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are set to join a US-led initiative to secure artificial intelligence and semiconductor supply chains, expanding a framework Washington views as a cornerstone of its economic security strategy.