Taiwan’s economy is experiencing a dramatic surge fueled by its dominant position in global semiconductor manufacturing and the artificial intelligence boom. The Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) recently revised Taiwan’s 2025 GDP growth forecast upward to 5.45%, citing strong demand in semiconductors and AI driving investment and exports. However, this impressive growth has exposed a widening economic divide, with legislators arguing that gains are concentrated almost entirely in the electronics, AI, and memory sectors while traditional industries struggle to keep pace.
Samsung Electronics is expected to deliver a surprising performance in the third quarter of 2025, successfully reclaiming the top position in the global memory market, signaling a strong recovery in its semiconductor business. However, as its memory division expands shipments and market share rebounds, industry observers have shifted their attention to whether its stagnant non-memory businesses, namely foundry and system LSI, can stage a turnaround.