Over the past two decades, quantum technology has evolved from a theoretical academic pursuit into a full-scale strategic arms race—and the latest front in the technology rivalry between the United States and China.
While global powers commit vast resources in the expectation that quantum computing will succeed semiconductors as the defining technology of the next 20 years, Taiwan is charting its own course. Lacking the sheer scale of either superpower, Taipei is positioning itself as an indispensable node in the global quantum supply chain. The island aims to leverage its four decades of semiconductor manufacturing expertise to translate laboratory-stage quantum research into commercially viable technologies.
A New Technological Arms Race
Dr. Chang Ching-ray (張慶瑞), a distinguished professor of physics at National Taiwan University and director of the Quantum Information Center at Chung Yuan Christian University, noted that quantum technology is now foundational infrastructure for next-generation technological power.
Chang pointed to sweeping initiatives like China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) and the United States' Genesis Mission—often described as a Manhattan Project 2.0—as evidence of the technology's strategic importance. However, the most consequential near-term impact of quantum technology will not be displacing classical computers, Chang suggested. Instead, it will open entirely new computing pathways as traditional semiconductor scaling approaches the physical limits of Moore's Law.
Exceeding 'Phase One' Targets
Taiwan’s coordinated push into the sector began in 2021 with the launch of the Quantum National Team, spearheaded by the NSTC with support from Academia Sinica and the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
"The original goals were for Taiwan to have developed a domestically built quantum computer and a domestically built quantum communications network by the end of the first phase," Kuo said. "I am pleased to report that we have achieved both targets—and exceeded them."
Major milestones included Academia Sinica completing a 20-qubit superconducting quantum computer, while National Tsing Hua University advances the development of new superconducting qubits.
Academia Sinica President Liao Chun-chih (廖俊智) emphasized that Taiwan's unique value lies in its manufacturing heritage. While directly applying current semiconductor processes to quantum is not possible, Taiwan's engineers possess a distinct advantage in solving complex, world-class engineering problems.
"We carry that DNA," Liao said. "That is the strength of Hsinchu, the strength of Taiwan, and the most important contribution Taiwan can make to all of humanity."
Transitioning to a 'Quantum International Team'
NSTC Minister Wu Cheng-wen(吳誠文) highlighted the tangible hardware successes of the first phase, including the development of competitive superconducting qubit chips, silicon-based spin qubits, and cryogenic readout and control modules. This indigenous supply chain, spanning chip design to packaging, gives Taiwan "valuable chips at the negotiating table in international cooperation," Wu said.
President Lai Ching-te(賴清德), attending the launch, affirmed the government's full commitment to the program, noting that high-speed quantum computing is essential for advancing digital defense, cybersecurity encryption, and industrial transformation.
Lai announced that the domestic "Quantum National Team" will now evolve into a "Quantum International Team." By combining its advanced semiconductor processes with its established role in global supply chains, Taiwan intends to forge critical partnerships with like-minded nations to accelerate the commercialization of quantum computing worldwide.
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