The third annual Taiwan Tech Summit took place on Saturday, September 14, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Silicon Valley. With over 100 industry associations from the United States in attendance, the event featured more than a hundred industry leaders, offering a dynamic platform for Taiwanese professionals to explore the latest technology trends, network, and collaborate on innovative projects. The summit included forums, a “Taiwan Demo Day,” a Career Expo, and various networking activities, attracting over 5,000 in-person attendees and more than 500,000 participants online, according to the organizers.
The summit was hosted by the TaiwanNext Foundation and co-organized by the Taiwan Data Science Meetup, Meet Global, the Northern California Alumni Association of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and the Career Taiwan USA Association.
In her opening remarks, Xie Kai-ting, the chair of the summit and Executive Director of the TaiwanNext Foundation, expressed the summit’s purpose: “Our mission is to connect Taiwanese professionals across borders, industries, and generations, building a stronger Taiwanese ecosystem in the United States.”
This year’s theme, “Emerging,” centered on cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biomedical advancements, and human-computer interfaces, as well as essential topics like innovative investments and female leadership. The event showcased top global experts, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs who shared their insights on how AI is driving industrial innovation and fueling Taiwan’s technology development.
Guan Qiyi, co-founder of the Taiwan Data Science Meetup, stressed the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in the AI era. “We hope the Taiwan Tech Summit paves the way for global technological collaboration and embraces innovations that profoundly impact industrial development,” he stated.
Zhu Yongchang, Deputy Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, highlighted Silicon Valley’s role as a crucial high-tech hub, noting Taiwan’s significant contribution to the global high-tech supply chain, especially in advanced chip manufacturing. “Taiwan has been striving to transform into Asia’s Silicon Valley. The emergence of AI applications creates more possibilities and job opportunities, making this an excellent time to discuss these topics. We appreciate the organizers for providing a comprehensive and engaging platform for Taiwanese professionals to exchange ideas and experiences regarding new trends, as we believe it will inspire more creativity and innovation.”
The keynote speakers included Sue Lin, Vice President of Product Operations at Cisco, and Harrison Tang, CEO and co-founder of Spokeo. Lin shared her insights on leadership within the rapidly evolving technology landscape, while Tang focused on innovation and transformation in the age of generative AI.
Xie Kai-ting pointed out the diverse themes throughout the forum, addressing various talent needs. With recent economic downturns in Silicon Valley leading to an influx of available talent, the Taiwan Tech Summit aims to assist attendees in securing job opportunities. In addition to talent exchange, the summit welcomed senior executives from leading tech companies to participate in roundtable discussions, fostering close Q&A sessions that allow participants to deepen their understanding of workplace knowledge and their respective fields.
Furthermore, the organizers expanded the Taiwan Demo Day, featuring 16 promising startups from the United States and Taiwan across sectors such as AI, hardware, enterprise software, and biotechnology. These startups showcased their products while engaging with leading investment firms in Silicon Valley.
