TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Mark Liu (劉德音), former chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSCC, 台積電) on Tuesday (Sept. 3) urged Taiwan to avoid framing issues as pro-China or pro-U.S. and instead focus on strengthening the nation through comprehensive dialogue.
During an address to the Economic Development Advisory Conference (經濟發展委員會), Liu warned against polarized policy discussions. His speech, "Economic Development from a Corporate Management Perspective" (從公司經營看國家的經濟發展), offered strategies for Taiwan to develop competitive industries and promote AI applications across various sectors.
He emphasized the need for government support to accelerate AI adoption in small and medium-sized enterprises and establish management practices and business models to enhance productivity.
Liu highlighted the global focus on AI, stating that every country is looking at AI; the question for Taiwan is not whether to do it but how to do it better. He pointed out that AI management requires organizational changes, which many companies struggle to implement, posing a significant challenge.
The former TSMC head also stressed the importance of recognizing Taiwan's economic strengths and weaknesses to allocate resources effectively. He suggested leveraging Taiwan's advantages to develop competitive companies in key global industries, including semiconductors, space, green energy, electric vehicles, databases, and biotechnology.
Liu described the database industry as a significant opportunity, urging Taiwan to continue research and development to maintain its global indispensability. He also noted the limitations of Taiwan's domestic market, advocating for a global market focus to ensure substantial economic contributions.
Liu concluded by attributing Taiwan's industrial success to flexible subcontractors and a unique engineering culture. He cautioned against complacency, stating, "The true measure of leadership is whether the pace of progress for leaders exceeds that of the followers."
