Empowering Global Semiconductor Innovation from Taiwan
Russ Shaw CBE – Founder | Tech London Advocates & Global Tech Advocates
Professor Konrad Young – CEO | College of Industry-Academia Innovation at NTUST
Director | Arculus Labs
Dr. Ebrahim Bushehri – CEO | Lime Microsystems
Josh Liu – Co-Founder & Director | Semi Ventures
In this session, the panel emphasized the strategic importance of international collaboration, particularly between the UK and Taiwan, in building resilience and capacity in deep tech sectors such as semiconductors, quantum computing, and AI. It explored practical ideas for forming a collaborative innovation ecosystem, driven by shared investments, joint ventures, and mutual support—especially for smaller companies.
Key Themes & Speaker Highlights
1. The UK's Semiconductor Strategy & International Bridge-Building
- The UK aims to remain a key player in deep tech, but to do so, it must lean into international partnerships—especially with Taiwan.
- Practical proposals included: (1) Regular invitation of Taiwanese experts, including Prof. Yung, to UK universities. (2)Establishing a National Semiconductor Center focused on international diplomacy, not just domestic R&D.
- Forums like this were framed as essential platforms to “talk, connect, and act fast.”
2. Taiwan's Role in Manufacturing & Scale
Dr. Bushehri
shared insights:
- Taiwan excels at scalable, high-quality manufacturing of semiconductor devices.
- He praised the ODM ecosystem and Taiwan’s efficiency in translating prototypes into finished products.
Taiwan's Foscom (Foxconn) and other original device manufacturers were highlighted for their depth and flexibility.
3. Challenges in Scaling & Democratic Collaboration
Andy G Sellars,
The Director of Strategy from CORNERSTONE, pointed out the concentration of power in Taiwan’s large semiconductor firms and called for:
- A more inclusive, democratic industry structure.
- Formation of a supportive alliance or consulting system for small and mid-sized companies to partner and compete globally.
The idea of a “social, more democratic system” to connect Taiwan’s smaller firms with UK players was proposed as a model for equitable innovation.
4. Concrete Actions and Spontaneous Connections
- A standout moment: Russ Shaw spontaneously connected UK photonics company Cornerstone with Prof. Yung via Semi-Gateway, showcasing how fast, agile connections can emerge from open forums.
- Audience members noted photonics as a “sunrise tech”—an area ripe for UK-Taiwan partnership and scaling support.
- The principle that “a crisis is an opportunity” underpinned many remarks about strategic readiness and resilience.
5. Investment, Joint Ventures, and Future Collaboration
Discussions turned to the investment landscape, with references to:
- Taiwanese companies opening offices in the UK
- Joint ventures involving UK-based VCs and Taiwanese firms
The session ended on an optimistic note about upcoming cross-border ventures and a broader alliance for innovation.
Notable Speaker Highlights
- Josh Liu: UK must invest in positioning, quantum, AI—deep tech is the future.
- Dr. Bushehri : Taiwan is your go-to for efficient mass production of semi devices.
- Prof. Yung: Wants to support smaller firms, not just large players.
- Russ Shaw: Enabled real-time action by linking Cornerstone and Prof. Yung via Semi-Gateway.