Short answers to what readers ask most about this story.
Semiconductors became the most visible expression of that capability, but they were never the capability itself.
Taiwan wasn’t yet an economic success story. If anything, it was searching for its next chapter.
It became a bridge between government, universities and industry, helping ideas move beyond the laboratory and into the marketplace.
What Taiwan acquired wasn’t just technology. It acquired the ability to learn.
The institutions existed. The talent pipeline was growing. The engineering culture was taking shape.
The sources of competitive advantage are often invisible until success makes them obvious.
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