The 1970s
It had lost its seat at the United Nations. The oil crisis had exposed the vulnerability of its economy, and the labour-intensive industries that had fuelled its early growth were becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
1973
Its role wasn’t simply to conduct research. It became a bridge between government, universities and industry, helping ideas move beyond the laboratory and into the marketplace while developing the engineering talent that Taiwan would need in the decades ahead.
A few years later
Looking back, it’s easy to see this as the beginning of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. But I think that’s only part of the story.
What Taiwan acquired wasn’t just technology. It acquired the ability to learn.
To build on what others had already discovered and make it its own.