Taiwan Tech Dispatch

By White Hsu

Taiwan Tech Dispatch explores how Taiwan’s technology ecosystem connects to global innovation, geopolitics, and industrial transformation.

Hosted by White Hsu, the podcast provides structured insight... more

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FAQs about Taiwan Tech Dispatch:

How many episodes does Taiwan Tech Dispatch have?

The podcast currently has 52 episodes available.

Taiwan Tech Dispatch episodes:

April 15, 2026 Episode 42: Cashless but Card-First: Why Taiwan’s E-Payments Still Lag

Taiwan is already a highly cashless society — but not in the way many people assume.

While e-payment accounts are widely adopted, credit cards still dominate the majority of transaction value. In this episode, we explore why Taiwan’s payment ecosystem evolved along a card-first path, how mobile wallets often still rely on card infrastructure, and why e-payments remain focused on small-value transactions.

We also compare Taiwan’s digital payment landscape with China, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore to better understand how historical financial infrastructure shapes consumer behavior.

Understanding Taiwan’s payment ecosystem provides a deeper perspective on how technology adoption is influenced by incentives, regulation, and legacy systems.

Connect with me on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitehsu/

Read the original article:

https://whitehsu.blog/2025/12/15/taiwan-cashless-credit-cards-e-payments/

Subscribe to Taiwan Tech Dispatch on:

YouTube

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Follow the podcast for more analysis on Taiwan’s technology ecosystem, startups, supply chains, and digital economy.

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16min
April 01, 2026 Episode 41: Global AI Index Taiwan: Why Taiwan Rose to #16 — And Why the Hard Part Starts Now

Taiwan climbed from #21 to #16 in the Global AI Index, marking one of the fastest improvements in the region. But the ranking itself only tells part of the story.

In Episode 41 of Taiwan Tech Dispatch, we explore the structural forces behind Taiwan’s AI competitiveness — and the critical gaps that still prevent Taiwan from entering the global Top 10.

Taiwan already plays a central role in the global AI infrastructure stack, from semiconductors and advanced packaging to AI servers and cooling systems. Government strategy has also supported steady progress through national AI programs, compute investment, and education initiatives.

However, major structural challenges remain. Taiwan still faces shortages in senior AI talent, a relatively weak commercial software ecosystem, and limited upstream AI development capability. These factors constrain Taiwan’s ability to move from AI deployment leadership toward AI innovation leadership.

This episode also examines how Taiwan’s startup ecosystem reflects both strength and constraint. Because Taiwan’s domestic market is relatively small, many AI startups must think globally from Day 1 — creating both resilience and a longer path to scale.

Taiwan’s position in the global AI supply chain is already indispensable. The next phase of Taiwan’s AI journey will depend on talent development, software capability, ecosystem maturity, and global ambition.

Subscribe to Taiwan Tech Dispatch on Spotify or YouTube to stay updated on future episodes.

Follow the Taiwan Tech Dispatch LinkedIn Newsletter for deeper analysis on Taiwan’s technology ecosystem and global industry trends.

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/taiwan-tech-dispatch-7355532535025586178

Connect with me on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/white-hsu-63b14737/

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14min
March 19, 2026Episode 40: The AI War Has Landed in Taipei - Google vs Nvidia and Taiwan’s New Strategic Role
The global AI race is no longer just about models, chips, or software.

It has become a battle for infrastructure — and that battle is now happening in Taipei.

In this episode of Taiwan Tech Dispatch, we explore how two of the world’s most powerful technology companies — Google and Nvidia — are both expanding their AI hardware presence in Taiwan.

From Google’s largest overseas AI hardware R&D center in Shilin,

to Nvidia’s engineering hub in Nangang and its new overseas headquarters project, NVIDIA Constellation, in Beitou–Shilin Technology Park —

Taipei is quietly becoming the ground zero of the global AI compute war.

We break down:
Why Taiwan is critical to AI infrastructure
The real competition between TPUs and GPUs
How Taiwan’s supply chain is shaping the future of AI
And why this rivalry could be a long-term win for Taiwan

🎯 If you enjoy deep dives into Taiwan’s technology ecosystem and global tech strategy:

👉 Subscribe to Taiwan Tech Dispatch on YouTube** or Spotify**

👉 Connect with me on LinkedIn: White Hsu

👉 Read more and subscribe to my Newsletter at: Taiwan Tech Dispatch

Taiwan is no longer just part of the supply chain.

It is becoming the center of gravity in the AI era.

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15min
March 11, 2026 Episode 39: Bolt Enters Taiwan - A Sustainable Ride-Hailing Model and Why Taiwan Is the First Stop in East Asia

In September 2025, European ride-hailing unicorn Bolt officially launched in Taiwan. At first glance, it might seem like just another mobility platform entering a competitive market.

But Bolt is not playing the traditional ride-hailing game.

Instead of relying on heavy subsidies and price wars, Bolt is testing a driver-first platform model built around structural incentives and long-term sustainability.

In this episode of Taiwan Tech Dispatch, we explore how Bolt’s strategy differs from competitors like Uber, and why Taiwan may be the perfect testing ground for new platform economics in East Asia.

We also discuss what this launch reveals about Taiwan’s broader role in the global technology ecosystem.

From regulatory clarity to digital readiness and consumer openness, Taiwan is increasingly becoming a strategic entry point for global startups looking to expand into Asia.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Search for White Hsu to follow my latest analysis on Taiwan’s technology ecosystem, startups, and global industry trends.

Subscribe to my newsletter

Taiwan Tech Dispatch – where I share deeper insights on Taiwan’s tech industry, startups, and geopolitical economy.

Follow the podcast

Subscribe to Taiwan Tech Dispatch on YouTube or Spotify so you don’t miss future episodes exploring Taiwan’s role in global innovation.

You can also read the original article behind this episode on my blog:

whitehsu.blog

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14min
February 25, 2026 Episode 38: Foxconn’s Real Entry into Japan: Why Mitsubishi FUSO Matters More Than Nissan

For more than a year, headlines suggested that Foxconn’s breakthrough into Japan’s auto industry would come through Nissan.

But the real entry point wasn’t a passenger-car giant.

It was Mitsubishi FUSO.

In this episode of Taiwan Tech Dispatch, we explore why Foxconn’s 50–50 joint venture with Mitsubishi FUSO — focused on electric buses — may be far more strategically significant than most observers realize.

This isn’t another MOU.

This isn’t exploratory dialogue.

This is real EV production inside a Japanese factory.

We break down:

• Why passenger-car negotiations in Japan stalled

• How BYD’s pricing pressure reshaped the commercial vehicle market

• Why Mitsubishi FUSO needed Foxconn’s EV platform and capital

• How this JV changes Foxconn’s bargaining power with Nissan

• And what this means for Japan’s long-term EV transition

Japan’s EV door didn’t open where everyone expected.

But it opened exactly where Foxconn needed it.

If you’re interested in Taiwan’s role in global manufacturing, EV supply chains, and Asia’s shifting industrial balance, this episode is for you.

👉 For deeper structural analysis, subscribe to my LinkedIn Newsletter: Taiwan Tech Dispatch

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/taiwan-tech-dispatch-7355532535025586178

I share behind-the-scenes insights on Taiwan’s technology ecosystem and global strategy every week.

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11min
February 23, 2026 Episode 37: Why the U.S. Still Can’t Replicate Taiwan’s Semiconductor Ecosystem

In this episode of Taiwan Tech Dispatch, White Hsu examines one of the most important geopolitical and industrial questions of our time:

Can the United States truly rebuild what Taiwan spent thirty years constructing?

As Washington intensifies its reshoring policies under President Trump’s renewed administration, semiconductor manufacturing has become central to national security strategy, industrial policy, and global supply chain negotiations.

While the U.S. can relocate certain chip production capacity, replicating Taiwan’s dense semiconductor ecosystem is an entirely different challenge.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why Taiwan’s chip dominance has drawn renewed U.S. political attention

• The structural limits of reshoring advanced semiconductor production

• The workforce and tacit knowledge gap

• Why geographic clustering matters more than subsidies

• What production can realistically move — and what cannot

• The emerging dual-hub future of the global semiconductor industry

https://whitehsu.blog/2025/11/17/taiwan-chips-us-pressure-limits/

If you enjoy strategic deep dives into Taiwan’s technology economy and global geopolitics,

follow Taiwan Tech Dispatch on your preferred podcast platform,

and subscribe to the newsletter for long-form analysis.

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/taiwan-tech-dispatch-7355532535025586178

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13min
February 05, 2026Episode 36: The AI Multiplier Effect: Why Taiwan’s Growth Is Being Underestimated
In this episode of Taiwan Tech Dispatch, we explore why major institutions have sharply different forecasts for Taiwan’s economic growth — and what those differences reveal about how AI is reshaping Taiwan’s economy.

While organizations like the IMF project moderate growth, local economists and regional institutions see something much bigger taking shape: an AI-driven multiplier effect that amplifies investment, employment, wages, and reinvestment across Taiwan’s tightly integrated technology ecosystem.

This episode breaks down:
Why GDP forecasts for Taiwan differ by more than two percentage points
What the “AI multiplier effect” really means in plain language
Why Taiwan’s AI supply chain creates stronger economic spillovers than most global models assume
And why 2025 may represent not just growth, but a structural re-rating of Taiwan’s economy

📖 Read the full article:

https://whitehsu.blog/2025/11/07/taiwan-ai-multiplier-effect-gdp-forecast/

🎧 Follow and subscribe to Taiwan Tech Dispatch:
Spotify
YouTube

📩 Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper analysis and long-form insights:

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/taiwan-tech-dispatch-7355532535025586178

This is not an episode about short-term predictions —

it’s about understanding the system beneath the numbers.

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12min
January 28, 2026 Episode 35: Autopass and the TSMC Playbook

For the past decade, no local mobile payment startup in Taiwan has achieved profitability.

In this episode, we explore how Autopass broke that cycle—not by competing for users, but by becoming the neutral infrastructure behind the entire mobility payment ecosystem.

Starting from its B2C parking app “Car Ma-ji,” Autopass made a bold pivot to a B2B2C platform strategy inspired by TSMC: don’t compete, empower.

By positioning itself as a “shovel-maker” rather than a gold miner, Autopass now serves banks, e-wallets, fuel chains, and mobility platforms without threatening any of them.

We also examine why mobility payments offer a uniquely attractive battlefield, how Autopass monetizes through APIs and point-redemption spreads, and why Japan is the next critical test beyond Taiwan’s TAM limits.

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🔗 Read the full article (with charts and deeper analysis):

https://whitehsu.blog/2025/11/12/autopass-tsmc-strategy-shovel-maker/

📬 Subscribe to the Taiwan Tech Dispatch Newsletter:

https://whitehsu.blog/

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15min
January 13, 2026Episode 34: High GDP, Low Wages: Taiwan’s Economic Paradox and Its Impact on Innovation & Startups
In 2025-2026, Taiwan officially crossed USD 40,000 GDP per capita, placing it among high-income economies.

But for many people living and working in Taiwan, wages still feel stagnant—and the gap between economic growth and personal income is becoming harder to ignore.

In this episode of Taiwan Tech Dispatch, host White Hsu explores Taiwan’s economic paradox:

how a globally competitive, export-driven economy can generate massive GDP growth—while average wages lag behind.

We dive into:
Why high productivity doesn’t automatically translate into higher wages
How this structure shapes Taiwan’s startup ecosystem
The hidden advantages—and long-term risks—for innovation and talent
Why Taiwan’s cost efficiency can be both a strength and a ceiling

This episode is not just about economics.

It’s about Taiwan’s innovation identity—and what must change as Taiwan moves deeper into the high-income era.

If you enjoy deep dives on Taiwan’s tech ecosystem, startups, and global strategy:

📩 Subscribe to my LinkedIn Newsletter — Taiwan Tech Dispatch

Weekly insights on Taiwan, innovation, and the global tech economy.

🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/taiwan-tech-dispatch-7355532535025586178

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13min
January 02, 2026 Episode 33: Startup Island Taiwan: How a National Brand Is Putting Taiwan’s Startups on the Global Stage

Taiwan is globally known for semiconductors and hardware manufacturing.

But today, Taiwan is also trying to tell a different story — a startup story.

In this episode of Taiwan Tech Dispatch, we explore Startup Island Taiwan, Taiwan’s national startup brand, and why branding has become a strategic tool for startups competing on a global stage.

This episode looks beyond individual companies and focuses on the bigger picture:

how a unified national narrative helps Taiwanese startups gain visibility, credibility, and access to international markets.

If you’re interested in startups, innovation policy, or how small economies compete globally, this episode offers a clear and grounded perspective from Taiwan’s startup ecosystem.

🎧 This episode also connects with Episode 30, which discusses why Taiwanese startups often struggle with global visibility from a founder-level perspective.

📩 Subscribe to my LinkedIn Newsletter — Taiwan Tech Dispatch

I regularly share deeper analysis on Taiwan’s technology, startups, AI, and global expansion strategies.

👉 Subscribe here:

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/taiwan-tech-dispatch-7355532535025586178

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10min

FAQs about Taiwan Tech Dispatch:

How many episodes does Taiwan Tech Dispatch have?

The podcast currently has 52 episodes available.