Taiwan's chip industry celebrated its research roots as three new academicians were honored, a positive signal for the country's standing in global semiconductors.

• TSMC co-chief operating officer Chin Yung-pei, Realtek chairman Chiu Shun-chien, and Taipei Veterans General Hospital head Chen Wei-ming were named academicians of the Industrial Technology Research Institute.
• Chin credited ITRI's early training and technology transfer with building the talent base that let TSMC and Taiwan's chip industry succeed.
• Chin joined TSMC in 1987 as one of its first employees and thanked founder Morris Chang for creating the contract chipmaking model that changed the industry.
• ITRI showed off work in advanced chips, AI, robots, drones, and quantum technology, arguing Taiwan has gone from copying the West to being a partner the world cannot do without.

Outlook: With supply chains shifting and AI demand rising, Taiwan is positioning its research pipeline as the base for the next wave of chip and medical technology.