Panel Insights: Empowering Global Semiconductor Innovation from Taiwan

The second major panel at Semi Impact Forum 2025—“Empowering Global Semiconductor Innovation from Taiwan”—tackled one of the event’s central themes: how the UK and Taiwan can co-develop a deeper, more democratic innovation ecosystem to support the next wave of semiconductor, quantum, and AI advances.

Featuring Russ Shaw CBE, Professor Konrad Young, Dr Ebrahim Bushehri, and Josh Liu, the panel brought a practical and ambitious vision of how smaller companies, investors, and institutions can act together—fast and globally.

International Collaboration as Strategy, Not Symbolism

Russ Shaw opened with a powerful reminder: the UK’s semiconductor strategy must be outward-facing. Collaboration—particularly with Taiwan—is not optional, it’s essential. Shaw advocated for sustained interaction between UK universities and Taiwanese experts like Professor Young, proposing regular exchanges to embed Taiwan’s expertise into the UK’s innovation environment.

He also proposed the creation of a National Semiconductor Centre that goes beyond research to become a hub for international diplomacy—acting as a bridge between domestic innovation and global collaboration.

Taiwan’s Manufacturing Strength: A Model to Learn From

Dr Ebrahim Bushehri, CEO of Lime Microsystems, offered a clear-eyed perspective on Taiwan’s unmatched strength in scalable semiconductor manufacturing. He highlighted the ODM ecosystem’s ability to take ideas from prototype to product with speed and precision.

Firms like Foxconn were cited as examples of scale and flexibility combined—making Taiwan the global reference point for mass semiconductor device production.

Democratising Innovation: Challenges and Opportunities

Andy G Sellars, Strategy Director at CORNERSTONE, raised a critical challenge: Taiwan’s semiconductor power is concentrated among a few large firms. He called for a more inclusive model that supports small and mid-sized innovators across both regions.

He proposed a “democratic system of collaboration”—a platform or advisory group that helps connect UK startups with Taiwan’s often-overlooked but highly capable smaller suppliers and design partners.

Spontaneous Action: Making Connections That Matter

One of the session’s most memorable moments came when Russ Shaw spontaneously connected Cornerstone (a UK photonics firm) with Professor Young through the Semi Gateway platform. It was a real-time example of what these forums can deliver: direct action, not just dialogue.

Audience members echoed the opportunity in photonics—describing it as a “sunrise technology” primed for collaborative scaling between the UK and Taiwan.

Investments, Joint Ventures, and What Comes Next

The session ended with a look forward. Taiwanese firms are exploring UK office openings, and UK-based VCs are beginning to evaluate joint ventures with Taiwanese companies. These aren’t just diplomatic gestures—they’re early signs of a new, aligned innovation model.

Josh Liu emphasised the need for the UK to double down on deep tech—AI, quantum, and chips—as a foundation for long-term national competitiveness.

Professor Young closed by reinforcing his commitment to supporting smaller players, not just industry giants, through mentorship, education, and strategic engagement.

Key Takeaways

• Act fast, act globally: UK–Taiwan links should be built around real-time collaboration, not just policy frameworks.

• Democratise the ecosystem: Create platforms that support smaller firms through equitable partnerships and guidance.

• Leverage Taiwan’s manufacturing depth: Use Taiwanese partners to scale UK prototypes into products.

• Photonics is rising: Both regions should treat it as a strategic frontier.

• Joint ventures are coming: Venture capital and startup alliances are already forming—more should follow.

This session proved that the future of semiconductors won’t be built by giants alone. It will be shaped by open forums, shared missions, and the kind of spontaneous, cross-border connections that Semi Gateway was designed to enable.