This workshop will analyze the impact of intensifying U.S.-China hegemonic competition in the 2020s on high-tech sectors, with a focus on advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and data centers, and Hydrogen Energy. The workshop will also explore strategies for Japan to establish itself as a leading technological nation over the next decade.

In particular, advanced semiconductors below 2 nano-meters are foundational technologies directly linked to future economic security, such as AI, generative AI, quantum technology, and optoelectronic convergence. These technologies will become the focal point of future international competition.

Currently, Japan is lagging behind by a decade in this field, so re-entry is its last opportunity. Japan is also falling behind the U.S. and China in AI and data center, creating an urgent need for a comeback.
Strategic collaboration with Taiwan, which produces over 90% of the world’s advanced logic semiconductors, is essential for Japan’s survival in cutting-edge technology sectors under these circumstances. Currently, the Japanese government is deepening ties with TSMC to promote joint Japan-Taiwan efforts that strengthen the supply chain and advance next-generation technology R&D. This includes building an advanced factory in Kumamoto, collaborating with Renesas on production, and working together on materials and equipment.
However, the demand for geographical restructuring of supply chains has heightened the importance of ASEAN countries under the second Trump administration. Meanwhile, ASEAN nations are increasingly leaning toward China, driven by economic interests. Therefore, the goal of this research is for Japan and Taiwan to collaborate with ASEAN countries and achieve Tier 1 status within a decade. This would entail creating a regional division of labor in advanced semiconductors, AI, and data centers and developing East Asia’s industrial structure. Specifically, the research seeks to establish strategic multilateral cooperation and an intellectual foundation through academic dialogue and joint research on industrial policy and international economic security. Amid heightened US-China rivalry and geopolitical risks, this workshop is a crucial initiative to enhance the industrial structure of core technologies—advanced semiconductors, AI, data center, and hydrogen energy—across East Asia and the Indo-Pacific, thereby strengthening the region’s overall competitiveness.
For Japan and Taiwan, two technologically advanced nations, establishing a division of labor system with rapidly growing ASEAN nations, such as Indonesia and Vietnam, is essential for mounting a renewed challenge alongside bilateral cooperation.

At Kyoto University’s international workshop, experts from Japan, Taiwan, India, Australia, and ASEAN will deliberate on international economic security and industrial policy. By academically exploring the challenges and potential of regional cooperation, the workshop aims to establish a theoretical and policy foundation for developing new East Asian and Indo-Pacific supply chains. This research will contribute to the formation of an East Asian economic order in academic and practical spheres.