Taiwan aims to turn its chipmaking strength into a quantum computing advantage

A quantum push built on semiconductor strength

Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council plans a quantum computing mainframe construction project in 2026, with the goal of connecting a quantum machine to high performance computing platforms. The proposed resource would give researchers and industry access to a system that combines quantum processing with conventional computing.

As of October 31, 2025, that plan sits alongside a broader call from senior figures at Academia Sinica and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI): use Taiwan's semiconductor leadership to build a domestic quantum computing ecosystem, covering hardware, software, testing and talent.

Taiwan already produces most of the world's cutting edge logic chips used in artificial intelligence and high performance computing. Analysts estimate that Taiwanese fabrication plants account for around 90 percent of the most advanced manufacturing nodes used by global platforms. The country also leads in packaging and testing, skills needed to connect and check the dense devices inside quantum systems.

Chen Chii-dong, a distinguished research fellow at Academia Sinica's Research Center for Critical Issues and executive officer of its Thematic Center for Quantum Computing, wants Taiwan to build capability across the entire system. His goal includes a working quantum computer developed at home, supported by local specialists and suppliers.

Jeff Lin, general director of ITRI's Industry, Science and Technology International Strategy Center, proposes a wider policy effort: concentrate on core quantum technologies connected to AI, strengthen international partnerships, create a research and verification platform, and establish rules covering risk, data sovereignty and ethics.

Taiwan's opportunity lies in bringing its established manufacturing skills into a field where devices remain fragile and difficult to scale. Turning that opportunity into working machines requires specialized equipment, access to fabrication lines and people who can connect physics with engineering.

Why quantum machines need different kinds of chips

A qubit is the basic unit of a quantum computer. Unlike a conventional bit, which represents either zero or one, a qubit can exist in multiple states at once. That property gives quantum machines a different way to process information, but preserving it is difficult.

Heat, vibration and stray electrical signals can quickly destroy the information held by qubits. Most designs operate close to absolute zero. The chips used to create, measure and control them must therefore remain precise, quiet and reliable at extremely low, or cryogenic, temperatures.

Semiconductor skills are relevant throughout that system, from the qubit devices to their control electronics. Precise lithography, which patterns tiny structures on chips, advanced materials and manufacturing processes that consistently produce usable devices all support quantum hardware development.

Taiwan's packaging and testing capabilities matter because dense quantum devices need connections that fit inside dilution refrigerators, the equipment used to reach very low temperatures. Those connections must carry signals without introducing excessive noise or disrupting the qubits.

Cleanroom discipline and precise patterning can support both superconducting circuits and silicon quantum dots. Advanced packaging can help route thousands of control lines into cold environments. Consistent manufacturing improves uniformity and yield, meaning the share of devices that work as intended, two factors that limit the size of today's quantum systems.

Taiwan's experience with radio frequency chips and interfaces that transmit signals quickly also offers a route into cryogenic control electronics. Placing control chips closer to the qubits could reduce the complexity of the wiring needed to operate a machine.

What Chen and Lin want Taiwan to build

Chen argues that Taiwan should develop the complete chain of capabilities, including devices, control software and testing platforms. He links that effort directly to training people across several disciplines.

Taiwan has an absolute advantage in semiconductors that it should use to build its own quantum computing ecosystem and cultivate local talent.

Chen also calls for a working prototype made in Taiwan. Building it would give suppliers and researchers practical experience with the connected parts of a quantum system. He describes the intended benefit this way:

Developing a homegrown quantum computer would stimulate advances in related hardware and control software.

Lin places the effort within a growing international competition over quantum technology. The ITRI strategy director says:

Quantum technology has become the new strategic frontier following AI. Around 30 countries have already included it in their national development plans.

Lin's proposals include supply chain partnerships with the United States, Europe and Japan, stronger cooperation between universities and industry, and a platform where quantum research can be tested and verified before commercialization.

His approach also points toward a national testbed for startups and universities, funding linked to technical milestones, and a program to turn research modules into components suitable for industrial use. The intended results are quicker learning cycles, less time between laboratory results and pilot deployments, and clearer routes for engineers moving from conventional chip work into quantum projects.

Legal and education reforms form another part of Lin's proposal. Quantum development requires specialists who can work across disciplines, while companies and research teams need clear rules for managing sensitive technology and data.

How global competition shapes Taiwan's choices

The United States and its allies are investing in quantum and related strategic technologies through public programs and private partnerships. They are also tightening export rules on advanced tools headed to China. Together, those policies affect where sensitive research takes place and how future supply chains are organized.

TSMC's expansion in Arizona, backed by public funding, reflects the effort to build more resilient capacity in advanced semiconductor manufacturing. For Taiwan, overseas expansion brings a parallel challenge: maintaining valuable work at home while participating in international production networks.

China is investing heavily to reduce its reliance on foreign technology. Policy banks, state funds and provincial programs support domestic semiconductor and quantum projects. Those efforts are accompanied by talent recruitment and new restrictions on strategic materials.

Taiwan's semiconductor sector sits at the center of global supply chains, giving it a strong position but also exposing it to policy risk and pressure to reproduce capabilities abroad. Trusted partnerships offer a way to participate in international quantum research while retaining work of high value domestically.

Taiwan could also serve as a bridge between conventional chips and quantum experiments. Its manufacturing scale, technical knowledge and depth of suppliers give it resources that quantum research teams need as they move beyond isolated laboratory devices.

Which quantum hardware fits Taiwan's strengths?

No single qubit design has won the race. The leading approaches differ in their tolerance of noise, operating temperatures, processing speeds and ease of manufacturing. A strategy for Taiwan would focus on areas that match its existing semiconductor skills and supplier networks, then connect those capabilities to international programs.

Superconducting qubits use Josephson junctions patterned on thin films that conduct electricity without resistance at very low temperatures. Producing them requires clean superconducting films, accurate patterning and careful treatment of surfaces.

Cryogenic packaging and microwave control are major bottlenecks for this approach. Taiwan's packaging companies could develop interposers, the structures that connect components, and wiring in three dimensions that carry microwave signals into cold stages while keeping signal losses low.

Local electronics teams could develop compact control modules and filters that limit noise. Testing laboratories could specialize in calibration routines, the adjustments needed to make a device operate correctly, to reduce the time required to prepare new chips inside dilution refrigerators.

Silicon spin qubits offer another route. They use quantum dots formed in semiconductor structures that manufacturers already understand. Their appeal is the possibility of drawing on established lithography and process control, while global programs show that silicon spin devices can be produced using conventional tools and paired with cryogenic control circuits.

If these qubits can operate nearer 4 kelvin rather than at millikelvin temperatures, integration with CMOS control electronics designed for low temperatures becomes easier. CMOS is a widely used chip technology. A millikelvin is one thousandth of a kelvin, so moving to 4 kelvin would allow operation in a less extreme cold environment and could simplify wiring.

Taiwan's foundries and chip design companies are well placed to explore that route. A national project could support shared process development kits, fabrication shuttle runs that let projects share manufacturing access, and electronic design automation tools suited to cryogenic circuits.

Photonic qubits and trapped ions rely more heavily on precision optics, lasers and vacuum systems than on conventional silicon manufacturing. Taiwan can still contribute through integrated photonics, optical packaging and specialty materials. Universities could lead work on stable laser sources, optical switching and quantum repeaters for secure communications.

Every hardware route needs infrastructure and people skilled in measurement, with cryogenic facilities essential to approaches that depend on extreme cold. Early applications are also expected to rely heavily on hybrid systems that combine quantum processors with conventional accelerators. Taiwan's close links to high performance computing supply chains give it an advantage in that model.

The programs already taking shape

Taiwan has begun organizing a national effort. The Taiwan Quantum Program Office was established in 2021, followed by the National Quantum Team in 2022. The programs have a combined budget of about US$259 million over five years and cover quantum computer hardware, optics, software and applications.

Local projects have reported prototypes, including an indigenously built quantum computer and demonstrations of quantum key distribution. Quantum key distribution uses quantum communication to support the sharing of encryption keys for protected exchanges of information.

Taiwan is also active in post quantum cryptography and hosts a Quantum Safe Migration Center to help institutions plan security upgrades for future attacks by quantum machines. Post quantum cryptography concerns encryption methods intended to remain secure as quantum computing develops.

The main dates in Taiwan's effort are:

• 2021: The Taiwan Quantum Program Office was established.
• 2022: The National Quantum Team was established.
• October 31, 2025: Taiwan's debate centers on turning semiconductor strengths into a broader domestic quantum ecosystem.
• 2026: The National Science and Technology Council plans a quantum computing mainframe construction project connected to high performance computing platforms.

The council's plan sets out the year for the mainframe project, but gives no specific launch date. Its goal is a hybrid computing resource that researchers and industry can access, matching the wider move toward pairing quantum processors with supercomputers and AI accelerators.

Why training people will take time

Quantum computing combines physics, computer science, electrical engineering, materials science and applied mathematics. A functioning program needs people who understand both the quantum devices and the electronics and software that operate them.

Chen stresses the time needed to develop that expertise. He encourages students and engineers already in their careers to enter from physics, information science, electrical engineering and electronics.

Training pathways could move from linear algebra and quantum mechanics into control theory and cryogenic engineering. Those subjects connect the mathematics of quantum states with the practical work of keeping devices stable, measuring them and adjusting their operation.

Taiwan's existing semiconductor workforce offers a pool of relevant experience. Engineers moving into quantum projects would still need opportunities to learn unfamiliar measurement techniques, operating conditions and device behavior. Lin's proposed education reforms and closer links between universities and industry are intended to support that transition.

Partnerships need rules as well as research

Taiwanese officials and researchers favor deeper cooperation with the United States, Europe and Japan in research and supply chains. Participation in international programs can provide access to shared testbeds, fabrication runs and standards.

India offers another possible channel through its National Quantum Mission and strengths in quantum communication and sensing. Joint projects could combine Taiwan's chip and device expertise with partner capabilities in algorithms, metrology, the science of measurement, and connected quantum systems.

Lin's governance proposal covers risk assessment, data sovereignty and ethics. Data sovereignty concerns who controls data and which jurisdiction's rules apply to it. These issues become practical when computing resources, research partners and sensitive information cross borders.

The transition to post quantum cryptography would need schedules and testing across critical infrastructure, supported by procurement and compliance milestones. Government agencies and financial institutions could use those steps to organize changes to their security systems.

Export controls, intellectual property protections and security protocols will also shape who can join particular projects and which equipment can be shared. Clear policies can reduce uncertainty for startups and researchers and build trust with international partners.

Equipment and factory access remain constraints

Dilution refrigerators, probe stations for low temperatures and equipment for measurements at high frequencies are expensive and scarce. Shared facilities could reduce the pressure on individual teams, but they would require sustained funding and skilled operators.

Access to foundries is another constraint. Production lines face strong demand for AI and server chips. Quantum projects need dedicated manufacturing process modules and shuttle schedules to secure time for experimental devices.

Large programs abroad are already experimenting with silicon spin qubits on standard manufacturing processes while developing cryogenic control chips and testing infrastructure around them. Their work illustrates the close connection between semiconductor tools and quantum research.

Taiwan's teams need access to advanced lithography, metrology and packaging to pursue those routes. The country has relevant technical knowledge, but putting it to work requires commitments of tools, people and time.

A shared facility would also need reliable operating support. Refrigerators and measurement systems become useful research resources when trained staff can keep them running and help teams obtain consistent results. Equipment purchases and workforce development therefore belong in the same planning effort.

What practical steps could speed progress?

The 2026 mainframe project provides a focal point for linking quantum hardware to existing computing resources. Several other proposed measures could help the surrounding ecosystem develop, from shared experimental facilities to more predictable chip manufacturing access.

A national cryogenic center with multiple refrigerator bays and a service model could shorten waiting times for experiments. A program for cryogenic CMOS control chips could bring design companies into quantum development and create reusable components.

A pilot packaging line for superconducting and spin qubits would allow teams to improve interconnections with low signal losses and wiring in three dimensions. Regular fabrication shuttle runs, supported by process development kits tailored to quantum devices, could generate statistics on device performance and improve manufacturing yield.

A public testing and verification platform would give startups a place to validate components. An innovation fund linked to clear technical milestones could support the move from laboratory results to early products.

These measures address connected problems: making devices, controlling them, testing them and integrating them into usable systems. A domestic quantum computer would bring those activities together, giving suppliers and research teams a common project around which to develop their capabilities.

Where Taiwan could begin testing applications

Semiconductor research offers several possible uses. Quantum inspired algorithms, which apply ideas from quantum computing on conventional machines, and later small quantum accelerators could support materials discovery, process simulation and design optimization.

Cybersecurity provides another practical area for preparation. Government and finance could schedule migration to post quantum cryptography while testing quantum communication links for sensitive traffic.

Healthcare applications may include protein modeling or imaging reconstruction once the hardware matures. Energy and manufacturing could use hybrid quantum and conventional workflows to explore better scheduling and logistics across complex supply chains.

Each area offers reasons to begin testing before large fault tolerant machines exist. Fault tolerance means keeping a computation reliable despite errors in its components. Early work can focus on integrating smaller quantum resources with conventional systems, developing software and identifying useful workloads.

Taiwan's immediate task is to connect its semiconductor strengths with sustained research, training and shared facilities. Chen's call for a domestic machine and Lin's proposals for partnerships, verification and governance describe complementary parts of that effort. The planned 2026 project gives the country a concrete next step toward a resource serving both researchers and industry.

The Essentials

• The National Science and Technology Council plans a quantum computing mainframe construction project in 2026, connected to high performance computing platforms.
• Analysts estimate that Taiwanese factories account for around 90 percent of the most advanced chip manufacturing nodes used by global platforms.
• Academia Sinica's Chen Chii-dong urges domestic quantum computer development and training across disciplines.
• ITRI's Jeff Lin calls for core technologies connected to AI, international partnerships, a verification platform and rules for risk, data and ethics.
• Taiwan established the Quantum Program Office in 2021 and the National Quantum Team in 2022, with about US$259 million over five years.
• Fabrication, packaging, testing and control electronics offer routes into superconducting, silicon spin and photonic quantum projects.
• Scarce specialized equipment, limited cryogenic facilities and access to busy foundries remain practical constraints.
• Potential applications include semiconductor research, cybersecurity, healthcare, energy and manufacturing logistics.