Monitor Hi Tech In East Asia

April 2026 demonstrated that artificial intelligence has become a central pillar of industrial and technological policy across East Asia. The "AI boom" is driving record profits in the semiconductor sector, alongside investments in energy, data centers, and new supply chains. Governments across the region are increasingly supporting the development of AI infrastructure, treating it as both a strategic and critical asset. At the same time, geopolitical tensions, fragmentation of technology markets, and labour market pressures are intensifying, exemplified by wage and profit-sharing disputes in South Korea’s semiconductor industry, particularly around Samsung. The March monitor with commentary can be found here.

East Asia began to feel the effects of the Middle East conflict in March, which increased energy uncertainty. At the same time, efforts to maintain the stability of supply chains remained visible. Japan and South Korea, as well as Taiwan, deepened cooperation with each other and with the United States in the area of critical raw materials. However, the region is gradually shifting from rigid political blocs toward increasingly visible multi-vector interdependencies. Artificial intelligence, data centers, and the production of components such as semiconductors are forming an ever more integrated system built around computing power. The March monitor with commentary, can be downloaded here.

In February 2026, in East Asia’s high-tech sector, efforts to diversify supply chains have come to the fore, alongside the development of local production networks and partial technological autonomy. Projects and partnerships are being implemented in the areas of local production and refining of rare earth metals, as well as in the research and manufacturing of advanced materials, components, and systems. Examples include the activities of Taiwanese TSMC in Japan and talks between South Korea and India on the high-tech sector. At the same time, Asian tech giants are competing with one another to maintain or gain a position among the global leaders in specific advanced technologies. The monitor with information from February with commentary can be downloaded here.

The year 2026 began with several key developments in the high-tech sector in East Asia. China, responding to the Japanese prime minister’s speech in November, introduced tighter export controls, which accelerated Japan’s efforts to diversify supplies of critical raw materials. South Korea enacted the world’s first basic law on artificial intelligence, while Taiwan, the leader in the semiconductor industry, has been consistently leveraging its position to maintain its independence. However, all of these countries are struggling with a shortage of highly skilled workers in AI-related sectors. The January monitor with commentary can be downloaded here.