2024 Breakthrough Forum: From "China +1" to "Taiwan +1"： How Should We Respond to the Challenge？

Duh Tzzy-jun holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. from the Industrial Division of the Department of Forestry at National Taiwan University, specializing in pulp and paper engineering and fiber chemistry. He pursued postdoctoral research at the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry and undertook executive leadership training at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Beginning his career as a grassroots civil servant in 1983, he has long served in the field of economic and industrial development. His previous roles include Deputy Director of the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, director-general of the Department of Commerce, director-general of the Department of Industrial Technology, director-general of the Industrial Development Bureau, vice minister, deputy minister, and Minister of Economic Affairs, and, in 2015, minister without portfolio and minister of the National Development Council as well as vice premier of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Outside his public duties, he also served as an adjunct associate professor at Chinese Culture University, Shih Chien University, and Soochow University.

After retiring from public service in 2016, he became Chief Advisor to both the National Association of Industries and the Vehicle Industry Association, as well as a strategic advisor to the Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association—continuing to assist with the upgrading of Taiwan’s industries and expansion into international markets.

Liu Ta-nien graduated from the Department of Economics at National Taiwan University and earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Cornell University in the United States. He currently serves as Director of the Regional Development Research Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER), which is Taiwan’s most prominent government-affiliated economic think tank.

Dr. Liu specializes in international trade and investment, regional economic integration, and industrial economics. He has played a key advisory role in Taiwan’s accession to the WTO, its participation in APEC activities, and the development of bilateral FTAs including ECFA, the Taiwan–New Zealand FTA, and the Taiwan–Singapore FTA. He was also part of the delegation to the 2017 Ma–Xi Meeting held in Singapore.

From May 2014 to May 2016, Dr. Liu was seconded to the National Security Council under the Office of the President, serving as Deputy Secretary-General and handling economic and trade affairs. In recognition of his contributions to Taiwan’s economic development, he was awarded the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ First-Class Professional Medal in May 2016.

Graduated from the Department of Chemistry at Tamkang University, and served at Unimicron Technology Corp., the world’s second-largest PCB manufacturer.

Held the position of general manager for the PCB Business Unit, overseeing operations across Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, and Germany.

Currently acts as senior advisor to Unimicron and Chairman of the Taiwan Printed Circuit Association. He also convenes the Sustainability Development Committee, with a vision of “uniting members, enhancing industry competitiveness, and creating new sustainable value.”

He actively promotes the transformation and upgrading of Taiwan's PCB industry toward intelligent manufacturing, high value-added production, and low-carbon innovation—continuing to lead the global market.

Area of Expertise: Holds a business degree from the University of Michigan, and an Executive MBA in Business Administration jointly awarded by Northwestern University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Teaching Experience: Currently serves as General Manager of Yungching Machinery and Chairman of DaeEasy Intelligent Manufacturing. He is dedicated to promoting digital transformation by introducing intelligent manufacturing solutions that meet diverse customer needs.

To keep pace with future trends in the machinery industry and to inspire more peers and clients to embrace intelligent manufacturing, he concurrently holds the following positions: chairman of the Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders’ Association; director of the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry; honorary chairman of the Tanshuei-Yangmei-Shenshui Industrial Promotion Association; and supervisor at the Chinese National Federation of Industries.

He actively fosters technical exchange among industry peers and helps expand business opportunities in overseas markets.

Leng Tzu-Kang is currently a research fellow at the Institute of Political Science, Academia Sinica, and jointly appointed Professor in the Department of Political Science at National Chengchi University.

He previously served as Director of the Institute of Political Science at Academia Sinica, as well as Chair and Full Professor in the Department of Political Science at National Chengchi University.

Professor Leng’s research specialties include global political economy; Arctic and Nordic diplomacy; local governance in mainland China; and foreign policy. Analysis. He earned his Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Virginia in 1995.