AI Manufacturing Complexity Soars; Wistron and Quanta Affirm Taiwan's Irreplaceable Ecosystem

Central News Agency (Taipei, June 1) Wistron Chairman Lin Hsien-ming and Quanta Chairman Barry Lam attended the NVIDIA GTC Taipei warm-up event today, stating that as we move from the PC era to the current era of high-end AI servers and precision manufacturing, the technical difficulty and the complexity of ecosystem collaboration have increased exponentially. Facing supply chain shifts caused by geopolitics, both Lin and Lam emphasized that Taiwan, with its long-accumulated complete infrastructure and ecosystem, is playing an irreplaceable role in the global AI wave. Lin Hsien-ming pointed out that in the PC era, technology was relatively mature and standardized, and manufacturing processes were simpler. However, with the acceleration of technological iteration, the pace of technological updates in the AI and High-Performance Computing (HPC) generation is extremely fast and more precise. Companies must transform from simple contract manufacturing to providing comprehensive solutions, and even engage in co-design with customers at an early stage. Barry Lam said that AI manufacturing is no longer just about assembling parts, but involves extremely complex system integration and ecosystem collaboration. Each new architecture brings unprecedented challenges to thermal management, signal transmission, power management, and chip interconnect technology, forcing the manufacturing industry to fully initiate digital transformation. Regarding the evolution of global operating models, Lin Hsien-ming admitted that manufacturing was highly concentrated in China in the past, but under the current geopolitical situation, supply chains are moving toward diversification and decentralization. Whether returning to Taiwan or dispersing to new bases in Southeast Asia, the Americas, and Europe, multinational and cross-cultural layout is an irreversible trend. Lin admitted that the complexity of this multinational layout is huge, and the old mindset of 'human wave tactics' can no longer solve the problem. Companies must rethink their talent development strategies, requiring not only language and cross-cultural adaptability but also multinational coordination management skills. Barry Lam emphasized the importance of automation and 'Digital Twin' technology in high-end manufacturing. He believes that AI is not just a product, but a key tool for optimizing manufacturing. Facing dynamic adjustments in multinational production lines, companies must rely on intelligent production systems to ensure quality and efficiency. Taiwan must learn to 'make good use of AI' to further optimize highly precise manufacturing processes. Lin Hsien-ming said that the healthy ecosystem Taiwan has built over a long time was not achieved overnight, but through the efforts of countless people, connecting every link to reach a scale that meets customers' strict requirements. Barry Lam pointed out that in this AI wave led by tech giants like NVIDIA, Taiwan's position in AI infrastructure is pivotal. From IC design, wafer foundry, packaging and testing, to thermal management, power, and smart manufacturing, this complete ecosystem developed over decades through tight integration of upstream and downstream industries is extremely difficult to replicate elsewhere in the world, which is Taiwan's unique advantage and core competitiveness.