Innotech Expo: Inside Taiwan’s Bet on AI, Chips and Sovereign Networks

Taiwan’s annual Innotech Expo is back in Taipei from September 17 to 19, and it’s still doing the same unusual job: turning state-backed research into something that can actually ship. The show will be held in Hall 1 of the Taipei World Trade Center, and Trending Topics says it will be on the floor reporting from it.

The event sits somewhere between an invention fair and a standard industry expo, which is probably why it keeps pulling such a mixed crowd. Eleven ministries and agencies back it. TAITRA and the Industrial Technology Research Institute run it. The format began in 2015 under a longer name and took on the Innotech Expo branding in 2018.

Last year’s numbers give a sense of how serious it has become: more than 50,000 visitors from 65 countries, 422 exhibitors from 19 countries and about 1,100 technologies on display. SoftBank, 3M, Dassault Systèmes and Plug and Play all showed up. This year, organizers are aiming for roughly the same scale, with around 440 exhibitors from 19 countries and again about 1,100 technologies.

The core theme is AI, but not as a stand-alone product pitch. Taiwan is framing it as something that runs through industry, medicine and government, alongside its Five Trusted Industry Sectors program from 2024: semiconductors, AI, military technology, security and surveillance technology, and next-generation communications such as 6G and hybrid terrestrial-satellite networks. That is a very Taiwan way of doing tech policy: practical, strategic and not especially shy about the geopolitical context.

The show is split into three pavilions. The Innovation Economy Pavilion looks at how hardware and software combine, especially how AI models on Taiwanese silicon move into industrial use. FUTEX, the Future Tech Pavilion, is focused on research with a three- to ten-year horizon and this year emphasizes proof-of-concept work and licensing in six areas: AI applications, semiconductors, precision health, space technology, disaster prevention technology and net zero technology. The Smart Sustainability Pavilion covers green energy, the circular economy and efficiency, and last year it held 97 projects.

There’s also a strong invention-and-awards side to the expo. The Taipei Invention Awards are open to individuals, companies, students and faculty, with expert panels reviewing submissions before judging them on site on opening day. The top prize is the Platinum Award, and 359 innovations were recognized last year. Add in conferences on 5G, 6G and multimodal AI, plus matchmaking for biotech, semiconductors and photonics, and the point becomes clear: this is not a trade show for showmanship. It’s a deal-making machine.