Benchmark Drilldown · Updated 2026-05-04
NSTC (National Science and Technology Council)
Coordinates AI policy and is the competent authority for the AI Basic Act
- Role
- Coordinates AI policy and is the competent authority for the AI Basic Act
- Region
- Taiwan
- Type
- Key body
Detail
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC, restructured from the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2022) is Taiwan's highest AI-policy coordinating agency. The AI Basic Act (Dec 2025) formally designates NSTC as the competent authority — an upgrade from "research-grant allocator" to "AI-governance lead". NSTC oversees the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs), which operates NCHC and related technical bodies. Assessment: NSTC's elevation is analogous to Singapore SNDGO's national AI-coordination role, but NSTC simultaneously owns research, legislation, and compute — power is more concentrated than Singapore's. This "all-in-one" structure helps coordination but weakens inter-agency checks.
References
Continue exploring this region
Region overview
Taiwan Core Strategy
Taiwan's core AI strategy is AI Island Plan / AI Basic Act, with the public year marked as 2025.
Region overview
Taiwan Investment Scale
Taiwan's AI investment signal is: ~NT$100B (~US$3.1B).
Region overview
Taiwan Governance Model
Taiwan's AI governance model can be summarised as: Principles-based framework law (passed Dec 2025).
Region overview
Taiwan Core Strength
Taiwan's comparative strength versus Singapore is: Semiconductor hegemon (TSMC).
Core strategy
AI Taiwan Action Plan 1.0
First national AI action plan, focused on talent and R&D
Core strategy
AI Taiwan Action Plan 2.0
Upgraded plan emphasising industrial applications and international cooperation
Data note
Curated benchmark drilldown profile, last updated 2026-05-04.