Taiwan seeks to transform from tech island into regional capital hub at Taiwan Weeks 2026

Taiwan is seeking to turn its technological prowess and growing domestic wealth into broader financial influence, as regulators and market institutions join forces to deepen capital markets, expand investment opportunities and strengthen international financial connectivity.

From technology island to capital island

Taiwan is seeking to broaden its position in the global economy beyond its established strength in semiconductors and advanced technology, placing greater emphasis on the development of its capital markets and financial services.

The ambition is taking shape through Taiwan Weeks 2026, a series of financial and investment-related events organized by the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) in collaboration with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), Taipei Exchange (TPEx), Taiwan Futures Exchange and Taiwan Depository & Clearing Corporation, among other market institutions.

Running from Nov. 3 to 13, this year's program adopts the theme “From Tech Island to Capital Hub: Where Capital Meets Technology.”

It seeks to bring together domestic and international investors, financial institutions, regulators and industry representatives to explore opportunities for financial innovation, capital formation, cybersecurity, risk management, and cross-border cooperation.

The initiative reflects a broader policy ambition: to ensure that Taiwan's technological and industrial competitiveness is supported by a deeper, more internationally connected financial system.

A capital market riding on industrial momentum

The scale of Taiwan's recent capital-market expansion provides an important backdrop.

At the Nov. 3 opening ceremony, FSC Chairman Peng Jin-lung (彭金隆) highlighted the rapid appreciation of the TAIEX and the expansion of domestic financial assets, underscoring the growing importance of Taiwan's capital markets in the regional investment landscape.

Peng noted that the asset-management sector has also expanded considerably. Taiwan's ETF market has become the third-largest in the Asia-Pacific region, while the Kaohsiung asset management zone has attracted financial institutions seeking to develop private banking, wealth management and cross-border financial services.

He cited FSC figures showing growing momentum in the high-net-worth segment, with the number of high-net-worth clients increasing by 7,300 over the past year and assets under management (AUM) rising by NT$804.1 billion (US$24.5 billion). The number of institutions offering private banking services increased by five.

Peng added that cross-listed Taiwan-Japan ETFs and actively managed ETFs are also gaining momentum.

These efforts to attract international asset managers reflect the FSC's ambition to diversify investment products and strengthen Taiwan's position in regional capital allocation.

Broadening financing channels and connecting with global capital

Beyond equity markets, Taiwan Weeks 2026 also places emphasis on diversifying corporate financing channels, broadening investment products and strengthening Taiwan's connections with international capital markets.

The TiBOOST Innovation Growth Program, for example, seeks to connect emerging technology ventures, particularly those working in artificial intelligence (AI), with venture capital firms, corporate investors and potential financing opportunities.

Its inaugural Innovation Cup attracted 396 proposals from 23 countries, including 139 international submissions, with 12 teams selected for the final round.

The initiative is designed to bring startups closer to investors and capital-market resources, supporting their efforts to scale up, commercialize technologies and expand internationally.

Bond-market development is another priority. In 2025, Taiwan's corporate bond issuance reached a record NT$778.3 billion, while sustainable bond issuance exceeded NT$200 billion.

To further internationalize the market, TPEx introduced a dual-listing mechanism in March 2026, allowing certain international bonds partially issued offshore to apply for dual listing on the exchange.

Looking ahead, TPEx has outlined a bond-market expansion plan, backed by the FSC, targeting annual issuance of more than NT$3.8 trillion by 2030, approximately double the NT$1.89 trillion recorded in 2025.

Further measures under consideration include developing project and climate-transition bonds to broaden corporate financing options, while exploring the tokenization of real-world asset (RWA) bonds as a potential financial innovation.

The dual-listing mechanism, already in place, is also expected to facilitate greater participation by international issuers and investors.

Together, these initiatives are intended to diversify corporate funding sources, attract international capital and broaden investment opportunities across Taiwan's capital markets.

Turning private wealth into long-term industrial capital

Another important dimension of Taiwan's financial transformation is the development of its wealth management industry.

The FSC's Asia Asset Management Center initiative seeks to retain domestic wealth, attract foreign capital and channel investment into Taiwan's industrial development. The Kaohsiung asset management zone is intended to serve as a platform connecting financial institutions, private wealth, corporate financing and international investment.

A Nov. 6 impact-investing forum hosted by CTBC Bank in Kaohsiung, in support of Taiwan Weeks, illustrated how these objectives are being translated into financial-sector services.

Bringing together more than 100 participants from government, industry and academia, the forum examined sustainable family-business succession, impact investing and asset-allocation strategies.

According to the Central News Agency, CTBC Bank executives including Personal Banking CEO Yang Shu-hui (楊淑惠) and Executive Vice President and Head of CTBC Bank’s Private Banking Division Yang Tzu-hung (楊子宏) discussed growing demand among high-net-worth clients for integrated wealth-management services, including cross-border asset allocation, family succession planning, risk management and family-office solutions.

These developments underscore the growing complexity of wealth management as Taiwanese businesses expand internationally and family-owned enterprises place greater emphasis on succession planning and long-term wealth preservation.

Investment strategies are also becoming more closely connected with industrial development.

At the forum, Chen Feng-feng (陳豊丰), senior vice president of CTBC Bank's Private Banking Advisory Services Department, pointed to AI infrastructure as an example of how investment opportunities extend beyond computing power to encompass optical communications, power infrastructure and cooling technologies.

The broader implication is that wealth management can extend beyond preserving private fortunes to encompass the allocation of long-term capital toward industrial development and sustainable economic growth.

Cybersecurity and resilience as foundations of growth

However, greater international connectivity and financial innovation also introduce more complex operational and systemic risks.

Cybersecurity consequently emerged as a major theme during Taiwan Weeks 2026. At a Nov. 4 forum, FSC Vice Chairperson Chuang Hsou-yuan (莊琇媛) stressed that cybersecurity must become a board-level governance responsibility rather than remain confined to information technology departments, especially in light of recent cybersecurity incidents involving financial institutions and cryptocurrency platforms.

Financial institutions are being encouraged to strengthen internal controls, intrusion detection, recovery mechanisms and cross-industry intelligence sharing.

Risk management is equally important as financial products become more sophisticated and cross-border transactions increasingly interconnected.

Ultimately, Taiwan Weeks 2026 represents more than a showcase of the island's financial-sector achievements. It is an attempt to consolidate Taiwan's industrial strengths, domestic savings, financial expertise and international partnerships into a more integrated capital-market ecosystem.

Whether Taiwan can translate its technological success and expanding financial markets into enduring regional influence will depend not only on market growth, but also on regulatory credibility, corporate governance, financial resilience and its ability to attract and retain international capital.