Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) Taiwan’s Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (???) and Laurie E. Locascio, director of the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), agreed on Tuesday to increase cybersecurity collaboration between the two countries, according to a Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) official.
Wang and Locascio agreed, during a meeting held in Taipei, to build up a joint cybersecurity supply chain under the U.S.-Taiwan Technology Trade and Investment Collaboration (TTIC) framework, the MOEA official who is familiar with the matter said.
The TTIC, established in December 2021, is a bilateral cooperation framework that aims to facilitate Taiwan and the U.S. in developing joint commercial programs and strengthening critical technology supply chains. Initial areas of focus include semiconductors, 5G, electric vehicles, sustainable energy and cybersecurity.
The official said that many U.S. information technology companies use Taiwan-produced hardware and that the U.S. hoped the island nation would be able to manufacture the advanced servers and the 5G mobile network needed to ensure future cybersecurity.
The official added that both countries could enjoy economic benefits from further cybersecurity cooperation.
Also on Tuesday, Locascio said at the opening ceremony of a cybersecurity forum “U.S. Business Day” that the U.S. was currently drafting a new version of the NIST “Cybersecurity Framework,” which it hoped to launch in 2024.
The director said that she hoped to discuss opportunities with Taiwan to collaborate, for example in protecting customer data privacy. Locascio added that lots of U.S. startups were on the hunt for partners with expertise in cybersecurity.
Locascio is leading a cybersecurity business development mission in Taiwan from Sept. 18-20, which, according to the NIST, will introduce 13 U.S. firms to some of Taiwan’s leading information and communication technology security and critical infrastructure protection markets.
According to Locascio, the delegation has met with President Tsai Ing-wen (???), and has visited the National Science and Technology Council and the Ministry of Digital Affairs to exchange ideas relating to cybersecurity and semiconductors.
