Taipei: The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) has launched a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) project to encourage private investment in computing power centers, with the goal of adding more than 10,000 GPUs' worth of computing capacity within a year, minister Lin Yi-jing said Tuesday. Lin made the remarks in response to concerns about Taiwan's computing power capacity.

According to Focus Taiwan, former Digital Affairs Minister Huang Yen-nun cited the latest Global AI Index at the 2026 Technology Sovereignty Summit, noting that Taiwan ranks 16th among 83 governments, trailing behind the United States, China, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan. Huang highlighted that South Korea plans to purchase 260,000 Nvidia GPUs by 2030, whereas Japan already possesses about 40,000. In comparison, Taiwan has approximately 30,000 GPUs, indicating a need for increased computing capacity to support sovereign AI development.

In response, Lin emphasized that South Korea's plans do not necessarily mean Taiwan is lagging. He pointed out that computing power centers are essential for building Taiwan's AI ecosystem. Lin stressed that government acquisition of all computing capacity and providing it for free could distort market mechanisms, underlining the importance of private sector involvement.

The BOO project by MODA is designed to attract private investment in computing infrastructure, potentially leading to a significant increase in computing capacity. Lin highlighted that technological advancements should stem from competition in the private sector. MODA plans to provide policy tools related to computing power, data, talent, marketing, and capital to foster a robust AI ecosystem.

Regarding the electricity supply needed to support these advancements, Lin assured that it "should not be a problem" based on current evaluations. He mentioned that MODA would collaborate with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Taiwan Power Co. to ensure adequate power supply.

Lin also portrayed Taiwan as a "superpower" in hardware, suggesting that this strength could bolster the country's software industry on the global stage. As other nations seek partners beyond the United States and China for developing sovereign AI systems, Lin sees this as an opportunity for Taiwan to expand its influence and collaborations internationally.