Taiwan launches $629M robotics fund and national AI center

President Lai Ching‑te on Friday formally opened the National Center for AI Robotics (NCAIR) and announced a NT$20 billion (US$629 million) funding program intended to boost Taiwan’s domestic robotics sector. The center will operate under the National Institutes of Applied Research as part of the government’s Ten AI Initiatives Promotion Plan.

NCAIR will oversee development, testing and workforce training for locally made robots, according to officials. The center will provide testing facilities, training programs and coordination among research institutes and companies to help move prototypes toward commercial use.

The NT$20 billion program is scheduled to launch later this year. National Applied Research Laboratories president Tsai Hung‑yin noted that the fund “will go toward the creation of at least three new robotics startups from 2026 to 2029.” The package supplements a NT$10 billion subsidy program announced last year that covered four years of support for Taiwanese robotics firms.

At the opening, President Lai said “robots are a primary focus for the center,” highlighting government attention on robotics development and deployment.

NCAIR director Su Wen‑yu added the new center will prioritize home care robots and pursue machines designed to perform high‑risk tasks, reflecting planned applications in healthcare and safety‑sensitive industries.

Officials have linked the initiative to Taiwan’s demographic trends. Government briefings cite a declining and aging population that could limit the available workforce and reduce capacity for elder care. NSTC Minister Wu Cheng‑wen previously set targets to develop robots for healthcare, restaurants and hospitality within about two years to address labor gaps.

A recent industry analysis found Taiwan has about 302 robots per 10,000 employees, putting it fourth in Asia and ninth worldwide by robot density. The Republic of Korea leads with about 1,220 robots per 10,000 employees, followed by Singapore at 818, Germany at 449 and Japan at 446. The United States has about 307 robots per 10,000 employees. China operates roughly 2 million robots in total but records a lower density of about 166 per 10,000 employees; that stock grew about 17 percent year‑over‑year.

No detailed breakdown has been released on how the NT$20 billion will be divided among grants, subsidies or equity investments. Government spokespeople indicated that implementation plans and selection criteria for startup support will be published before the fund launches later this year.

Officials expect NCAIR and the funding program to support product development, testing and commercialization efforts, and to help form new domestic robotics companies in the 2026–2029 period.