Taiwanese Semiconductor Documentary Screened in The Hague

More than 100 people attended a special screening in The Hague of A Chip Odyssey, a documentary portraying Taiwan’s five-decade journey from semiconductor underdog to a central hub of the global chip supply chain.

The Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands held the event on Thursday at the Bar Beton center in the city’s central train station. Taiwanese expatriates and Dutch media members joined a panel discussion after the film.

Director Hsiao Chu-chen said the Chinese title, Mountain Builders, reflects the spirit of the people who helped drive Taiwan’s semiconductor rise. It also refers to Taiwan’s nickname for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, “The Mountain that Guards the Nation.” She said she chose “Odyssey” for the English title because Taiwan’s industrial development resembled the long, difficult journey home in the ancient Greek epic.

Taiwan’s representative to the Netherlands, Tien Chung-kwang, said the industry’s experience echoed the struggles of Odysseus. He said Taiwan’s semiconductor sector took decades to overcome obstacles and achieve success through foresight and innovation. Tien attributed Taiwan’s technological progress to a talent-development environment built on respect for democracy and human rights, and said like-minded governments would continue working together to advance technology globally.

The event also featured experts including Chen Lin-lin of Eindhoven University of Technology, Benedetta Girardi of the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, and former Bloomberg Netherlands bureau chief Cagan Koc. The panelists shared views on the film and its broader technology and geopolitical themes.

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deliver the spirit of the mountain builders