Taiwan unveiled a new grid cloud computing center, the country's largest AI supercomputing datacenter yet, in Tainan Science park Friday morning. The center contains a new supercomputer equipped with Nvidia's most advanced Blackwell chips, and is a large step in achieving the government's  "Ten New AI Infrastructure Projects" initiative.

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) spoke at the inaugural ceremony Friday, where he thanked all those involved in the system's development and implementation. Lai said the center marks a crucial stepping stone for Taiwan's transition from a manufacturing powerhouse to a smart and AI nation.

He pointed to three strategic significances of the center: First, it demonstrates Taiwan's world-class technological strength. The center contains the "Nano 4" supercomputer, the fastest and most efficient high-density AI supercomputer in Taiwan. The Nano 4 also incorporates the most advanced energy-saving technology and includes highly specified earthquake-resistant designs for uninterrupted service, showcasing Taiwan's dedication to green computing and resilient innovation.

The second point is how the center provides momentum to develop other AI application services – this new data center, along with a future Tainan location, is to become south Taiwan's computing heart, encouraging an influx of entrepreneurs to develop a smart ecosystem. Third, the center will foster public-private partnerships in the innovation ecosystem.

The president also announced a new cooperative project between Taiwanese enterprises and Japan's NTT to introduce an all-optical network, which would completely replace traditional communication networks. This goal is to increase transmission speeds while significantly reducing energy consumption, advancing transmission technology while also deepening the Taiwan-Japan friendship.

President Lai noted the strategic value of the center, connecting submarine cable grounding stations to a high-speed fiber optic network spanning Taiwan. This will make a crucial bulwark for national digital resilience, cybersecurity, and communication backup in addition to a solid foundation for AI development.