Asus Cloud Builds Nvidia-Powered Supercomputer in Taiwan

TLDRs;

• Asus Cloud is building a 250-petaflop Nvidia-powered supercomputer to increase Taiwan’s capacity by 50%.
• After years of underinvestment, Taiwan is investing NT$190 billion to strengthen AI and supercomputing power.
• The project supports Taiwan’s strategy of reducing reliance on foreign cloud providers and strengthening domestic infrastructure.
• Taiwan aims to reach 1,200 petaflops by 2029, ranking among Asia’s top computing powers.

Asus Cloud, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based electronics giant Asus, has announced plans to build a new Nvidia-powered supercomputer in Tainan.

The project, carried out in partnership with Taiwan AI Cloud and the National Centre for High-Performance Computing, will dramatically increase the island’s AI processing capacity.

According to Peter Wu, CEO of Asus Cloud and Taiwan AI Cloud, the system will launch its first phase in December 2025, delivering 80 petaflops of computing power. Once completed, the final build will reach 250 petaflops, a massive upgrade to Taiwan’s existing infrastructure.

For perspective, the world’s most powerful supercomputer today, Hewlett Packard Enterprises’ El Capitan, runs at 1,700 petaflops. While Taiwan’s new system will not rival El Capitan, it will still mark a significant leap in national capacity, raising the island’s total computing power by at least 50%.

Reversing Years of Underinvestment

Taiwan’s commitment to high-performance computing represents a sharp turnaround from past neglect. As recently as 2015, the nation had no machines listed in the global TOP500 supercomputing rankings. Its most advanced system at the time, ALPS, had fallen from 42nd place in 2011 to 445th due to budget limitations and lack of upgrades.

This left Taiwanese researchers struggling to meet their own data-processing needs, often building smaller independent clusters to fill the gap. The new initiative signals a new era, with computing power viewed not as an academic resource but as essential national infrastructure.

The government has pledged NT$190 billion (roughly $6 billion) toward AI infrastructure development, aiming to boost national capacity from 160 petaflops today to 1,200 petaflops by 2029. That increase would place Taiwan among Asia’s top three computing powers, rivaling regional leaders Japan and China.

Sovereign AI as a Strategic Imperative

The push for greater computing power also reflects geopolitical priorities. Taiwan, a global hub for semiconductor production, is increasingly focused on “Sovereign AI”, the principle that nations must control their own AI infrastructure rather than depending on foreign cloud providers.

By building out domestic supercomputing systems, Taiwan reduces reliance on external players while securing its role in the rapidly evolving AI economy. The partnership between government institutions and private companies like Asus demonstrates how both sectors are working together to balance technological growth with national security.

Wu emphasized that the supercomputer will not only support AI research but also provide tailored, secure solutions to meet the growing demand for sovereign cloud and AI services.

Positioning Taiwan in the Global Race

Taiwan has already shown progress in expanding its AI capabilities. The Ubilink data center project recently helped the country climb to 21st place in global AI computing power rankings. The new Asus Cloud supercomputer, alongside government-backed investments, is expected to accelerate this momentum.

With plans to reach seven times today’s computing capacity within just four years, Taiwan is positioning itself as a regional leader in AI infrastructure. As the global race for AI dominance intensifies, projects like this highlight the island’s determination to turn its semiconductor advantage into long-term leadership in advanced computing.

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