EP3-5 | Washington’s Shutdown to Taiwan’s New Alliance and the AI Workforce Shift

This week, we track three pivotal forces shaping the global innovation narrative.

Washington’s Shutdown has paralyzed U.S. federal agencies, disrupting capital markets and research while costing the economy up to $15 billion a week, underscoring how fragile high-tech growth becomes when governance stalls.

Taiwan–U.S. High-Tech Partnership is emerging as a strategic framework for resilient supply chains and shared R&D in semiconductors and AI, offering a “Taiwan model” that balances collaboration with technological sovereignty.

The AI Workforce Shift is accelerating as more than 120,000 global layoffs redefine work in the automation era, where efficiency metrics now favor algorithms over headcount.