GWA Roundtables in Asia: New Manufacturing Innovation
As GWA introduces our 2026 focus theme of New Manufacturing Innovation, we kicked off January with a series of roundtable discussions in Singapore, Shenzhen, and Taipei.
Our first stop was Singapore, where we were hosted by Natalee Pei (2024 GWA Fellow) at Bridgewater Associates. We were joined by Andrea Phua (2024 GWA Fellow) and Robin Hu, who shared fascinating insights into Singapore’s manufacturing journey and ASEAN’s growing importance amid global shifts.
In our second stop, hosted in Shenzhen by Inno100 and GWA Advisor Lexie (Hui) Ma, we explored dynamic innovations from women leaders in the startup scene. Highlights included AI pets, AI chess players, VR eyewear, 3D cameras, and self-flying drones, alongside robotics integrating digital intelligent sensors for industrial automation.
Joined by GWA 2023 and 2024 fellows Milawen (Annabelle) Ding, Olivia Plotnick, and Joyce Wang, the discussion spanned the origins of Shenzhen’s supply chain ecosystem to the challenges of geopolitics.
In our third stop, GWA convened thought leaders, policy practitioners, and supply chain engineers in Taipei — hosted by Baker & McKenzie’s H. Henry Chang — to discuss Taiwan’s critical leadership in the semiconductor and AI hardware sector, right as the U.S. and Taiwan concluded the landmark trade and semiconductor investment deal.
Taiwan faces labor shortages that have led to heavy reliance on foreign workers in factories, creating persistent social and labor challenges, particularly for migrant workers. An intriguing observation during discussions of AI, robotics, and automation was that human labor remains irreplaceable in some hardware manufacturing—like smartphones—because current robotics lacks the necessary dexterity.
Our roundtable conversations sparked interesting points that GWA will carry into our year of New Manufacturing Innovation. Topics such as workforce development amid AI and robotic automation, and the balance of AI innovations into everyday use, will be key pillars of GWA’s thinking. We look forward to thoughtful conversations on these vital global issues.
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