Taiwan has big ambitions for space – from its own launch vehicle program to putting a second payload on the moon in 2028. Our team went to National Central University to find out what’s on the horizon for space innovation in Taiwan. 🎙️ Loren Chang, Professor at NCU 📺 youtu.be/IDIGB1TYvqo

2026 is going to be a big one! Don’t forget to join us and stay CONNECTED.

Taiwan’s economy had a (mostly) great 2025. GPD growth outstripped most developed economies. But can this continue in 2026? And who will benefit most? 🎙️ Orina Chang, School of Banking and Finance National Sun Yat-sen University 📺 youtu.be/QmTbYHWJ1Ms

Could China beat the US in a 21st century space race? Its “mind-boggling” space development is rattling US military leaders. With possible battlefield applications, could China’s space push destabilize global security? 🎙️ Space expert Blaine Curcio 📺 youtu.be/CIkEftePzKM

Gen Z has it tough: AI is set to decimate the entry-level white-collar job market by 2030. For many graduates, leveraging AI to survive and thrive is a must. We spoke to two grad job hopefuls Sarita and Josh. 🎧 youtu.be/P7rzq6O580c

Steve Chen, a cofounder of YouTube, gives a reality check on Taiwan’s startup ecosystem. 📺 Watch the full conversation with Steve Chen on our YouTube channel

India is the world’s fastest growing aviation market – but it faces obstacles like airline instability and safety concerns. Find out what's holding the country back. 🎙️ Mark D. Martin, founder and CEO of aviation risk advisory firm Martin Consulting. 📺 youtu.be/T66kIFEHX7s

The world’s best airports are more than just buildings next to runways. How can Taiwan’s airports also offer the ultimate passenger experience as well as create a stronger financial model? 🎙️ Cheng-Lung Wu, Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales Sydney. 📺 youtu.be/1vJbHVqt5IE

Thanks so much for joining us this past year. Remember to join us in 2026 to stay informed, engaged and CONNECTED.

Taiwan ranks #1 for fear of outliving retirement savings. 82% of Gen Z and 85% of Millennials worry about retirement. Yet most won’t trade salary for wellbeing. As more Taiwanese face the possibility of living to 100, we discuss aging, gradual retirement and flexible careers.

Matej Šimalčík of CEIAS: industrial dependence on China exposes Europe’s vulnerabilities. 🎥 www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwpd... 🎙️ @ceias-eu.bsky.social / @matejsimalcik.bsky.social

YouTube cofounder Steve Chen takes us back to the platform’s earliest days. Fun fact: it was originally meant to be a dating site.

Taylor Swift is rich, famous and adored by her fans #Swifties. But beyond the force of Swiftonomics, her popularity comes with a degree of political influence, from an antitrust lawsuit launched by fans to regional diplomatic tensions over her exclusive shows in Singapore. 📺 youtu.be/Bve9trhwNTA

With just six Eras Tour performances in Singapore, Taylor Swift managed to boost the nation’s GDP and cause a market-wide shortage of friendship bracelets. This is the effect of #Swiftonomics, the economic powerhouse of one of the world’s most successful artists. Watch: youtu.be/qYKioLCKUHc

Most founders get it wrong: scaling a startup is harder than launching one. We speak with Edgar Chiu, cofounder and managing partner of SparkLabs Taiwan and former COO of Gogolook. Watch: youtu.be/G4zDS-OpRNI

Five floors of robotic storage with 80,000 pallets tracked and retrievable 24/7 - a facility of breathtaking scale. We visit Taiwan’s largest smart warehouse, the OMEGA logistics park in Taoyuan. 📺 youtu.be/XBecSRWQbUE

Half of global fund managers say there is an AI bubble. The sector’s sky-high valuations and speculative fervor echo the dot com bubble. Is a burst inevitable? Asianometry’s Jon breaks it down. 🎧 youtu.be/_kt6YIRjF6g 🎙️ @asianometry.bsky.social

Malaysia and Singapore are rapidly expanding their AI infrastructure, racing to build regional data center hubs and satisfy the industry’s insatiable demand for electric power. 📺 youtu.be/CN1dKZbx6Rw 🎙️ Chong Ja Ian (@chongjaian.bsky.social), Chris Tseng and Evan Ng

Pollution and traffic chaos — that was the shocking scene Francine Houben encountered when she first visited Kaohsiung two decades ago. Since then, she has designed the city’s ingenious train station and the world’s largest single-roof performing arts venue. 📺 www.youtube.com/watch?v=oomI...

Women continue to win over investors in deep-tech fields, demonstrating the strengths that female founders bring to the sector. Tzu-Hui Yang, director of Garage+, and Revital Shpangental, founder and chair of Anemone Ventures, discuss how investors really judge a pitch. 📺 youtu.be/kOH1F7b8AzY

Is Taiwan the next big startup hub in Asia? At Meet Taipei 2025, CONNECTED explores the scene’s latest startup trends and potentials. 🎙️ John Wang, Cofounder and Editor in Chief of Business Next Media 🎙️ Allen John Ku, Operations Director of Startup Island Taiwan 📺 youtu.be/v0xqbWhT7f4

Digital IDs promise the ultimate convenience. But many are concerned about safety and data privacy, especially in the face of fast-evolving AI fraud tools. 🎧 youtu.be/4XT5M6p0elM 🎙️ Wayne Chang, founder and CEO of SpruceID

Back when YouTube cofounder Steve Chen posted the first cat video on the platform in 2005, there was no such thing as “the algorithm” or a professional influencer. Fast forward to 2025 and online content creation is a digitally curated multi-billion dollar sector. 📺 www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpa7...

YouTube cofounder Steve Chen takes us back to the earliest days of what is now the world’s second most visited website, from plugging in servers himself to even considering a pivot into the online dating market. 📺 www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Sh...

‘Is it a Swedish prison or a London flat?’ A viral video makes the rounds online, comparing the seemingly incomparable and exposing the state of rental housing in the UK. 📺 youtu.be/oyHpVvnWkFs

The cost-of-living crisis in the UK has ended, say experts as inflation cools down. But the disparity between wages and prices tells a different story with many asking, has the ‘crisis’ just become a new norm? 📺 youtu.be/FcdvMbzXiK0

Semiconductor self-sufficiency, AI adoption across industries and tech indigenization are all part of China’s latest five-year plan. 📺 youtu.be/f0DO34yTvac 🎙️ Edward Tse, author and business strategist

China Eastern’s new 25.5 hours-long ‘world’s longest flight’ shows how ultra-long routes could be the next big thing in civil aviation, but it also raises equally big questions. 📺 youtu.be/wsTl5_P5stU 🎙️ Gui Lohmann (Griffith Institute for Tourism) & Yen Jin-ru (National Taiwan Ocean University)

Record-breaking air travel is shaping the future development of global aviation hubs, from Singapore’s iconic Changi to Istanbul’s mega airport. 📺 youtu.be/GokOLCmllpI 🎙️ Gui Lohmann (Griffith Institute for Tourism) & Yen Jin-ru (National Taiwan Ocean University)

Many foreign founders see Taiwan as a place to start a business. Yet bureaucracy, months-long incorporation hurdles and investment checks for possible Chinese ties often stand in the way. 📺 youtu.be/0bwM1CF0hZw 🎙️ Elias Ek (Enspyre) and Ta-Wei Wang (Pinehurst Studios)

Near one million subscribers today, Jon launched Asianometry back when many still thought of TSMC as the name of a Minecraft YouTuber. He joins us to unpack Taiwan’s semiconductor rise alongside the channel’s own journey. 🎧 youtu.be/Xnk0emwuO7c 🎙️ @asianometry.bsky.social

Could COP30 be more of a success without the US or Trump’s global warming skepticism? 📺 youtu.be/s6ZMo_CN1EY 🎙️ Nate Maynard, environmental consultant ( @n8may.bsky.social ) 🎙️ Liangyi Chang, climate activist and sustainability consultant

This year’s COP30 summit in Brazil comes with a hard truth: the world is on track to miss the Paris goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. 📺 youtu.be/IV5mImnSuZU 🎙️ Nate Maynard / @n8may.bsky.social 🎙️ Liangyi Chang

Ticket scalping has long frustrated fans. Can blockchain and Web3 finally offer a fix? 📺 youtu.be/O-Dt8CQkSa0 🎙️ Weining Hung (9Kick, LUCfest) and Henry Chen (FANSI GO)

Surge pricing has arrived in Taiwan’s live music scene. But ticket prices that fluctuate by the minute are dividing fans and raising questions about fairness in a booming concert market. 📺 youtu.be/KQCMbHKOGyQ 🎙️ Weining Hung (9Kick, LUCfest) and Henry Chen (FANSI GO)

Getting concert tickets has become a full-contact sport: fast clicks, long queues and steep prices. But for your favorite artist, how far would you go? 📺 youtu.be/qco_9pGWjzk

After transforming data storage with its single-chip USB flash controller, Phison Electronics is turning to AI. Its new platform, aiDAPTIV+, embodies Founder and CEO Pua Khein Seng’s vision of bringing affordable computing to every student and nation. 📺 youtu.be/DmPsObmCa5M

The corporate slogans splashed across Taiwan Pride may be light on activism, but they reveal who’s paying the bills. With public funding dwindling, corporate sponsors have become essential to keeping Asia’s biggest LGBTQ+ celebration alive. 📺 youtu.be/6QikE2DE4uo

Europe’s race to secure rare earths has begun, but can it succeed without China? In its biggest resource test yet, the EU is stepping up as export bans tighten and costs soar. 📺 youtu.be/zwpdYXUcSLs 🎙️ Matej Šimalčík (CEIAS) / @matejsimalcik.bsky.social / @ceias-eu.bsky.social

Resource-rich Australia is emerging as a contender to challenge China’s rare earth dominance. As Beijing tightens exports and Washington scrambles to secure supplies, Canberra aims to be the game changer. 🎙️ Mohan Yellishetty (Monash University) 📺 youtu.be/VjvudCnX1Ys

As China consolidates its global influence, Taiwan has carved out a different path — rejecting checkbook diplomacy in favor of partnerships built on expertise and shared growth. Can it sustain Taiwan’s dwindling circle of allies? 🎙️ Mandy Liao (National Taiwan University) 📺 youtu.be/8K91VxkMBzg

Somaliland is the world’s largest self-governing territory without official statehood — and it’s aligning with Taiwan, not China, to build its economy and gain international standing. 🎙️ Somaliland’s representative to Taiwan, Ambassador Mahmoud Adam Jama Galaal 📺 youtu.be/mkCA4ITEdwM

Every new tech shift has redrawn the music industry. Now, it’s AI’s turn. Experts unpack how artificial intelligence and blockchain could transform copyright, royalties and creative ownership. 🎙️ Anand Roy (Wubble AI) & Bill Dafflon (Wondera) 📺 youtu.be/PY5GRE54vM0

AI is rewriting the rules of music — but not in the way you might think. While skeptics worry, our guests see opportunity: a chance to make music more inclusive, creative and fair for everyone. 🎙️ Anand Roy (Wubble AI) & Bill Dafflon (Wondera) 📺 youtu.be/KKZ5XCVqrfo

Most people see golf as bad for the planet. Delphine Tseng sees it differently. She’s an ecologist who believes golf courses can become unlikely allies for wildlife and conservation. 🎧 youtu.be/cgCao3Crno8

Serial entrepreneurs are betting that the next global tech giant could emerge from Taipei. But some entrepreneurs quietly wonder whether success might come faster overseas. 🎥 youtu.be/oLN0C-GnhdA 🎙️ Kai Huang (886 Studios/RedOctane) 🎙️ Chris Wang (Playdom) 🎙️ Steve Chen (YouTube)

Asia’s pink economy is thriving, but not without pressure. What does queer activism look like in a region driven by powerful consumer bases that power their own versions of rainbow capitalism? 📺 youtu.be/32-0AFVxO8A 🎙️ Minwoo Jung & Po-Han Lee / @pohanlee.bsky.social

As Taipei gears up to host Asia’s largest Pride event, Taiwan LGBT+ Pride, we look at the future of LGBTQ+ activism across Asia amid shrinking corporate sponsorships and fading DEI budgets. 📺 youtu.be/Xv1xxT9-IP8 🎙️ Minwoo Jung, Po-Han Lee / @pohanlee.bsky.social, Wang Hao-Zhong & Sun Meng-Chun

Rainbow capitalism made big promises: a brighter future for Queer people through greater representation in commercial spaces. Now, that promise is under threat. As Taipei prepares to celebrate Taiwan LGBT+ Pride, we look into the rise and fall of rainbow capitalism. 📺 youtu.be/qL5ONoOcb8Q

Sitting at the heart of the global chip supply, ASML is caught in geopolitical tension between the US, China and Taiwan. How will trade disruptions, export bans and China’s growing chip ambitions shape ASML’s future? 🎙️ Marc Hijink / @marchijink.bsky.social 📺 youtu.be/jIxxD8f5veE