Google Opens Largest AI Hardware Engineering Centre Outside United States in Taipei

Alphabet’s Google inaugurates on Nov. 20, 2025 its largest AI infrastructure hardware engineering centre outside the United States in Taipei, marking a major expansion of its research and hardware footprint in one of the world’s most important semiconductor hubs. The new facility will focus on engineering work that integrates AI chips including Google’s tensor processing units onto motherboards and servers, and it will support the company’s global data centre and cloud hardware efforts.

The centre is expected to employ several hundred engineers and to act as a regional nexus for hardware design, testing and system integration. Google is positioning the site to shorten design cycles for server platforms that host specialized AI accelerators, enabling faster deployment of custom silicon across its global fleet of data centres and cloud services.

Taiwan, home to leading contract chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, is central to global chip production. Google’s decision to open a major engineering site in Taipei reflects the company’s desire to locate advanced hardware work close to suppliers and fabrication partners, streamlining collaboration on packaging, validation and supply logistics. The move also represents a deepening of Google’s long term investment in the region’s talent pool and manufacturing ecosystem.

Taiwan’s president hailed the opening as an expression of confidence in the island’s role in secure and trusted AI supply chains. U.S. and Taiwanese officials praised the initiative for deepening technology ties between the United States and Taiwan, framing the investment as part of broader efforts to bolster resilience in critical technology supply chains. The centre arrives at a time when governments and companies are increasingly focused on diversifying and securing the flow of advanced semiconductors amid geopolitical tensions.

Industry analysts say having hardware engineering close to manufacturing partners can reduce technical friction, lower time to market for server platforms, and improve supply chain visibility for critical components. For Google, the Taipei centre will likely accelerate iteration on systems that tightly pair custom chips with optimized server motherboards and thermal designs, an advantage in deploying power hungry AI models at scale.

At the same time, locating significant engineering work in Taiwan underscores the delicate balance technology companies face between leveraging the island’s world class semiconductor capabilities and navigating geopolitical risk in the region. The investment highlights the broader strategic calculus among U.S. tech firms as they seek secure, trusted pathways for the hardware that underpins next generation AI.

The new facility will add to Taiwan’s technology ecosystem by creating engineering jobs and deepening links between multinational firms and local suppliers and universities. For Google, the Taipei centre is both a practical step to support cloud and data centre operations and a signal of commitment to remaining close to the factories and talent that produce the silicon driving modern AI. Reporting by Wen-Yee Lee, Reuters.