Taiwan telecommunication AI industry ESG disclosure

In recent years, Taiwan's high-tech chip industry has experienced vigorous growth, with the telecommunications sector being the largest consumer of chips. Since the global outbreak of the pandemic in 2019, the telecommunications industry has played a major role in shaping human life and commercial activities. Moreover, advancements in chip technology are making telecommunications-related Artificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly powerful. Taiwan's telecommunications AI industry has secured a significant position globally; however, its production processes often generate toxic substances, posing environmental risks. Therefore, companies should emphasize both operational profitability and sustainable development. This study covers a five-year period from 2018 to 2022, using Taiwan's telecommunications AI industry as the research sample. The main contribution of this study lies in applying the Dynamic Network Directional Distance Function (DN-DDF) to analyze efficiency across four stages: profitability, sustainability, market performance, and overall efficiency. The study aims to enhance technical capabilities and promote rational resource allocation to assist businesses in making decisions that balance profitability with environmental protection, social responsibility, and corporate governance. It also considers market value, which is highly regarded by investors, to improve overall efficiency. Empirical results indicate that the average overall dynamic efficiency is highest at the market stage, followed by the profitability stage, and lowest at the sustainability stage. When dividing the industry into four major segments, branded terminals exhibit the highest average dynamic efficiency, followed by design, manufacturing, assembly, and key semiconductor chips. In contrast, telecommunications companies, being at the most downstream end, show the greatest need for improvement in the future.