Visit of Minister Cheng-Wen WU to Université Paris-Saclay: a key moment dedicated to cooperation in research, education and innovation with Taiwan
On the occasion of the visit of Taiwanese minister Cheng-Wen WU on 22 April 2026, Université Paris-Saclay reached a new milestone in its international partnerships with the operational launch of the Alain Aspect programme, dedicated to education and research between France and Taiwan.
On 22 April 2026, Université Paris-Saclay welcomed Prof. Cheng-Wen WU, Minister of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), for a high-level meeting dedicated to innovation. The discussion took place in the presence of Prof. Alain Aspect, 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics laureate, and representatives of the university’s leadership, including Xavier Apolinarski, vice-president for innovation.
The exchange also brought together key players from the deeptech ecosystem, notably leading quantum companies Pasqal and Quandela. This visit follows on from the Franco-Taiwanese Research Forum held in Grenoble on 20 and 21 April, in which Prof. Frédéric Pascal, vice-president for artificial intelligence, and Prof. Rachid Bennacer, vice-president for research in science and engineering, took part.
A key milestone in a forward-looking partnership
The meeting began with the operational launch of the “Alain Aspect” programme, aimed at structuring academic collaborations between France and Taiwan. Led by Nobel laureate Prof. Alain Aspect, together with Prof. Jean-François Roch, director of Quantum Saclay, this programme, signed in 2025, seeks to support pre-doctoral and doctoral training, as well as research between Université Paris-Saclay, Université Grenoble Alpes and Université nationale de Taïwan.
The meeting also highlighted the dynamism of Université Paris-Saclay’s innovation ecosystem through contributions from the vice-presidents Xavier Apolinarski, Rachid Bennacer and Frédéric Pascal. This overview was complemented by presentations from Mélissa Chen, Director of International Affairs at the National Institutes of Applied Research (Taiwan), a cornerstone of Taiwan’s applied research landscape, as well as Dr Arielle Santé, CEO of IncubAlliance Paris-Saclay, and Dr Sébastien Magnaval, President of SATT Paris-Saclay..
Finally, the minister attended presentations by Pasqal and Quandela, flagship companies of the Saclay cluster and major industrial players in the university’s quantum ecosystem, represented by Dr Georges-Olivier Reymond and Dr Shane Mansfield.
By placing a strong emphasis on quantum technologies and structured academic collaborations, this visit opens up new, tangible prospects for scientific and technological cooperation between Université Paris-Saclay and Taiwan.
From left to right: Xavier Apolinarski, Vice-President for Innovation, and Prof. Cheng-Wen WU, Minister of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).
From left to right: Xavier Apolinarski, Vice-President for Innovation, and Prof. Cheng-Wen WU, Minister of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).
From left to right: Prof. Alain Aspect, 2022 Nobel Prize laureate and professor at Institut d’Optique Graduate School – Université Paris-Saclay, and Prof. Cheng-Wen WU, Minister of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).