---

【Translator: Zhi-Yu Yang】

【Text and photos provided: EMBA Center Executive Director and Associate Professor of the Department of Asia-Pacific Industrial and Business Management, Li Ting-Lin.】

【Promotion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) series】

2023-11-08 Startup Terrace Kaohsiung(亞灣新創園), The Ministry of Economic Affairs Small and Medium Enterprise Administration continued collaborating with the Singaporean entrepreneurial organization Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) for the second year of the "Taiwan-Singapore Startup Exchange Program" in 2023. Since its inception, this program has facilitated at least 13 business collaborations, resulting in approximately 30 million New Taiwan Dollars in opportunities. Both parties recommended promising startups that utilize core technologies such as 5G, AI, and IoT, focusing on applications related to digital transformation, smart cities, smart manufacturing and logistics, innovative healthcare, and green technology. Through overseas training and exchanges, mentorship, and further engagement with Taiwan's New Southbound Policy, the program aims to lead Taiwanese startups in expanding into the Southeast Asian market.

This year, in addition to jointly participating in the annual SWITCH event in Singapore with the National Development Council under the "Startup Island Taiwan" initiative, they also conducted on-site training in Singapore with their strategic partner, ACE. The program in Singapore included arranging demo pitches for Taiwanese startups and inviting local investors and corporate partners in Singapore to hear their fundraising presentations to achieve business opportunities or fund partnerships. Furthermore, they led the startups to engage with local startup development organizations and venture capitalists in Singapore, such as Genesis Alternative Ventures and A*STAR - Agency for Science. The program also included visits to the regional headquarters of multinational corporations like Microsoft Singapore and LaunchPad—key communities and organizations, including Enterprise Singapore ACE.SG, NUS Enterprise, BLOCK71, and others were part of the exchange and interaction. Currently, the team is still in Singapore for comprehensive training to integrate into the ASEAN ecosystem.

This year's SWITCH exhibition was co-hosted by Professor Li Ting-Lin, the Startup Terrace Kaohsiung Program's co-project leader and NUK professor. She led a delegation of 8 startups, which included Taiwan Carbon Materials, JMEM Technology, Ness Wellness, Data Yoo Application, TAC Dynamics, iAMBITION, Crypto-Arsenal, and Raputa Inc. The team has expressed that they have been discussing fundraising and market entry with various local and international venture capital firms. They have also initiated potential business opportunities with companies like ContiTech, Singapore Polytech, and SMT Tech.

Startup Terrace Kaohsiung will continue exploring business opportunities in the Southeast Asian market. They aim to facilitate Taiwanese startups in connecting with international resources and funding opportunities, thereby increasing the exposure of these startups on a global scale. They plan to establish regular bilateral exchange and ground services with Singapore to enhance both sides' business insights and resource matching. Their goal is to showcase the innovation and potential of Taiwanese startups actively.

 ---

#SDG3 #SDG9 #SDG11 #SDG12 #SDG17