PRESS RELEASE
On Monday, May 27, 2013, the Industrial Technology and Research Institute (ITRI), National Chiao Tung University (NCTU), Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU), jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taiwan Globalization Network (TGN) in the Hague City of the Netherlands. Mr. Johnny Yeh, the Director-General of the Small & Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA) of the R.O.C.’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Mr. Henk Kool, the Deputy Mayor of The Hague were present during the signing of the MOU. The MOU calls for the immediate establishment of cooperative platforms for incubation centers and is meant to support incubation center start-ups enter the international market, help supply the production demand of the European market, and expand market potential.
The MOU is a further implementation of the Joint Incubation Cooperation MOU signed last year between the SMEA and the European Business & Innovation Centers Network (EBN). The objective of the MOU is to enhance business cooperation between Taiwan and Europe. The Joint Incubation Cooperation MOU was also meant to strengthen incubation center cooperation through internationalization. Mr. Johnny Yeh and a delegation of incubation center professionals will also attend the 22nd EBN Annual Congress from May 29 to 31 in Londonderry City in Northern Ireland. This year’s theme called “Digital, Cultural, and Social Innovation” aims to integrate resources and map out a plan for future incubation cooperation. Over 500 innovation incubation professionals are expected to attend the Congress. SMEA Director General Yeh is invited to make a speech on “Looking for Global Opportunities: Cooperate with Start-up Taiwan Accelerator.” Before the Congress, the Taiwan delegation and TGN will jointly hold the Taiwan Business Day at The Hague. The theme of Taiwan Business Day is “How smart, innovative SMEs enter new markets successfully.” Taiwan Business Day also seeks to act as a forum for exchange for Taiwan and European companies to enter into business cooperation. The MOU signed yesterday between the three institutions from Taiwan and TGN is meant to accelerate such cooperation.
SMEA Director General Yeh said that faced with the many challenges posed by global competition, international economic trends, encouraging the youth to establish innovative businesses is key for SMEs to harness the resources of big enterprises, cross-border incubation, and to accelerate cooperation. The SMEA has just completed an Industrial Incubation Cooperation system and promoted the “Taiwan Entrepreneurship Program” that is meant to help Taiwan entrepreneurs generate creative business ideas. In this program, a division within the SMEA accompanies entrepreneurs in dealing with such issues such as financing, or finding venture capital firms, angel investors, and private equity funds for support. All these are meant to promote the “Big Business Incubation Orientation Consultancy” that seeks to fill in the needs for better customization among big enterprises, increase opportunities for incubated firms to enter the supply chain of bigger companies, and to find more precise ways of investment matching. The TGN MOU seeks to help Taiwan companies apply for government grants for economic and technical cooperation in the European Union countries where they operate. It is also meant to accelerate technical research and development as well as consultancy for more innovative services. Taiwan firms will also find support through the MOU to set up foreign branches, thus speeding up their internationalization.
TGN Chairman Charlene Lambert said that Taiwan is an economic and business production powerhouse in the Greater Chinese region. “I am very pleased to sign this MOU with ITRI, National Chiao Tung University, and Chung Yuan Christian University to jointly promote scientific, technical, economic, cultural, and trade cooperation between Taiwan and Europe,” she said. “I encourage companies from both sides to enter into close industrial cooperation to increase market potential and business opportunities.”
Taiwan International Incubation Week to be held in August
SMEA Director General Johnny Yeh said that Taipei will be the venue for the Taiwan International Incubation Week which will actually run for two weeks. This will include the “Train-the-trainer Workshop on Promoting SME Business Continuity Plans” from Aug. 5 to 9, the “Kick-Off Press Conference on International Incubation Week” on Aug. 12, the “APEC Start-Up Accelerator Leadership Summit & Intel APEC Challenge” from Aug. 13-14, the “Start-Up Taiwan Accelerator Forum” on Aug. 15, and the “Trade and Investment Opportunities in the ASEAN Market” on Aug. 16. Delegates from 21 Asian countries are expected to attend the “Intel APEC Challenge” from Aug. 13-14. The meeting will feature an “Entrepreneurship Competition” among delegates from 30 top firms. This entire activity will demonstrate that Taiwan is a leader in Asia Pacific business operations, venture capital, angel funds, and entrepreneurial innovation. Director General Yeh has invited friends from EBN and TGN to come to Taiwan for the International Incubation Week.
Director General Yeh also said that starting this month, the SMEA will hold nine investment matching meetings in order to promote emerging industries and speed up international incubation activities. The SMEA will also hold ten entrepreneurship training classes, fifteen international business opportunities and investment matching meetings, and provide advising sessions for 200 business cases. These activities are expected to generate investments worth at least NT$800 million (US$26.8 million), support at least twenty firms enter the supply chains of bigger companies, help them increase their foreign business, and generate at least NT$50 million (US$1.8 million) worth of business cooperation ventures.
For further inquiries, please contact:
Spokesperson：Ms. Mei-hsueh Lin, Deputy Director General, MOEA SMEA
Office Telephone：02-2366-2202
Email：mslin@moeasmea.gov.tw
Press Liaison: Chia-hsien Yang, Section Chief, MOEA SMEA
Office Telephone：02-2366-2262
Email：chyang@moeasmea.gov.tw