InnoVEX 11/13 Saloon Shared Resources for Deep Tech, AI, and Semiconductor Startups in Asia
2024-11-18
Asia today presents various opportunities as well as challenges for startups aiming to setup a foothold as it is a greatly diverse region that focus on different industries, applications, and stages. Focusing on the GCC region as well as Taiwan, Singapore, and Japan, the InnoVEX 2024 Saloon: Opportunities in Asia aimed to shed light on the specific regions' strengths and how startups can leverage the provided resources for their growth.
The event invited Raymond Woo, the Chief of Staff and Investment Lead of Piece Future and Advisor for Kyoto University Innovation Capital (Kyoto iCAP) and William Lechuga, the principal of the venture capital - The Independent; as well as 2 InnoVEX team members who shared what can be expected from InnoVEX 2025 and introduced the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge.
IP Protection is Vital for Deep Tech Startups
Raymond Woo, the Chief of Staff and Investment Lead of Piece Future and Advisor for Kyoto University Innovation Capital (Kyoto iCAP) shared that deep tech and emerging technologies are becoming more important as the world faces geopolitical competition and AI revolution. Governments and investors are very interested in deep tech, but it is also considered risky because deep tech investment involves backing technologies still in the development stage; which makes IP protection very important.
Piece Future is a global IP bank whose IPHatch program, an open innovation platform with a 5-year incubation period provides deep-tech startups with opportunities to acquire core technology patents from multinational corporations, potentially collaborate with them on technological innovation, and access Piece Future's global innovation ecosystem. These patents can be instrumental in helping startups lay a strong foundation for their technology development journey.
GCC is More than Just Oil
William Lechuga, the principal of The Independent shared that while the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Area, which consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates (UAE), has traditionally been well-known for its oil production. However, they are now moving to diversify their income to other industries as well. The clearest success case has been the UAE that transitioned from a mostly oil-based economy to one focused in services and hospitality.
Currently all the countries in the GCC have their own long-term visions which promotes not only cross-industry and cross-ministerial cooperation, but also provides opportunities for tech startups aiming to expand into the gulf region. Startups can leverage the various Vision projects implemented in the GCC countries to set a foothold in the respective countries or prosper there.
Opportunities in Asia Exist in Various Markets
Recent rapid changes in Asia have made uncertainties in both geopolitics as well as macroeconomics and for businesses currently in or aiming to expand to Asia, this means they need to have a very good Business Development Strategy based on real intelligence as well as a trustworthy local partner. Given Asia’s large size; there is no doubt that every region will have their own unique characteristics. For international businesses looking to enter the Asian market, having local partners can greatly reduce the confusion and help ease their expansion.
The latest developments in AI provide new possibilities in terms of capitalization as governments and companies look to leveraging the new technology in their operations. However, it is important to consider where they can position themselves as AI also requires a significant amount of resources and infrastructure to operate properly.
About InnoVEX 2025
Started in 2016, InnoVEX is a startup-focused exhibition organized by the Taipei Computer Association (TCA) and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2025. Positioned as the innovation hub of Asia, InnoVEX is held alongside Asia's leading ICT B2B Tradeshow, COMPUTEX, to connect startups and their innovations to global VCs, CVCs, manufacturing partners, buyers, and media.
In 2025, InnoVEX will be held from May 20 to 23 in Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center (TaiNEX) Hall 2. InnoVEX 2025 aims to gather digital solution providers from all walks of life; including: AI, semiconductors, smart mobility, energy technology, smart manufacturing, 6G, satellite communications, biomedical technology, agetech, healthcare & biotech, sportstech, drones, space technology, sustainability, and other digital transformation and innovative applications. Booths for InnoVEX 2025 are limited and early registrants can enjoy the special early bird price and will have a better chance to select the booth location they want until February 10th. Local and international startups, accelerators, incubators, and government agencies are invited to join InnoVEX and expand their business network and reach in the international market.
About IC Taiwan Grand Challenge
The IC Taiwan Grand Challenge is an initiative started by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) to bolster Taiwan's IC startup ecosystem and attract global tech talent and investment. As part of the Taiwan Chip-based Industrial Innovation Program (Taiwan CbI) which is a collaborative effort by Taiwanese government ministries to leverage Taiwan's semiconductor expertise by integrating chips with critical innovations; the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge competition seeks out talented global tech startups to join the dynamic and competitive semiconductor industry.
The IC Taiwan Grand Challenge is open for startups, university teams, and individual entries who focus on IC design innovations as well as chip-based innovative applications. Special attention is given to applicants in Smart Data & AI, Smart Mobility, Smart Manufacturing, Smart Medtech, and Sustainability. Registration for the next batch of IC Taiwan Grand Challenge began on September 4, 2024 and interested teams planning to collaborate with Taiwan's semiconductor industry can register now. Please note that only teams established within 8 years from the date of their registration eligible to register.
【Media Contact】
Taipei Computer Association Tel: +886-2-25774249 Fax: +886-2-25785392
David Liu ＃360 Email: david_liu@mail.tca.org.tw
Sharlene Hung ＃324 Email: sharlene@mail.tca.org.tw
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