Taichung Wins Global Spotlight! Shopping Festival Wins World-Class TITAN Innovation Award

TAICHUNG, Taiwan –Taichung has done it again! Under the visionary leadership of Mayor Shiu-Yen Lu, the city’s creativity and celebration economy have won global recognition. Taichung Shopping Festival captured the Platinum Award, the highest honor at the TITAN Innovation Awards in the U.S., standing alongside elite projects from Korea, France, Switzerland, and Denmark.

One City, One Festival, Infinite Impact- international business card

With the theme “One City, One Festival, Infinite Impact,” the festival showcased Taichung’s strength in technology empowerment, media integration, and global friendship. Since 2020, it has received seven major awards at home and abroad. In 2024, representatives from nine countries — including Japan, Belgium, Singapore, France, Finland, the Czech Republic, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the EU — joined as global ambassadors, making the event Taichung’s international business card.

More Than a Festival — Among the World’s Finest

Economic Development Bureau Director General Ellis Chang said the festival has evolved into a digital transformation carnival that drives Taichung’s new economy. Organized by the International Awards Associate (IAA) in the U.S., the TITAN Innovation Awards recognize global excellence in innovation, with judges from over 30 countries and entries from more than 100 nations. Only those scoring 85 to 100 points earn the Platinum Award — the toughest distinction to achieve.

Past Platinum winners include Accor Hotels (France), Samsung Electronics (Korea), WWF Switzerland, and LEGO Group (Denmark). Taichung Shopping Festival now joins these world-class innovators on the global stage.

Power of Partnership — Public and Private Innovation

The Economic Development bureau noted that Taichung’s success stems from its public-private collaboration and inclusive innovation model. With a unique digital registration and data integration system, the festival transforms massive consumption data into valuable urban governance assets — empowering citizens, local merchants, and global brands to share in the city’s prosperity.

Standing Among Global Innovators

This year’s TITAN winners included Schneider Electric (U.S.), ibex, and the U.K.’s Gravity Global with its “Intelligence Connected” campaign for M&G Investments — all exemplars of creative excellence. Taichung’s presence among such innovators underscores its rising global influence.

A Streak of Global Honors

The Shopping Festival continues its winning streak, with honors such as Taiwan’s National Industry Innovation Award, the SMART City Award, the Asia-Pacific Sustainability Action Award (APSAA), and the WITSA ICT Excellence Award — known as the “Oscars of the global ICT industry” — twice (2020 and 2023), along with the ASOCIO ICT Award.

Looking Ahead — A Smarter, Happier Taichung

Director General Chang concluded, “This Platinum Award motivates us to push innovation further — deepening digital applications and enhancing city services. We aim to make Taichung a livable, sustainable, and dynamic world-class smart city, bringing a brighter future to every citizen.”

Advertorial by Economic Development Bureau, Taichung City Government.