NDC to open start-up innovation hub in Tokyo

Taipei, Sept. 17 (CNA) Taiwan's National Development Council (NDC) is scheduled to open an overseas innovation hub in Tokyo on Wednesday in a bid to boost exchanges between innovation start-ups, enterprises and investment institutions in Taiwan and Japan.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the NDC -- the top economic planning body in Taiwan -- cited council head Paul Liu (劉鏡清) as saying that the base is expected to serve as a regular bilateral platform for comprehensive exchanges between Taiwan and Japan, in sharp contrast to previous random events, thereby paving the way for greater substantive business cooperation.

In addition to Tokyo, the NDC said that it also plans to set up similar platforms in the Untied States and Southeast Asia.

According to the NDC, Liu has led a delegation of representatives from almost 50 innovation start-ups in Taiwan to a Taiwan-Japan start-up summit in Tokyo and the inauguration of the start-up hub is top of the agenda as the base will be the first of its kind established by the NDC.

The NDC said it was the first time Taiwan has held such a summit with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Although Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike could not attend the summit in person due to ill health, the NDC said, she still spoke through a video link, demonstrating the importance of the event, hoping Taiwan and Japan will work more closely together to improve innovation by taking advantage of the already sound bilateral foundation of mutual trust.

The summit in Tokyo was the first stop under the NDC's "Bridge" program, the council said.

Addressing the summit, Liu said the Bridge program aims to provide assistance to Taiwanese start-ups which have set their sights on creating a global innovation ecosystem.

Liu said Taiwan will expand its efforts to encourage investment in artificial intelligence (AI) applications, cultural creative activity, biotech development and green technology advances.

Taiwan has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Kyoto University to strengthen Deep Technology (Deep Tech) development through mutual investments to cultivate a larger talent pool.

Deep Tech refers to the field of highly sophisticated technology rooted in advanced scientific principles and engineering innovations.

The NDC said more than 1,000 people attended the summit, which expanded its agenda from innovation start-ups to other industrial topics such as the semiconductor supply chain on which Japan has placed much emphasis.

The summit also helped nearly 50 Taiwanese start-ups to meet potential investors in Japan in areas such as AI, biotech, information security, digital services, financial technology, and national defense and aerospace, the NDC added.

In addition to officials from Tokyo government and the Fukuoka city government, representatives from well-known Japanese enterprises also attended the summit, including the Japan External Trade Organization; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.; Mizuho Financial Group; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.; Daiwa Corporate Investment; and Mitsui & Co., the NDC said.

The Taiwanese delegation to Tokyo is expected to foster the development of a cross-border business ecosystem, the NDC added.