As the first anniversary of Startup Terrace Kaohsiung approaches, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) decided to mark the occasion today, November 7, with a celebration themed "Head to the Future with Startups!" The event was held with much enthusiasm along with the awards ceremony and startup expo of the "2022 Greentech Startup Challenge". Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Chern-Chyi (   ), Deputy Mayor of Kaohsiung Lo Ta-Sheng (   ), high-ranking representatives of major companies responsible for formulating the competition topics such as TSMC, AUO, and ASE, international partners from the American Institute in Taiwan Kaohsiung Branch Office and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, as well as startup teams and international business incubation centers were present to jointly affirm the innovation skills and incubation achievements of Startup Terrace Kaohsiung.

In his speech, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Chern-Chyi (   ) said that, since its opening in December 2021, Startup Terrace Kaohsiung has been integrating domestic and international resources with innovation, focusing on startups such as 5G, AIoT, digital content, and smart ports. To date, it has gathered 42 startups and 7 international business incubation centers as well as helped new startup teams connect with the industry and international markets. Since its opening last year, Startup Terrace Kaohsiung has provided startups with nearly NT$800 million to expand their business and investment opportunities. It has also cooperated with major domestic and international companies such as Microsoft, AWS, Google, NVIDIA, Line, and Qisda and participated in major expos such as Smart City Summit & Expo, InnoVEX, and Meet Greater South to help new startups grasp business opportunities and build connections with the market.

In line with global ESG issues, MOEA hosted the 2022 Greentech Startup Challenge for the first time this year (2022), centered on green technology and net-zero carbon emissions. MOEA invited major domestic manufacturers and state-owned enterprises such as TSMC, ASE, Delta Electronics, and CPC to formulate competition topics and called for outstanding startups to participate and vie to receive up to NT$1 million in prizes. Today, the companies responsible for the competition topics and 17 startups were jointly awarded at the ceremony, further facilitating the collaboration between startups and large businesses as well as their smooth entry into the supply chain.

Startups are a major driving force fostering industrial upgrading and digital transformation in Taiwan. The MOEA will continue to use Startup Terrace Kaohsiung as a base to further develop the startup ecosystem in southern Taiwan, implement models of corporate-startup engagement, as well as meet the digital and green transformation needs of businesses. It will also continue to promote collaboration between startups, local enterprises, and international manufacturers to put startups' products and services to the test. MOEA also aims to bring more startups to neighboring markets such as Japan and Southeast Asia, hoping that the southern markets can serve as their launching pad to succeed in the world.