Bringing Together Global Top Technologies to Create an International R&D Exchange Hub
This year's Taiwan Innotech Expo (TIE), organized by various units including the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Council of Agriculture, and National Development Council, successfully took place from September 27th to 29th. TIE integrated cross-departmental research achievements, presented them under three major themes, and expanded the scale of international participation. A total of 33 international institutions from countries such as the United States, Mainland China, Vietnam, Japan, and Hong Kong, totaling 74 international organizations, participated in the expo. Over 1,300 technologies were showcased during the short 3-day exhibition, attracting around 45,000 visitors and leading to over a thousand business negotiations. Approximately 500 collaboration opportunities were established through international business negotiations, yielding fruitful results.
In order to strengthen connections with the New Southbound countries, the event invited representatives from eight Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Australia, and New Zealand to participate in the opening ceremony. This highlighted the close network between Taiwan and Southeast Asian nations.
Aside from the existing invention competition and outstanding invention exhibition, this year's TIE transformed its previous format of showcasing the five major industries. Instead, it presented innovative applications developed by various departments under three theme-specific pavilions: "Future Technology Pavilion," "Sustainable Development Pavilion," and "Innovation and Invention Pavilion." This collaborative effort of government units aimed to unite domestic and international startups and vital research institutions for joint participation, demonstrating Taiwan's industrial transformation energy.
Professional international exhibitions have always been a crucial driving force for Taiwan's industrial development. These gatherings bring together the latest products and key technologies, infusing Taiwan's economy, which is oriented toward international markets, with continuous vitality. Therefore, this year's event established a "International Zone" that invited more than 20 well-known international companies, including Microsoft, Nissan, and Amazon Web Services. Their domains span across energy, medical, IoT, and other technological fields. Taiwan aims to serve as a technological bridge between Southeast Asia and advanced countries, becoming a hub for international R&D achievements exchange.
Regarding the "Platinum Award," the highest honor in the Asian invention realm, a total of 20 countries and over 700 patent submissions participated. Seventeen Platinum Awards, 117 Gold Awards, 122 Silver Awards, and 160 Bronze Awards were presented on the 29th, totaling 416 award-winning works. The event bridged advanced technologies and talents in the European, American, and Asia-Pacific regions through this exhibition and exchange of over a thousand achievements. This assists Taiwan in seizing industrial winning opportunities with domestic patent technologies, shining on the international stage, and propelling Taiwan to become an international hub for R&D achievements exchange. This marked a perfect conclusion to the 2018 Taiwan Innotech Expo.