Planning expansion to Asia? You need to hear about Taiwan's innovation program.

After two successful cohorts, Taiwanese company i2i, which has established and managed a technological ecosystem that supports and links stakeholders in the field of innovation in Taiwan, announces the opening of the third cohort of the Taiwanese Innovation Program IP² LaunchPad. The program accelerates the entry of Israeli companies into the Far East markets and activity in Taiwan’s ecosystem.

Enrollment for the third cycle has begun, with 10 companies in advanced stages, after an initial round of recruitment and initial sales. The program will last seven months (May to December 2022).

Establishing contracts with key partners in Taiwan

The selected companies will receive guidance from senior industry figures in Taiwan's ecosystem and direct access to all entities operating there, in accordance with the needs of the Israeli companies' activities. The program provides participating companies with tailor-made professional guidance – in terms of business and technology and in mediation of the cultural gaps, language, and style of business and personal conduct. i2i's team in Taiwan serves as the local arm for Israeli companies and promotes their exposure to the local ecosystem, the team of senior partners in the program accompanies the companies and gives them direct access to all business and governmental entities: direct link to strategic distribution partners in the Far East, leading Taiwanese strategic companies in the manufacturing industry, to Taiwan's leading health systems, and to research and development organizations. In addition, participants will gain access to investors and potential partners and will be able to perform pitches at leading events through a virtual platform, representatives of the program's local team, as well as physical arrival and participation. Alongside all this, the participating companies will receive support and funding for the establishment of a local activity center. At the same time, they will also receive business and cultural support in Israel, by the program manager in Israel, Rani Shifron. The program operates at the Startup Terrace, supported by the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration of (SMEA) of Ministry of Economy Affairs (MOEA). Partners in the program include Taiwan's Ministry of Economy and Commerce, the BIO Industry Organization, giant companies such as Acer, Asus, Advantech, Syscom, The University of Medical Studies in Taipei (TMU), Taiwan’s leading hospitals such as Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, MacKay Memorial Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and also investors like China Development Financial, FORMED Ventures and Cathay Ventures.

25 Cooperation agreements in 1.5 year

The first cohort of the IP² LaunchPad program was launched in Israel in June 2020. Alongside the current program, two additional programs – IP² Plus for mature companies andIP² Sustainability–lastly in collaboration with Startup Nation Central – began operating in the past years. Nearly 50 companies participated in the various programs, in which more than 300 virtual and physical meetings were held and 25 cooperation agreements were signed, including the Venture Joint agreement of the Israeli start-up Resymmetry with the Medical Device Corporation Karma; Quality Line provides analytics software to improve production efficiency. Cellwize, a developer of an automation platform for 5G Open-ran technologies, which has signed with E-Formula, Taiwan's leading cellular technology solutions distributor, has also opened a mission in Taiwan at the Startup Terrace Innovation Center; InCyber focuses on cybersecurity, which has signed with Lydsec, which specializes in the corporate market. "In the past two years, since the program's launch in Israel and Taiwan, there has been an increase in the volume of joint activity between Taiwan and Israel," says Mr. Ho Chin-Chang, Executive Director of the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA) of Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). "Cooperation among industries is strategic and significant for their growth and expansion, and the program reflects the mutual interest and builds a solid foundation and commitment to continuous joint activities."

"Taiwan continues to show positive growth and a significant increase in exports and investments in the country, despite coping with the closures due to the covid-19 pandemic," adds Rani Shifron, CEO of the Israeli consulting firm Healthier Globe and IP² program manager in Israel. "Participating in the program provides an opportunity for Israeli companies to take part in global growth." For more details and registration

Source