TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's National Development Council (國發會), the island's economic planning agency, announced Wednesday (Aug. 27) plans to establish a third overseas startup base. The initiative targets New Southbound Policy nations following successful launches in Tokyo and Silicon Valley. Taiwan seeks to internationalize its startup ecosystem and expand global reach through strategic partnerships.
Hsiao Chen-jung (蕭振榮), head of the Department of Industrial Development (產業發展處) at the National Development Council, emphasized the "bridge plan" as a cornerstone strategy. The initiative connects global enterprises, academia, talent, and capital through the Startup Island TAIWAN Hub established in major overseas markets. Taiwan's commitment to fostering innovation and expanding international presence drives this comprehensive approach to startup development.
The council launched the "Taiwan Startup Tokyo Base" (台灣新創東京基地) in September 2024 and the "Taiwan Startup Silicon Valley Base" (台灣新創矽谷基地) this past January. These strategic hubs have successfully facilitated numerous startups in establishing overseas presence and market penetration. The Tokyo base has evolved into a vital platform for Taiwan-international investment exchanges, hosting more than 20 networking and business development events.
The Tokyo base achieved a significant milestone by signing a memorandum of understanding with Mitsubishi Group (三菱集團) to jointly promote a corporate accelerator program. Two Taiwanese startups, Asia Pathegenomics (亞洲準譯) and dentall (牙e通), received substantial backing from Tokyo city government. Each company secured subsidies of 100 million yen (around US$98,000) to advance their innovative projects in the Japanese market.