In response to the government's promotion of six core strategic industries and the Great South, Great Development policy, the expansion and growth of Southern Taiwan's startup ecosystem has been accelerated by the introduction of world-class startups looking to develop Southern Taiwan's emerging industries and transform traditional industries. The Executive Yuan has gathered 13 ministries, including the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and National Development Council, to build the Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City. The program is focused on providing a venue to perform testing and verification of R&D in green energy technologies and is expected to create green energy industry chain clusters.
Along with the launch of Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City, Taiwan Tech Arena(TTA) announced the establishment of TTA South on the 6th floor of the Cyber Security & Smart Technology R&D Building in Zone C. The vision of TTA South is to connect universities and research institutes in Southern Taiwan to strengthen the overall development of the tech startup ecosystem. Full assistance will be provided to startups including connections with international capital and markets, thereby creating a more comprehensive ecosystem in both the north and south. TTA South focuses on three major industries: smart technology, precision medicine, and clean & circular tech; and three major principles: co-creation, demonstration, and globalization, which will serve as the foundation to attract top-notch startups into the hub. In addition, TTA is currently creating a list of key features and resources in the south such as industry clusters, associations, and enterprises. Matchmaking for startups, forging alliances between big and small companies, and utilization of the many demonstration sites in Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City will support startup landings, help incubate world-class startups, and give a voice to Southern Taiwan's tech ecosystem.
Since its founding, TTA has operated at an exceptional pace, accelerating over 500 startups and helping to raise more than NT$10 billion in funding. In terms of exposure, TTA has supported hundreds of local and international startups to attend major events in the US, Europe, and Asia. Furthermore, TTA has attracted over 200 international startups to land in Taiwan through its accelerator partners who have built up a network of 38 startup support organizations worldwide to provide additional assistance to Taiwan startups in terms of global expansion.
TTA South boasts a total space of 4,291 m2 with 2,208 m2 of operational space. The space has been designed based on 4 key attributes: surroundings (promoting co-creation between startups and corporations), resonance (boosting innovation resonance), gravitation (providing demonstration sites to draw startups), and continuation (continuing and maintaining TTA's brand image). The site includes exhibition space, conference rooms, office lounges, recreation room and VIP lounges. Startups can apply to rent one of the 24 private offices of various sizes, 8 office booths for individuals, or the 51 co-working space seats. Additionally, TTA South has integrated private 5G networks, information security facilities, smart access, cloud services, and more into the site, so that resident startups and corporate members can enjoy services at both TTA in Taipei and TTA South through a single device.
Currently, TTA is supporting startups primarily through accelerators with programs ranging from four to six months. TTA South will also provide longer residency periods considering the number of universities and research institutes in the south which include the Industrial Technology Research Institute, National Applied Research Laboratories, National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology, National Cheng Kung University, and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Startups are limited to a two-year stay with eligibility to apply for a one-year extension; enterprises are limited to a three-year stay with eligibility to apply for a three-year extension. TTA South will become Taiwan's only diverse and forward-looking demonstration site. Aside from private 5G networks that can be utilized in innovative experiments for unmanned vehicles and fintech, Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City also has a self-driving vehicle site for testing Internet of Vehicles (IoV) applications, a green energy tech demonstration site for testing smart green lifestyles, a long-term care facility for the verification of healthcare technology, Taisugar Circular Village to verify business models for co-sharing services, and the Mitsui Outlet Park, which provides technology verification services. Currently, this science city can be regarded as Taiwan's most comprehensive demonstration site. It is the optimal venue in which startups can develop and grow into successful businesses.
Sharing diverse resources between northern and southern Taiwan, TTA helps southern startups connect global markets and funds.
Photo: TTA
TTA South leverages smart tech to create a co-working space for ideas exchange yet served well with privacy.
Photo: TTA
