The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) officially announced the launch of the 2026 Best AI Awards during a press conference held on January 20, 2026. This prestigious competition serves as a strategic platform to bridge Taiwan's software innovation with its world-class semiconductor industry, aiming to solidify the nation's position as a global hub for artificial intelligence.
Championing the Next Wave: Agentic AI
Speaking at the launch, Director General Kuo Chao-Chung of the Department of Industrial Technology highlighted a pivotal shift in the industry. "AI is moving beyond traditional discriminative and generative models toward 'Agentic AI' - autonomous systems capable of independent planning, reasoning, decision-making, and task execution," Kuo stated. To encourage this evolution, the 2026 awards will prioritize projects focusing on Agentic AI and AI model lightweighting, ensuring that software solutions are both intelligent and hardware-efficient.
Competition Highlights and Incentives
The 2026 Best AI Awards are divided into two primary tracks: AI Applications and IC Design. Registration is open from now until March 16, 2026, with the final competition set for April 25, 2026.
Financial rewards are substantial, with corporate winners eligible to secure up to NT$1 million. Student teams also have significant incentives, with potential prizes reaching up to NT$300,000.
Beyond direct cash prizes, winning Taiwanese companies benefit from enhanced R&D support, receiving an additional 10% subsidy bonus when applying for the "A+ Industrial Innovative R&D Program." Furthermore, these awards serve as a springboard for startup growth by providing domestic winners with priority access to the Startup Terrace Kaohsiung.
International teams and global companies are incentivized through specialized support designed to integrate them into Taiwan's technology ecosystem. In addition to competing for the top cash prizes, winning global entities receive streamlined eligibility for Taiwan’s Employment Gold Card, as well as priority access to Startup Terrace Kaohsiung to support residency applications. These benefits are designed to facilitate global talent recruitment while enabling international startups and professionals to establish operations, scale their businesses, and build a long-term presence in Taiwan.
Finalists gain valuable market exposure by being showcased at major international platforms such as InnoVEX. This placement is intended to facilitate critical business matching and attract potential investment from global stakeholders in the AI and semiconductor industries.
A Proven Track Record of Success
The inaugural edition of the awards attracted over 1,000 teams and has already yielded significant commercial results. Previous winners, such as Zhen-Sheng Semiconductor and ProsperX Medical Technology, have successfully raised NT$180 million and NT$100 million respectively following their participation. Established firms like Etron Technology also reported that the awards significantly boosted their visibility among global system manufacturers.
The MOEA invites students, startups, and established enterprises to showcase their innovations and join Taiwan's thriving AI ecosystem. By fostering a "Software-Hardware Synergy," Taiwan aims to redefine the global semiconductor supply chain through AI-driven intelligence.
For more information on registration and competition guidelines, please visit the official website or follow the official LinkedIn page for the latest updates.
