The startup ecosystem has blossomed over the past three years. To accelerate its growth, additional regulatory overhaul is needed. The Taiwanese government has vowed to create a homegrown private company worth US$1 billion or more in the next two years. Known as “unicorns” in tech lingo, these firms are the most celebrated startups in their…
Southeast Asia and Japan edge out ultra-competitive China as the markets of choice. Alex Chen is ebullient about Indonesia. Southeast Asia’s largest nation is integral to the global expansion of EZTable, the online restaurant booking platform Chen established a decade ago in Taipei. It has since become the largest platform of its kind in Asia….
Although advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) more often make headlines for their potential as job killers, Taiwan is looking avidly at these burgeoning new technology industries as job creators and key to the continued success of its vast Information Technology (IT) sector. IT products including semiconductors and electronic…
Taiwan is the world’s rainiest developed country, but an insufficient storage system is forcing big users to consider desalination of seawater as a viable water source. The Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) recently won Environmental Impact Assessment approval for a desalination plant to produce fresh water from seawater at its Mailiao industrial complex in Yunlin. The…
Of the five shortages in Taiwan, land is perhaps the most obvious. Taiwan is only 36,000 square kilometers in area, two-thirds of it made up of steep mountains and hills where earthquakes and typhoons – and accompanying landslides – are relatively common, leaving them mostly undeveloped. The western plain is therefore home to most of…
Progress in developing renewable energies has been slower than targeted, but the pace is now expected to quicken. Among the Five Shortages identified by Taiwan’s Chinese National Federation of Industries (CNFI) and currently being addressed by the government in a series of policy initiatives, electrical power is seen as the most crucial. Taiwan’s generating capacity…
Low salaries and poor career prospects leave Taiwan’s pool of talent and youth vulnerable to China’s advances. When Eileen Chang’s university professor told her about an internship at an entertainment and sports company in Wuhan in central China, she was immediately intrigued. Chang (not her real name) had heard that salaries would likely be higher than…
The Five Shortages refers to Taiwan’s lack of sufficient land, water, power, manpower, and talent to meet its need for continuing economic growth. The term was first coined by the Chinese National Federation of Industries (CNFI) in its 2015 white paper, and the umbrella organization of Taiwanese manufacturing associations continues to call upon the government…
Lack of exercise and poor diet are among the main reasons for the prevalence. Last year my family and I moved into an apartment building with a small gym. There are treadmills, an elliptical trainer, an exercise bike, and dumbbell sets – enough equipment for a full workout. It’s almost like having a private gym…
Is overconsumption of refined sugar causing health problems in Taiwan? The refrigerators in Taiwan’s 24-hour convenience stores are brimming with sugary drinks, and not just the sodas and energy drinks sold globally. There are also dozens of Taiwan’s own brands of sucrose-laden fruit juice, tea, coffee, dairy, and soy beverages. Nearly every one of these…
