Complicated procedures, lack of international agreements, and language barriers make an already painful process even more onerous for foreigners in Taiwan. Every divorcee has a unique tale to tell. Scott Sommers’ story, which includes a lengthy custody battle with his Taiwanese ex-wife, is one of anguish and frustration. It is never easy to separate from…
Management and leadership expert William Zyzo describes the four forces spurring multinationals to pursue creativity and innovation as a strategic imperative and provides advice on how global firms can overcome related challenges to retain their competitive advantage. Multinationals are currently buffeted by four forces of creative destruction (See Figure 1). Of these, the first and…
Taiwan’s first domestically bred coffee bean could potentially help the island’s coffee farmers overcome agricultural and climate challenges. STORY AND PHOTOS BY JORDYN HAIME Life in China was pretty good for Liu Yi-teng. During his six years there, he built a prolific career running a shoe factory. The salary was high: he was able to…
By Wu Ching-fang, Commonwealth Magazine The Formosa Plastics Group, the world’s 10th-largest petrochemical company, has announced its intention of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Considering that the conglomerate generates more than 50 million metric tons of carbon emissions a year, how does it intend to reach that goal? The Formosa Plastics Group is one of…
By CHI KO, MEET GLOBAL E-mobility startup Moovo has formed a close partnership with Taiwan tech giant Wistron to develop its e-bike sharing platform. Leveraging its know-how in the micromobility space, Moovo is “connecting the last mile” in transportation to serve both retail and enterprise customers. The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed people’s lifestyles. Instead…
By Hannah Chang, Commonwealth Magazine Ambitions to manufacture in the U.S. closer to major customers have led TSMC to set up shop in America. The project and related supply chain relocation pose numerous challenges, from cost control to talent recruitment and management techniques in a different culture. Michelle Chang, director of the Taiwanese Chambers of…
Living abroad often involves numerous unexpected challenges and can be difficult for many, especially those with existing mental health issues. Fortunately, Taipei is now home to a growing number of mental health resources, including many with services in English and offering sliding-scale fees for lower-income clients. When Martha first came to Taiwan two years ago,…
By Aimee Wu, Meet Global Steaker, a crypto asset management platform founded in 2019, currently has over US$60 million in assets under management. The scrappy startup’s team envisages a blockchain ecosystem in which cryptocurrency can even be used to pay for beer. Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, recorded a crypto trading volume of US$798…
Observers say that the signing of several economic agreements with countries in the region could result in new flows of technology and talent, both of which would be to Taiwan’s advantage. While China in recent years has showered Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with investment pledges and memorandums of understanding (MOU), very few of these…
Five years after its implementation, the Tsai government’s flagship policy initiative aimed at boosting engagement with South and Southeast Asian countries has delivered some encouraging economic results. But observers say that to fulfill the policy’s goal of developing more comprehensive relations, a greater focus on people-to-people ties is needed. Taiwan’s Executive Yuan reported this September…
