The burgeoning cruise market has raised Taiwan’s profile in the travel sector and revitalized the port of Keelung. Taiwan’s northeastern port city of Keelung was once dubiously known for two unflattering distinctions: the country’s highest suicide rate and weather even gloomier than Taipei’s. A dozen years ago it seemed like a place that time had…
A native of Kamloops in British Columbia, Canada, Brian Hockertz studied Chinese language in Nanjing and came to Taiwan in 1990 as an education advisor with the Canadian Trade Office. In 1995, he founded OH! Study to help Taiwanese students find educational opportunities overseas. From a two-person company, OH! Study has grown to more than…
Construction Loans Hit Seven-Year High Taiwan’s Central Bank on September 25 reported that the balance of construction loans in August reached NT$1.9 trillion, up NT$20.5 billion from July, for a year-on-year increase of 11.4%. The bank credits the spike in loans to the return from China of numerous Taiwanese businesspeople who are now looking to…
Peter Tou, general manager of Edelman Taiwan, has been with Edelman since 2010 after previous experience with Weber Shandwick in Shanghai and GolinHarris in Taipei. He holds a B.A. in economics from Northwestern University in Illinois and an M.A. in economics from the Université Paris XIII. He was interviewed for TOPICS by Niralee Shah. Below…
The private certification program helps companies develop core values and policies that benefit all stakeholders. A growing worldwide trend for companies to certify their commitment to sustainability and accountability has also been gaining traction in Taiwan. Within the past three years, 27 Taiwanese companies have received B Corporation (also known as B Corp) certification, more…
Licenses Approved for Three Online-only Banks The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) on July 30 approved applications for operating licenses submitted by three online-only banks, despite having previously stated that such authorization would be limited to two banks this year. FSC Chairman Wellington Koo announced that the licenses will be issued to Next Bank, whose majority…
Larger established companies are now among the prospective clients, not just startups. In a new trend in the global coworking industry, a number of major space providers are moving away from the original model of flexible, communal workplaces mostly geared toward entrepreneurs, remote workers, and startups. The new business plan offers comprehensive, customized workplace solutions…
Increases to the minimum wage, lower birth rates, and an aging population are leading to higher costs and labor shortages for retailers. Will automation save the day? There’s a rather whimsical image of Taiwan floating around online. Entitled “Actual View of an Average Taiwanese Street,” it shows a few cartoon figures walking around a landscape…
Joanna Yao has been responsible for the Taiwan market for Baxter Healthcare since 2015 and is a co-chair of AmCham Taipei’s Medical Devices Committee. In June 2018, Baxter appointed her as Cluster VP, Southeast Asia, in addition to her role as General Manager for Taiwan. Below is an edited and condensed interview with her conducted…
Bid for 3rd Terminal Fails Once Again In June, a tender for the contract to construct a third terminal for the Taoyuan International Airport failed to attract any bidders for the third time, despite efforts by the airport corporation to offer improved conditions. As a result, Taiwan’s CECI Engineering Consultants Inc. and its partner in…
