Stan Shih on the Three Essentials of Innovation: Key to Startup Success Lies in Timing

By Central News Agency reporter Chao Min-Ya, Taipei, June 16

Stan Shih, founder of the Acer Group and Honorary Dean of the From IP to IPO Program (FITI), stated today that the three core elements of innovation are value, creativity, and execution. He emphasized that entrepreneurship is the mission of realizing and creating new value. He also shared that the most critical factor for startup success lies in timing—when timing is right, core capabilities must be sufficient, and with 'endurance and persistence,' opportunities can be seized.

The 'From IP to IPO Program' (FITI), guided by Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council and executed by the Science and Technology Policy Research and Information Center of the National Applied Research Laboratories, held its first 2025 final selection and award ceremony today at Taipei文创.

In a video message, Stan Shih urged participating teams to consider how they can create new value for society and industry. He stressed that continuous innovation guided by value and effective implementation are essential—this, he said, embodies the three fundamentals of innovation: value, creativity, and execution. Entrepreneurship, he added, is the mission of realizing and creating new value.

Shih noted that while funding, technology, and team are necessary for startup success, timing is 'the most critical element.' When timing matures and core capabilities are strong, and with 'endurance and persistence,' opportunities can be captured.

Shih emphasized that 'Taiwan's competitiveness lies in its talent,' encouraging teams to keep striving. Although startups face more challenges and take longer to succeed than expected, their growth post-success often exceeds expectations. He hopes teams will create more new value for Taiwan and contribute further to the global community.

At the ceremony, Atlas, Cannova Bio (Kang Nuo Wa Biomedical), and Macrophage Power were awarded the 'Outstanding Startup Award' and each received NT$1 million in startup funding from corporate sponsors.

According to the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL), Atlas operates in the innovative technology sector, while Cannova Bio and Macrophage Power belong to the health and medical field. Atlas's core product, Atlas RATO, uses solid-fuel rockets and patented flash ignition technology to enable runway-free, immediate, controllable, and safe takeoff, significantly enhancing drone flight duration and payload capacity. Targeting high-reliability, rapid-response scenarios such as military and firefighting/rescue operations, the product is locally developed and manufactured, establishing a Taiwan-based, non-China supply chain for propulsion systems.

This cohort's finalists demonstrated current industrial transformation trends during exhibitions and presentations, including AI technology, drone applications, smart manufacturing, healthcare, and advanced materials for semiconductor inspection. The judging panel noted that compared to previous years, this cohort not only showed impressive technological innovation but also demonstrated greater maturity in business execution and sharper awareness of international market integration.

Since its launch in 2013, the FITI program has nurtured over 1,000 academic and research-based startup teams, incubated nearly 600 startups, and attracted over NT$13.5 billion in private investment, becoming a key platform for commercializing Taiwan's research outcomes and fostering entrepreneurship. (Editor: Yang Lan-Hsuan) 1150616