Yeh Chun-hsien: Taiwan is Not Just Semiconductors, Biomedical Healthcare Can Become the Next "Sacred Mountain Protecting the Nation"

(Central News Agency reporter Pan Tzu-yu, Taipei, 29th) The top 100 teams of the "Startup Blossom - Startup Grand Alliance Competition" organized by the National Development Council (NDC) have been announced. NDC Minister Yeh Chun-hsien stated that this is not just a competition but an important milestone for establishing a vibrant innovation ecosystem, allowing Taiwan to be not only about semiconductors but also a birthplace of global innovation energy. He is optimistic that biomedical healthcare can become Taiwan's next "sacred mountain protecting the nation." The "Startup Blossom - Startup Grand Alliance Competition" is Taiwan's largest startup competition to date, with a total prize pool exceeding NT$300 million. The highest prize for each team is NT$10 million, highlighting four major aspects: the largest selection pool nationwide, the highest startup support funds, comprehensive training resources, and investment opportunities worth hundreds of millions. Since the launch of the Startup Blossom program last year, a total of 2805 teams have registered. After the initial round of selection narrowed it down to the top 300, teams underwent bootcamps and one-on-one mentoring, successfully completing the second phase of training and preliminary review. This selection process was overseen by 80 professional judges, ultimately selecting 100 outstanding shortlisted enterprises and teams, each receiving NT$3 million in startup support funds. Among these, the top 30 advancing teams will compete for the highest support fund of NT$10 million in the finals in May. The NDC held a "Top 100 Shortlist Announcement Press Conference" today, unveiling the list of 100 teams and the top 30. During his speech, Yeh Chun-hsien expressed hope that through this competition, three major goals would be achieved: leading new venture momentum, achieving balanced regional development, and assisting in the "AI New Ten Major Constructions." He added that the government would be a strong backing for startup teams, expecting startup momentum to flourish across Taiwan, making it not just a semiconductor hub but a birthplace of global innovation energy. Yeh Chun-hsien further pointed out that AI development is an inevitable trend, and while Taiwan's hardware is strong, it ultimately needs practical applications. It is noteworthy that many participating teams are investing in AI application development, which is a significant boost to promoting the "AI New Ten Major Constructions." A closer look at the structure of the 100 shortlisted teams shows that the Consumer & Lifestyle group has 38 teams, accounting for the highest proportion, while the Green & Sustainability group and Frontier Technology group each have 31 teams. Hsieh Jui-che, Secretary-General of the Venture Capital Association, noted that the shortlisted teams span diverse industry sectors. Frontier Technology focuses on AI and semiconductors, while Consumer & Lifestyle covers various aspects such as education, food, transportation, and care. Green & Sustainability aligns with the circular economy and net-zero carbon emissions, fully encompassing Taiwan's future development trends. In the Frontier Technology category, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals account for the highest proportion with 9 teams (29%), followed by AI-semiconductors with 6 teams (19%), cloud services and data applications (including SaaS) with 5 teams, AI-Industry 4.0 with 4 teams, semiconductors with 3 teams, AI-cybersecurity with 2 teams, and AI-new energy and AI-other-satellite technology with 1 team each. Hsieh Jui-che stated that the industries in the Frontier Technology category are primarily biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, combined with AI in application areas such as semiconductors and cloud, showing a trend of cross-industry integration. Additionally, the overall focus is highly technology-driven, concentrated in deep tech fields, possessing scalability and international competitiveness. Regarding biotechnology and pharmaceuticals being a popular topic in Frontier Technology, Yeh Chun-hsien directly stated that this area is developing relatively quickly, and biomedical healthcare might have the opportunity to become the next "sacred mountain protecting the nation." Chan Wen-nan, Industry Convener of the Frontier Technology group, also said that Taiwan's medical technology is excellent, with some areas even reaching international standards. This time, the startup teams not only have creative ideas and technology, but some also combine Taiwan's clinical medical resources with academic and research capabilities. The three fields of medical teams, schools, and engineering are gradually converging, demonstrating greater energy, and even after market validation, "making us feel more confident in moving towards the international market." (Edited by Zhai Si-chia) 1150429