APEC SMEWG: MOEA Shares AI Startup Case Study in Public Infrastructure

According to the Central News Agency, the 61st APEC SME Working Group (SMEWG) meeting and the Startup Alliance Forum were held this week in Seoul, South Korea. The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) stated today that the Taiwan delegation shared policy achievements in startup incubation, resilient finance, and digital transformation for SMEs during the meeting. They also showcased a case study in collaboration with the startup AI-Link, demonstrating the practical application of AI technology in public infrastructure, which garnered attention from various economies. The Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration (SMESA) indicated through a press release that the meeting, held from May 20 to 22, focused on "digitalization," "startup and entrepreneurial environments," and "facilitating scale-up and innovation through financial access." Taiwan shared its startup procurement policy, which uses public-private partnership mechanisms to help startups enter public and private sector application fields and secure their first critical orders, lowering the initial threshold for moving from technical verification to commercialization. The SMESA noted that AI-Link CEO Xie Zong-zhen shared practical experience in introducing non-intrusive AI anomaly detection technology into the Danhai Light Rail. This helps operators grasp facility anomaly risks in advance and has become an important case for startup teams entering the infrastructure field. The SMESA pointed out that while the threshold for startups to enter public construction is high, government support through resources and systems can help them explore new market opportunities. Furthermore, the SMESA explained Taiwan's measures for "resilient finance," including inclusive financial mechanisms such as loans, interest subsidies, credit guarantees, and consulting. It also provides intangible asset credit guarantees to help SMEs with R&D capabilities but lacking physical collateral to obtain financing using innovative assets like technology, patents, and trademarks. Regarding digital transformation, the SMESA stated that the government is focusing on the "New Ten Major AI Constructions" to promote AI application across all industries. Through industrial competitiveness guidance groups, it provides factory diagnostics, specialized courses, and AI practical training to help traditional industries improve production efficiency and quality. For AI startups, it assists in linking technical resources and cooperating with international giants to accelerate the expansion of domestic and foreign markets and application fields. The SMESA stated that facing global digital and net-zero dual transformation trends, the government will continue to assist SMEs in adopting AI and digital tools, strengthening innovation upgrades and international market expansion capabilities. This time, it also invited various economies to participate in the "APEC SME AI Talent Cultivation Forum" to be held in Taipei on June 5, hoping to deepen international cooperation through the APEC platform and promote regional economic resilience and prosperity.