•Publication Date：03/27/2014
•Source： Taiwan Today
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Accelerator Network Forum kicked off March 25 in Taichung City, reflecting Taiwan’s reputation as a leading proponent of small and medium enterprises throughout the APEC region.
Around 300 participants from APEC’s 21 member economies took part in the event in central Taiwan, exploring the possibility of forming an accelerator network in the APEC region and discovering the latest trends on business entrepreneurship, according to event organizer Small and Medium Enterprise Administration under the ROC Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The forum is part of the 38th APEC SME Working Group Serial Meetings running March 24-28.
SMEA Deputy Director General Lin Mei-hsueh said the accelerator network is viewed by APEC as a central pillar in efforts to boost SME innovation. Taiwan is making every effort to bring local startups in line with overseas markets by introducing a wide range of international accelerator resources to Taiwan, she added.
According to Lin, the forum is an implementation of the APEC Accelerator Network Initiative proposed by the nation at the 20th APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting in 2013. The aim of the initiative, which was welcomed by all forum participants, is to set up a cooperative platform for accelerators in the Asia-Pacific.
Themed Connecting Global Business Opportunities through APEC, the event featured two keynote speeches given by leading accelerator experts Eugene Kim of U.S.-based Global Accelerator Network and Madeline Song of Siemens Venture Capital.
Two panel discussions were also held at the forum on startup entrepreneurial excellence. Leading experts such as Komori Ryuichi of Japan’s Kansai IM Network Association also met with local startup representatives for business networking and experience sharing.
The forum wrapped up with seven local startup teams delivering business demonstrations and receiving feedback from accelerator experts and venture capitalists.
