III Signs Contract with MIT Media Lab Creating Collaborative Opportunities for Young Start-up Teams in Taiwan and the U.S.
Date: 2015/03/31
Nothing surprises while the driverless car of MIT Media Lab in the U.S. is about to come to Taiwan. What is surprising is that, for the first time, young start-up teams in Taiwan will have the opportunities collaborating with the elite teams from MIT and building up prototypes! Young guns, are you ready to roll?
Under the command of Executive Yuan and the instructions of Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs, III president Dr. Ruey-Beei, Wu and the Director of MIT Media Lab City Science Initiative, Kent Larson, represented each institute signing official collaboration contract on March 25, 2015. In the future, III will invite MIT Media Lab professional teams coming to Taiwan and introduce their methodologies and technologies. Young entrepreneurs and students in Taiwan will be able to use Former Air Force Command Headquarter, an innovation startup base now, interacting with professionals from abroad and mutually mapping out audacious products and services of future cities and smart transportation in three main categories: “Creative Life”, “Future Cities”, and “Smart Transportation”. It is generally expected that Taiwan can present itself as a new crucial spot on the global innovation map through the cross industry, cross generation, and cross nation creativity and vitality.
III president Dr. Ruey-Beei, Wu indicated that, according to the report by one of the research institutes in Washington D.C. in the U.S., Taiwan ranked 8 among the 130 countries in the 2015 evaluation conducted by Global Entrepreneurship Development Institute (GEDI) and topped the other main competing countries in Asia such as South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and mainland China. Take the biggest innovation startup demonstration platform in Taiwan, IDEAS Show, for example. The platform is mainly executed by III and has operated for 7 years since the start. It has cultivated 198 startup teams and the amount of investment has accumulated to 4.3 billion NTDs. The evidence is clear that Taiwan is the place full of energetic entrepreneurship and profound potential.
III Collaborates with MIT Media Lab to Develop Taiwan as the New Spot on Global Innovation Map
Promoting and executing the international project, III Executive Vice President Dr. Gary Gong further pointed out that III will cooperate with Kent Larson, MIT Media Lab Director of City Science Initiative, holding seminars and workshops in June 2015 on the two main subjects “Future Cities” and “Smart Transportation” in multi-functional space of the innovation startup base. The activities are responsive to the experimental spirit “Doing by Learning and Learning by Doing” promoted by the startup base at Former Air Force Command Headquarter. Youngsters in Taiwan will have the opportunities exchanging academic ideas and practical operation knowledge, collectively designing and building up prototypes, and conducting cross nation and cross field innovation process learning and cooperation projects. Related results and real outcomes will be presented to the public in October on the Smart City Demo Day.
Young Startup Teams from Taiwan and the U.S. Add Value to MIT Media Lab Driverless Cars.
Public Test Rides Expected in March Next Year
III Innovative DigiTech-Enabled Applications & Services Institute (IDEAS) Deputy Director General Yu-Hsiang, Hung specifically referred that, in the “Future Transportation” summer workshop held in August, the research teams of MIT and students from NTU will mutually research and look for the solution packages for the intelligent infrastructure of the city and make driverless cars cruising on streets a reality! MIT driverless cars are expected to be introduced in January 2016. Then, in March 2016, the cross nation, cross team research results will be presented. After the members of the teams build up the testing prototype, there will be a second test ride.
“A flip-over innovative revolution is secretly brewing… ” Through the event, III has the confidence to increase the international popularity of Taiwan related to the products and services in the smart life field. The industries in Taiwan can further apply the latest technologies and absorb innovative concepts. On the other hand, III hope to utilize resources and channels of the internationally renowned academic institute to encourage Taiwan young entrepreneurs to bravely walk onto the global innovation stage and demonstrate cross generation creativity and energy. Moreover, III hope to place Taiwan amid the global innovative countries of the next wave as soon as possible.
Witnessed by Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs Deputy Director General Cheng-Hua, Lu (the first from the left) and Section Chief Ta-Sheng, Lo (the first from the right), III president Dr. Ruey-Beei, Wu (the second from the right) and the Director of MIT Media Lab City Science Initiative Kent Larson (the second from the left) represented each institute signing official collaboration contract.
The Director of MIT Media Lab City Science Initiative Kent Larson (the fourth from the left), III president Dr. Ruey-Beei (the fifth from the right), Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs Deputy Director General Cheng-Hua, Lu (the fourth from the right), and Section Chief Ta-Sheng, Lo (the third from the right) took a photo with all III chief staffs.
【Media Contact】
IDEAS(III): Miko Lin Tel: (02) 6607-2630
Planning & Evaluation Division(III):Meredith Chang, Joy Yen, Freesia Shen
Tel: (02) 6631-8638、6631-8640、6631-8643
Back