Kaohsiung Draws Potential Investors at Kumamoto Expo

Over the course of the two-day expo, the Kaohsiung Pavilion hosted 830 international visitors, talked with 50 potential buyers, and garnered orders estimated at US$1,140,000. Above all, the visit proved a great success in arousing Japanese businesses' interest in the port city of Kaohsiung. The Kaohsiung City Government's efforts towards soliciting businesses and investments have indeed paid off in the form of a boost to international reputation.

Deputy Mayor Lo said the latest expo was intended mainly to showcase Kumamoto's resilience and extraordinary recovery in the wake of the 2016 earthquake and the flooding in July 2020. Above all, the welcome advent of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC) gave a further boost to its revitalization. Kaohsiung and Kumamoto are both semiconductor hubs: the former enjoys an edge in wafer foundry and packaging and testing while the latter excels in materials and equipment. To promote closer collaboration between the two cities, Lo explained, the Kaohsiung delegation comprised four local semiconductor companies: 4DMEN Technology Co., Ltd., Taiwan Valqua Engineering International Ltd., Gongin Precision Ind. Co., Ltd., and Advanced Echem Materials Co., Ltd. In addition to enhancing their brand visibility, they were excited to learn more about Kumamoto's semiconductor needs and broaden their business reach accordingly.

Moreover, Shinya Iwashita, Chief Executive Officer of Tsuruya Department Store subsidiary Amanatsu Royal Co., Ltd., visited the Kaohsiung Pavilion at the invitation of the Kaohsiung City Government. After consultations with MAYUSHAN FOOD Co., Ltd., Joywell Cake Store Co., Ltd., and LE PONT, he lauded their dedication to R&D and impressive array of food products placing emphasis on both health and flavor. Tsuruya Department Store is optimistic about the potential of these delicacies and keen to usher them into the Japanese market at an early date.

Alongside its attendance at the Kumamoto Expo, the Kaohsiung City Government organized an investment promotion seminar at the startup hub Growth 1 in Fukuoka. The event attracted over 40 visitors from more than 10 startups in such fields as IOT, smart medical devices, and green energy. What followed was a string of lively discussions about possible cooperation. Hori Hironobu, director of the Fukuoka City Government's Business Startup & Investment Promotion Department, said the city's designation as a National Strategic Special Zone for startups in 2012 has made it an irresistible magnet attracting global startups to invest. Fukuoka looks forward to working with Kaohsiung to create a cross-border ecosystem that accommodates the startups of both Taiwan and Japan.

Liao Tai-hsiang, director-general of the Economic Development Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government, said that Fukuoka is home to many promising international startups while Kaohsiung boasts Asia's New Bay 2.0 Park as well as multiple startup hubs and incubation centers. Given the two's complementary development paths, there is ample room for bilateral cooperation in R&D, talent cultivation, startup interconnections, and industry exchanges, thereby providing their respective startups with fresh momentum for innovation. Japan's startups are welcome to come to Kaohsiung and the city government is ready to provide them with one-stop services and whatever other assistance is needed.

The Kaohsiung delegation also visited the Fukuoka Hydrogen Station, the world's first such facility offering energy sourced from sewage treatment. As a major industrial city committed to achieving net zero in 2050, Kaohsiung is keen to promote carbon reduction, stay up to date with the latest in green energy, and ultimately attain sustainable development. In Fukuoka, the delegation also called at the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry and Kyushu University to discuss bolstering exchanges in the semiconductor industry and its talent. The consensus is for Kaohsiung and Kyushu to strengthen academic and technological cooperation, engage in closer industry-academic collaboration, and extend support for education and research, thereby making semiconductor companies of both sides more competitive going forward.

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