To cultivate future leaders in biomedical innovation, National Taipei University of Technology recently hosted the International Biomedical Entrepreneurship PBL Bootcamp, a six-day intensive workshop designed to help students transform scientific research into market-ready solutions. Conducted entirely in English, the six-day event brought together graduate students, professors, and industry mentors from Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, fostering international collaboration and entrepreneurial thinking.

Led by Professor Fang Hsu-wei, Director of the High-Value Biomaterials Research and Commercialization Center at Taipei Tech, the program emphasized the integration of scientific research with entrepreneurial strategy. Drawing on his own experience in a startup program at UC Berkeley, Professor Fang curated a diverse team of instructors from academia, industry, and venture capital, aiming to equip students with practical skills to commercialize biomedical technologies.

The first two days of the program focused on the commercialization journey of biomedical materials and technologies. Students participated in a technical pitch competition, proposing innovative ideas such as biodegradable fast-acting hemostats, ultra-sensitive drug detection kits, MOF-based microneedle patches for scar treatment, and wound care solutions for pets. These promising concepts became the basis for group projects developed throughout the week.

From Days 3 to 5, a team of seasoned entrepreneurship instructors from the U.S., including Berkeley Startup Mentor GiGi Wang and Helen Chen, co-founder of Alixia, delivered workshops covering product innovation, intellectual property, financial modeling, marketing, fundraising strategies, and team building. This hands-on training guided students through real-world startup challenges while encouraging creativity, communication, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The final day concluded with group presentations and an award ceremony, where student teams showcased their entrepreneurial proposals. The event demonstrated not only the students’ technical and innovative capabilities but also the value of Taipei Tech’s international and industry-connected education model.

Organized by Taipei Tech in collaboration with the National Health Research Institutes, National Taiwan Normal University, University of Tsukuba, and Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), this bootcamp represents the university’s commitment to preparing students for global careers in biomedical technology through problem-based learning (PBL), EMI instruction, and real-world innovation challenges.