The 2022 APEC Forum on Entrepreneurship for the Future of Work, hosted by Taipei Tech and initiated by the Ministry of Education (MOE), took place from November 16 to November 18. This was the first in-person event after the pandemic, and it attracted a record number of overseas participants, with ninety-five delegates from seventeen APEC member economies (including Taiwan) in attendance. The forum aims to strengthen regional cooperation through in-person exchange.

James H.C. Liang, Deputy Director General of the Department of Higher Education at the MOE, stated that the pandemic has caused major disruptions in everyday life. It has particularly affected young people and women in terms of their economic well-being and labor force participation. The pandemic has also accelerated the digital transformation of traditional industries. “To build capacity and entrepreneurial skills for this changing world of work and to prepare women and youth in the APEC region to be ready for the post-pandemic job market are the themes of this forum,” Liang said.

Taipei Tech Vice President Thomas C.K. Yang stated that the school has been offering various entrepreneurial courses to encourage students to explore their creativity and learn how to turn their business ideas into reality. “We have also established a new innovative cooperative platform, iFIRST College, focusing on current key research areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and information security,” Yang said. “By offering master’s and PhD programs, this new college aims to cultivate forward-looking talents for the future of work.” He encouraged participants to stay up-to-date with market, industry, and technology trends and to embrace challenges.

Taiwan’s Minister of Digital Affairs, Audrey Tang, was invited as the keynote speaker at the forum to discuss how the government is implementing new policies for digital transformation in the workplace. Jeff Hu, CEO and co-founder of Turing Certs and a well-known entrepreneur in the blockchain industry, was also invited to share his startup experience and how his business is contributing to economic recovery across APEC regions.

A female entrepreneurship panel session took place in the second day of the event to promote female empowerment. Becky Chin Chi-yun, Representative from Her Attitude; Ngo Thi Hoai, Director of Wecreate from Vietnam; and Jennifer Chen, Co-founder and CEO of Dipp Inc. shared their startup journey and discussed women’s participation in non-traditional sectors.

The final day of the event featured a regional youth start-up contest, in which students and aspiring young entrepreneurs presented their business ideas through demo pitches. A panel of judges from venture capital firms and incubation centers evaluated the presented business models and provided feedback. Prizes were given to the contestants with the most innovative and sustainable business ideas that can help accelerate regional recovery.