Kelly Wu-chiao Hsieh
Deputy Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
May 29, 2019
Mr. John Jorritsma, Mayor of Eindhoven;
Members of the Dutch delegation to Computex Taipei 2019;
Mr. Guy Wittich, Representative of the Netherlands Trade and Investment Office (NTIO);
Ms. Wang Mei-hua, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good evening!
It is a great pleasure to attend today’s dinner. On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I would like to extend a heartfelt welcome to the delegation led by Mayor Jorritsma.
Last year, Mayor Jorritsma led a delegation to InnoVex 2018, Computex’s exhibition for startups. The delegation shared its experiences, and many of its members reached agreements to partner with local firms. This year, we look forward to building a stronger connection with Dutch startups and, together, explore more business opportunities in Asia and beyond.
Eindhoven is a renowned high-tech and innovation hub in Europe. The city continues to develop technologies and solutions to challenges in the areas of health, mobility, and energy. In 2011, the city was named the world’s most intelligent community by the think tank Intelligent Community Forum, based in New York. Taiwan also remains highly competitive in science and technology innovation. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2018, Taiwan is a “super innovator” and ranks fourth in innovation capability, behind only Germany, the US, and Switzerland. So we have great potential for future bilateral cooperation, and I believe your visit will be conducive to bringing our collaboration to new heights.
Last September, the launch of the Startup Terrace, an incubation center in New Taipei City, showed Taiwan’s commitment to developing into an Asian Silicon Valley. Taiwan and the Netherlands both stress innovation, and we share similarities in our industrial development policy. Thriving startups in Eindhoven may act as catalysts that revolutionize Taiwan’s industrial foundation and technology. The city’s high-tech campus can be a valuable partner of our science parks in Hsinchu, Taichung, and Tainan. In March, Hsinchu Mayor Lin Chih-chien called on Mayor Jorritsma in the Netherlands to seek out possibilities for cooperation. So we are laying the groundwork for even closer cooperation.
To close, I would like to express my gratitude for your continued friendship and contributions to promoting ties between Taiwan and the Netherlands. I hope you enjoy a productive and pleasant stay in our country. Thank you!