The Taipei City Government’s Department of Economic Development hosted the 2024 Taipei Investment Summit today (1st) at the Regent Taipei to showcase and promote the city’s investment environment, aiming to reach potential businesses and create a platform for industry exchange. The summit saw participation from over 150 domestic and international companies, with representatives from renowned local and global enterprises delivering keynote speeches, sharing their experiences of using Taipei as an operational hub to expand international business and grow deeply rooted. Through this international forum, Taipei aims to highlight its rich industrial foundation and innovative ecosystem, showcasing the city’s appeal to the world.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-An emphasized that the city is actively developing into an AI-driven smart city, not as a trend, but as a carefully considered solution. AI has been identified as the most economical, efficient, and sustainable answer to modern challenges. To support this initiative, Taipei has allocated NT$10 billion over five years for the “Smart City Innovation Competitive Budget,” enabling government agencies to integrate AI technologies and foster cross-departmental cooperation, creating more smart city applications and positioning Taipei as a global leader in AI-driven smart governance. In terms of carbon reduction and sustainability, Taipei aims to cut carbon emissions by 25% by 2025, 40% by 2030, and 65% by 2040, with the goal of achieving net-zero by 2050. Furthermore, the city has achieved three national firsts in green finance: being the first local government to issue sustainability bonds, the first to link its sustainability bond prospectus to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the first to follow the latest guidelines of the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) for tracking sustainability bond performance. So far, Taipei’s sustainability bonds have attracted bids from 20 domestic companies, with the total issued amount reaching NT$10 billion this year. The funds raised will be directed towards improving Taipei’s MRT infrastructure while fostering a positive cycle in the city’s sustainable financial ecosystem.

The 2024 Taipei Investment Summit, themed “Connecting Taipei to the World: Advancing Sustainable Innovation,” featured a second session titled “Opportunities and Prospects for Investing in Taipei.” In this session, key industry leaders shared insights. Chairperson Hung Li-Ning of Wiwynn Corporation, which recently secured land rights in Neihu’s Tanmei Section, highlighted the development of an AI technology corridor in Neihu, aiming to build a smart and innovative Taipei. Giuseppe Izzo, General Manager of STMicroelectronics Taiwan, discussed the company’s goal of “embracing more international talent” to attract global professionals to Taipei and enhance the city’s innovative capacity. Piyali Mukherjee, Vice President of Medical Affairs for Asia at Moderna, spoke about the innovation potential in Taipei’s smart healthcare sector and the company’s investment and strategic positioning within Taipei’s biotech industry. Uber General Manager Margarita Peker shared insights on global market expansion and highlighted Uber’s partnership with Taipei to pursue net-zero sustainability and explore smart transportation solutions tailored to the city. Lastly, Kengo Matsunaga, President of Marubeni Taiwan Power Investment Co., Ltd., elaborated on future collaborations with Taipei to achieve its net-zero city goals, including green energy solutions such as industrial and commercial microgrids, solar energy storage, and electric vehicle charging ecosystems, showcasing the potential for green industry opportunities and collaboration in Taipei.

Commissioner Chen Chun-An of the Department of Economic Development stated that according to the latest data, Taipei leads the nation in foreign direct investment (FDI) and ranked 16th globally and 5th in Asia in the 2024 IMD Smart City rankings, demonstrating the city’s leadership in digitalization and technological innovation. For investors, this presents a dynamic and opportunity-rich business environment. In line with the vision of making Taipei a founder-friendly city and an AI-driven smart city, the city will implement five key investment strategies—”Attracting and Retaining Talent,” “Developing the AI Industry,” “Driving Forward-Looking Innovation,” “Optimizing the Business Environment,” and “Deepening International Cooperation”—to attract high-tech industries and global talent to Taipei, driving innovation and fostering economic prosperity and competitiveness. We are confident that this will continue to stimulate economic growth and job creation, and we warmly invite everyone to invest in Taipei! 

(Advertisement by Department of Economic Development, Taipei City Government)