Philippine Startup Alliance Visits Kaohsiung, Youth Bureau Showcases 4 Sustainable Teams Targeting Southeast Asian Markets

The regional startup alliance 'BiCoRSE' (Bicol Consortium for Regional Startup Enablers), led by Bicol University and supported by the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST), visited the Kaohsiung Youth Bureau's startup hub 'Pinway Pier-2 Warehouse No. 8' yesterday (19th), led by Vice President Wu Xinghao and International Affairs Director Lin Xingru of National Kaohsiung University. The Youth Bureau arranged four outstanding local startup teams to present their innovations in full English with live product demonstrations, engaging in technical and market exchanges with the Philippine delegation, focusing on sustainable innovation and cooperation in Southeast Asian markets, aiming to foster long-term collaboration between youth entrepreneurs in Taiwan and the Philippines.

Kaohsiung Youth Bureau Director Lin Kailin stated that in recent years, Kaohsiung has been continuously building a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem, offering comprehensive support to young entrepreneurs—from startup grants and consulting guidance to domestic and international market linkages. The Philippines possesses a vast market and industrial transformation needs, while Kaohsiung excels in technological applications and sustainable solutions. This exchange directly connects the technological strengths of Kaohsiung's startups with overseas market demands, further expanding international cooperation opportunities.

BiCoRSE, the visiting consortium, is a cross-sectoral startup alliance prioritized by the Philippine DOST, serving as a coordination and development platform for regional startup ecosystems. It connects local governments, universities, industries, startups, and entrepreneurial support organizations to help the Bicol Region build a more complete and sustainable startup ecosystem.

BiCoRSE specifically exchanged insights on Kaohsiung Youth Bureau’s startup grants, mentoring programs, and investment matchmaking mechanisms, aiming to deeply understand Kaohsiung’s entrepreneurial development experience as a reference for future startup policies and ecosystem development in the Bicol Region. They also expressed hopes of establishing a long-term exchange mechanism between youth entrepreneurial teams in Taiwan and the Philippines.

Vice President Wu Xinghao of National Kaohsiung University stated that the university has long promoted international exchanges and interdisciplinary innovation collaborations. Beyond deepening substantive exchanges with sister universities, it will continue to serve as a bridge between academia, local communities, government, and industry, integrating resources to facilitate international cooperation. This visit by the BiCoRSE delegation is not merely an academic exchange, but an important dialogue between Taiwan and the Philippines on regional startups, youth entrepreneurship, and industry-government-academia collaboration.

Four Kaohsiung Startup Teams Showcase Sustainable Strengths: From Smart Agriculture to Circular Packaging

The Youth Bureau introduced four key-supported sustainable startup teams covering smart environmental control, ecological restoration, genomic big data, and circular packaging. Through full English presentations and product demonstrations, they directly exchanged insights with the Philippine delegation on technology applications and market needs.

'Wotu Sustainable Technology (SimuGro)' showcased its AIoT-powered smart agriculture and aquaculture environmental control system, utilizing lightweight, plug-and-play Mesh wireless network technology to help farmers and fishers monitor water quality and environmental data in real time, enhancing management efficiency in smart agriculture and aquaculture.

'Yingfeng (ingStingless Bee LTD.)' focused on ecological restoration of Taiwan’s native stingless bees, combining AI-powered smart hive monitoring technology with specialty honey products, extending biodiversity conservation into sustainable agricultural business models.

'ADAPTOR' presented its genomic big data integration and analysis service, applicable to breeding selection in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock, as well as precision medical analysis, demonstrating innovative applications at the intersection of biotechnology and data science.

'Fusheng Packaging (LAPAK)' introduced its patented tape-free 'Lala Carton' and AIoT-powered corrugated cardboard recycling machine, offering a green circular packaging solution from manufacturing and usage to recycling.

The exchange was lively, with the BiCoRSE team visiting each booth to discuss technical feasibility and market entry strategies in Southeast Asia. Chen Youjing, CEO of Wotu Sustainable Technology, stated that the demand for agriculture and aquaculture in the Philippines is significant, and the smart environmental control system can lower the barrier to technology adoption, allowing their team to better understand local market needs through this exchange.

Li Bingheng, founder of Yingfeng, noted that stingless bees play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity and pollinating tropical crops. The team has previously collaborated with Filipino farmers and hopes to further promote cross-border industry-government-academia collaboration through this exchange.

Prof. Ma. Crestia C. Bañares, Executive Director of BiCoRSE, stated that the visit revealed Kaohsiung’s mature achievements in smart technology and sustainable innovation, particularly appreciating the Youth Bureau’s one-stop cultivation mechanism from innovation validation to market expansion, which holds significant reference value for the Bicol Region’s future startup development blueprint. She expressed hopes for accelerating regular mutual visits and substantive cooperation between youth teams from both regions.

The Youth Bureau stated it will continue integrating domestic and international industry-government-academia-research resources to assist Kaohsiung’s youth startups in expanding overseas. The 'Startup O'Star' consulting service currently offers the 'Startup Energy Accelerator,' featuring three levels, nine courses, and 25 hours of practical training to help young entrepreneurs progressively enhance their capabilities from startup initiation, validation, to expansion. Young individuals with entrepreneurial aspirations are encouraged to participate actively.