Hualien County's Vision Recognized by MIT: Connecting Key Stakeholders to Build Innovation Ecosystem and Promote the Wellbeing Economy

(中央社訊息服務20240924 11:58:26)Hualien, Taiwan — September 23, 2024 — The Hualien County Government held an international press conference today under the theme "Hualien Goes Global, The World Comes to Hualien." County Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei, alongside key stakeholders from the local innovation ecosystem, announced Hualien's successful selection for the 11th cohort of the MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (MIT REAP) from 2024 to 2026. The county aims to foster its local innovation ecosystem by adopting MIT REAP's methodologies and learning from regions like Finland and Fukuoka in Japan.

In her opening speech, "Envisioning the Future of Hualien," Mayor Hsu emphasized that sustainability is integral to Hualien's daily life, with "Wellbeing Hualien" as the county team's vision. She highlighted the need for more innovative talent and a welcoming startup environment to develop a wellbeing economy beyond GDP, while also protecting Hualien's natural environment in the face of rapid global changes and competition for talent.

Hualien's selection for MIT REAP is attributed to the county’s vision and strong team members, including the Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Forte Hotel Group, National Dong Hwa University, and ITRI's Central Taiwan Division and Industrial Service Center. Mayor Hsu encouraged the county team to embrace innovation through this program, with the aim of making Hualien Taiwan's first international innovation zone focused on health, wellbeing, and the circular economy.

MIT REAP, an initiative by the MIT Sloan School of Management since 2012, promotes the development of regional innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems globally. Hualien County aims to connect with innovative cities worldwide and develop strategies through this two-year program.

Speaking on behalf of Hualien's MIT REAP team, Dr. Lin Chin-Lon, CEO of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, shared that Tzu Chi has been dedicated to Humanistic medicine for decades and has been promoting compassionate technology, accumulating tremendous innovative capacity. Through MIT REAP, Tzu Chi will further integrate its initiatives, such as the International Disaster Prevention and Relief Training Center and the Herbal Medicine Park, to build a comprehensive innovation ecosystem that will benefit people in need worldwide through Tzu Chi’s innovations and applications.

Benjamin Liao, Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Chinese Taipei Chapter, who also supports Hualien County's participation in MIT REAP noted that Hualien boasts world-class natural landscapes and has the potential to develop "Wellbeing Tourism" and "Spiritual Tourism," combining unique cultural elements. This will offer international travelers a peaceful and healing experience, enabling them to discover Hualien’s unique beauty.

The press conference also featured a roundtable discussion with Benjamin Jen, founder and managing partner of GRC Funds and former president of the MIT Taiwan Alumni Association; Ryusuke Komura, Executive Director of Venture Café Tokyo; and Yusuke Matsuo, Director of Venture Café Fukuoka. Jen suggested that Hualien focus on industries such as health, the circular economy, and sustainable tourism. Komura discussed Venture Café Tokyo's role in connecting entrepreneurs with global ecosystems, while Matsuo shared how Fukuoka has transformed into Japan's most active startup city under Mayor Soichiro Takashima's leadership. Both Japanese speakers expressed their excitement about collaborating with Hualien and Taiwan through MIT REAP to foster cross-border innovation exchanges.