incubator.sme

Since 1997, the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has been promoting the establishment of incubator centers by public and private institutions to nurture startups and innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs). To date, over 160 incubator centers have been established nationwide, of which 150 receive government subsidies. To align with policies focusing on key technology industries, the SMEA has successively established four incubator centers: Nangang Software Incubator (2002,ROC 91), Southern Taiwan Science Park Incubator (2003), Kaohsiung Software Incubator (2010), and Hsinchu Biomedical Incubator (2014,ROC 103). These efforts aim to construct a diverse incubation ecosystem and strengthen Taiwan's innovation and entrepreneurial capacity.

Since the implementation of the incubation policy, it has not only effectively created a sound environment for startup development but also yielded remarkable results. To date, it has supported the incubation of 20,555 SMEs, generated additional investments exceeding NT$191.46 billion, facilitated the public listing of 127 incubated companies, and created or sustained 390,000 jobs. Additionally, the policy has fostered numerous industrial clusters, delivering significant benefits.

Taiwan's incubation capabilities have gained international recognition since the implementation of the policy. To date, seven incubator centers—Nangang Software Incubator, Nangang Biotechnology Incubator, Industrial Technology Research Institute, National Chiao Tung University, Chaoyang University of Technology, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, and Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology—have received the Soft Landing Certification from Western incubator organizations, demonstrating their ability to cultivate international enterprises. Notable achievements include Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology winning the 2016 "Best University Incubator" award from the U.S.-based InBIA, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology receiving the 2017 "AABI Incubator of the Year" award from the Asian Association of Business Incubation (AABI), and Chung Yuan Christian University's accelerator and incubator earning the "Top Challenger - Asia-Pacific" award in the 2019-2020 UBI Global Rankings. Additionally, incubated enterprises have achieved exceptional success, such as Chun-Ri Instrument Enterprise Co., Ltd., which won InBIA's "Best Incubated Company" award (2014) and AABI's "Torch Best Entrepreneur Award" (2015). Other notable companies include Young Da Biotech Co., Ltd. (InBIA Outstanding Incubated Biotech Enterprise, 2016), e-Ray Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd. (AABI Torch Technology Transfer Award, 2016), Lin-Kuo Good Products Co., Ltd. (AABI Torch Most Promising Entrepreneur, 2016), Bioflag Biotech Co., Ltd. (AABI Torch Internationalization Award, 2017), and iClick Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (AABI Torch Technology Transfer Award, 2018). These achievements showcase Taiwan's robust incubation capabilities.

Starting in 2018, the incubation policy has shifted toward a transformation strategy, transitioning incubator centers from the original seven distinctive modules to three new models: "International Startup Accelerator," "Technology Entrepreneurship Amplifier," and "Local Business Innovator." This strategy also opened applications to legal entities and private enterprises capable of commercialization. By integrating cross-domain resources, the policy fosters local revitalization, strengthens international connections, and creates an optimal environment for nurturing innovative startups, thereby driving industrial innovation and upgrades.

To encourage large enterprises to participate in the incubation ecosystem and attract private investment in startups, the incubation policy was restructured in 2023 to consolidate the three models into the "Industry Accelerator" module. This module aggregates resources from thematic industries and connects with investment funds to support the growth of startups and SMEs, creating market opportunities. Additionally, the "Corporate Accelerator" module was introduced to link startups with corporate funding and resources, connect them to domestic and international markets, and accelerate their scale-up development. This approach fosters startup industry investments and derivative opportunities, while driving external innovation growth and transformative thinking among large enterprises. Ultimately, it supports emerging industrial development and facilitates the structural transformation and upgrading of industries.