The 2024 Anchor Innovation Summit: A Convergence of Technology, Culture, Capital, and Thought Leadership

The 2024 Anchor Innovation Summit was held on December 11 at a historic landmark on the National Taiwan University campus. Staying true to Anchor Asia’s (Anchor Taiwan) mission of fostering cross-border connections and cross-industry collaboration, this year’s summit delved into a diverse array of themes, including AI and human well-being, semiconductor and traditional industry innovation, future mobility, corporate venture capital, lessons from sports and business, and the intersection of culture and economics. The event featured 12 renowned international speakers and drew a full house of distinguished industry leaders, investors, and innovators.

The summit began with a dynamic fireside chat between Shen Jay , Managing Director of Garmin ’s Asia Automotive OEM Group, and Alex Liu , CEO of MaiCoin Group . Their conversation explored emerging trends in the electric vehicle and cryptocurrency sectors, offering unique perspectives on business strategy and innovative leadership. Drawing inspiration from sports, they revealed how lessons in resilience, vision, and strategy transcend boundaries, shaping industries such as mobility and fintech.

A highlight of the event was the keynote speech by Mio Suzuki , Director of Advanced Technologies at Trek Bicycle , marking her first visit to Taiwan. Titled “How a 50-Year-Old Bike Company Embraces Cutting-Edge Technologies: From Embedded AI to Spatial Computing,” Suzuki’s talk urged the bicycle industry to adopt a forward-thinking approach. She envisioned bicycles as next-generation consumer electronics and advocated for stronger partnerships with semiconductor and high-tech companies to drive innovation.

Suzuki later joined a panel discussion on traditional industry transformation, moderated by Catherine Shu , Head of Content at Gobi Partners and former senior reporter at TechCrunch . The panel brought together Freda Pei Chia Liu , VP of Tech Enabled Logistics at Ally Logistic Property (ALP), and Jacky J. K. Yuen , Director at qonvolv Ventures , to explore how frontier technologies and capital are revolutionizing traditional sectors, with insights spanning the logistics and textile industries.

The AI session featured Jill Shih , Taiwan General Manager at Andrew Ng’s AI Fund , and Tiffine Wang , Advisor to Silicon Valley AI incubator Inception Studio and former Partner at MS&AD Ventures . Moderated by Sega Cheng , CEO of iKala , the session highlighted how global leaders leverage AI to create positive social impacts, redefine business models, and unlock unique opportunities for Taiwan’s innovation ecosystem.

The summit concluded with a compelling fireside chat titled “Play, Build, Co-create: Culture as a Strategy.” Royce Hong , Chairman of Panasonic Taiwan (also founder of IPEVO and XING Mobility ), and Grace Cheung , CEO of the Hong Foundation (also co-founder of XRANGE archtiecture + design ), shared the stage in a rare joint appearance. They explored the synergies between art, architecture, startups, technology, and established corporations, emphasizing the role of “culture adaptation life cycles” in driving societal progress. Their discussion also underscored the potential of creatives as visionaries who influence industry trends and inspire commercially viable innovations.

Elisa Chiu , CEO of Anchor Asia and curator of the summit, remarked: “Technology, capital, and culture are the three pillars for Anchor Taiwan since our inception. Through this annual summit, we hope to celebrate the possibilities of ecosystem co-creation and the importance of thought leadership, creating a platform for meaningful connections and action-oriented conversations to shape the future together.”

* Complete Summit Info: https://www.anchortaiwan.com/anchorinnovationsummit2024/