WI Harper Group | November 21, 2019
On November 20th, WI Harper Group held the 2019 Tai-Si Forum in Taipei, focusing on the opportunities and changes brought by the new digital economy. Given the impact on the capital markets from the US-China trade war, the advent of 5G, and the exponential proliferation of AI, how should one strategize investing in technology and innovation?
To help find an answer, WI Harper invited economic experts, cross-regional and international venture capitalists with different roles in the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, industrial enterprises with successful transformation, start-ups and industrial ecological accelerator to share their views and experience, and to explore the new waves of venture capital and industrial enterprises.
YK Chu, Managing Director at WI Harper, kicked off the event by stating:
“The new economy under the development of digital technology is full of uncertainty, which is a necessary process for the transformation of the markets. Moreover, political factors and technological developments are always impacting the new economy. Venture capitalists and enterprises should seize the opportunity to evolve and transform in order to maintain sustainable operations. From the recent development of venture capital in Europe and the United States, we can see examples of industrial enterprises and venture capital working together to develop an ecosystem. This Venture Capital 2.0 model is the best solution for transforming industrial enterprises. “
Keeping abreast with the development of industries and start-ups, WI Harper found four key takeaways that are useful to enterprises, start-ups and venture capitalists in Taiwan.
| Key Takeaway #1：Politics
Changes in the global political landscape have affected the market. The U.S. government has recently started to restrict capital investment from Asia into the U.S. in an effort to protect the U.S. economy. An indirect consequence of these laws and regulations is that Taiwan and mainland China now have an opportunity to strengthen their own domestic economies. Asia capital flows are increasingly supporting domestic innovation.
| Key Takeaway #2：Digital Technology
The application of underlying technologies, including the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, 5G and blockchain, will undergo extensive development. As a result of their wide-spread implementation, living habits will rapidly change.
| Key Takeaway #3：IoT
The Internet of Things has changed from consumption to direct “information transmission” mode, which has resulted in enterprise development and emerging business models becoming increasingly consumer-oriented.
| Key Takeaway #4：Enterprise
To build a sustainable enterprise, entrepreneurs need to integrate into the industrial ecosystem or create an ecosystem through new start-up companies. This is a revolution in concept and practice. If these changes can be embraced and combined with Taiwan’s and mainland China’s existing strong technical foundations, domestic industrial enterprises can do the following: (1) Support new technological developments; (2) Connect with international markets; and (3) Expand the business applications that stem from venture capital investment.
YK Chu further explained that WI Harper has been in the U.S., China, and Taiwan markets for nearly 30 years. The best time for global technological innovation during the China-US trade war is now. Seizing the advantages of venture capital, industry capital, private funds, and M&A is the way to activate the investment market. WI Harper has brought venture capital into the 2.0 era, and also expanded a broader path for the growth and transformation of industries and innovations.
Translated from: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/5GpW8jwMDJ7W6K60PZOqxw
