The group photo in Tao-Yuan Tea Shop

             Study Tour in Stop-Plum Essence

The SME Entrepreneurship Workshop began in < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags' />July 23, 2007 with the holding of the opening ceremony at the Information Service Industry Association of Chinese Taipei (CISA) under the sponsorship of APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC). Dr. Lai, Sun-Quae, Director General of Department of Small and Medium Businesses, MOEA gave a speech on e-Commerce Development and Future Trends. Representatives from government and business of PMEs such as Chile, Peru, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Thailand attended the Workshop. The representatives are all involved with SMEs.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office' />

The Workshop began on July 23 and ended on July 27, 2007, for a total of five days. Scholars and experts from Chinese Taipei related about successful cases, e-Business Community, marketing skills, managerial skills, customer relationships, and discussions on cases related to e-Business for SME. Additionally, they shared ideas and talked about their experiences. The result was that the participants learned about e-commerce and related issues.

The SME Entrepreneurship Workshop that was held by the ADOC Secretariat in Chinese Taipei had concluded with the holding of the closing ceremony on < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags' />July 27, 2007. During the event, representatives of PMEs from Chile, Peru, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea and Thailand presented reports on successful cases of entrepreneurship. They also stated their viewpoints regarding the activities and shared experiences. As a result, the Workshop was a great success. < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office' />

The Workshop, which lasted for five days, allowed PMEs a platform for the exchange of ideas. Experts and scholars from Chinese Taipei and representatives of PMEs from government, business, and academia had face-to-face discussions. They related about topics, such as e-Business Community and Internet Marketing, e-Commerce Entrepreneurship: Key Success Factors, and Business Model and Strategies. In addition, they visited the Tao Yuan Tea Shop, SME e-Business Community “HsinChu Rice Noodles” and Hsinchu Science Park, etc. The participants were able to learn about e-business promotion and experience of SMEs in Chinese Taipei. The sponsor provided time for the instruction of methods for writing business Plans and proposals, so that participants can become more knowledgeable.

In order to implement the ADOC Project of lowering the digital divide and developing the spirit of promoting digital opportunities in PMEs, the ADOC Secretariat has held activities for assisting businesses. The ADOC Secretariat would like to ensure that the various activities could assist with digitalization of SMEs and increase business opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.

The SME Entrepreneurship Workshop that was held by the ADOC Secretariat in Chinese Taipei had concluded with the holding of the closing ceremony on July 20, 2006. During the event, representatives of PMEs from Chile, Peru, Indonesia, Philippines, Viet Nam and Papua New Guinea presented reports on successful cases of entrepreneurship. They also stated their viewpoints regarding the activities and shared experiences. As a result, the Workshop was a great success.

The Workshop, which lasted for five days, allowed PMEs a platform for the exchange of ideas. Experts and scholars from Chinese Taipei and representatives of PMEs from government, business, and academia had face to face discussions. They related about topics, such as Strategic Alliance and Marketing Management, e-Commerce Entrepreneurship: Key Success Factors, and Business Model and Strategies. In addition, they visited the Nankung Incubation Center and Digital Content Institute. The participants were able to learn about ICT development of SMEs. The sponsor provided time for the instruction of methods for writing business Plans and proposals, so that participants can become more knowledgeable.

In order to implement the ADOC Project of lowering the digital divide and developing the spirit of promoting digital opportunities in PMEs, the ADOC Secretariat has held activities for assisting businesses. For example, the ADOC Secretariat has created the e-Commerce Consulting Group to participate in e-Business Entrepreneurship Seminar. Representatives of PMEs have attended the ICT Elite Camp in Chinese Taipei. The goal is also to enhance the development of SMEs. The ADOC Secretariat would like to ensure that the various activities could assist with digitalization of SMEs and increase business opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.

The SME Entrepreneurship Workshop began in July 17, 2006 with the holding of the opening ceremony at the International Cooperation Development Fund (ICDF) under the sponsorship of APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC). Professor Chen, Min-Te from George Mason University gave a speech on e-Commerce Development and Future Trends. Representatives from government and business of PMEs such as Chile, Peru, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Philippines and Papua New Guinea attended the Workshop. The representatives are all involved with SMEs.

The Workshop began on July 17 and ended on July 21, 2006, for a total of five days. Scholars and experts from Chinese Taipei related about successful cases, ICT education, marketing skills, managerial skills, customer relationships, laws, finance, and discussions on cases related to management. Additionally, they shared ideas and talked about their experiences. The result was that the participants learned about e-commerce and related issues.

The purpose of holding the SME Entrepreneurship Workshop is to implement the ADOC Project’s objective of strengthening the ICT development of businesses in PMEs. The ADOC Secretariat would like to see that the successful experience of Chinese Taipei could assist with the e-commerce development of PMEs and improve the entrepreneurship environment, so as to decrease the digital divide and increase the digital opportunities.

YZU Innovation and Incubation Center

128 Yuan Tung Road, Zhong-Li 320, Taiwan
886-03-463-8563　
http://www.siic.yzu.edu.tw/english/index.htm

YZU Innovation and Incubation Center, founded in June 1997 under the guidance of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Small Business Administration, has a prime mission set for integrating various school resources, i.e. the teaching faculties, the postgraduate study body, laboratories, developmental facilities and so forth to facilitate small business explore R&D, innovative and technological upgrade, hence improving the industrial competitiveness.  Whether for startups or existing businesses, the productive yield upon joining the innovation developmental program for new technology, new products or improvement to process technology have helped the participants lower investment cost and risks, and increase the chance of success, particularly to startups, for having secured the center’s know-how in raising capital during the startup stage.

Reflecting on this, it is the vision of the YZU Innovation and Incubation Center to want to further integrate the strength of the academic, research fields and the industry to help startup entrepreneurs and existing businesses looking to transform themselves a greater chance to attain their goal of a successful venture.

In support of the present information industry's development and taken into account of the school's supportive logistics, some of the characteristics marking the center's active development and instilment efforts consist of,

·To focus on computerizing the industrial development-related technology;

·To introduce innovative new technology, and to culminate information software manpower with a global perspective;

·To embrace toward developing green energy, wireless communications, knowledge-based learning, digital contents and so forth;

·To step up global development exchange experience, and to expand the producers with a global management perspective;

·To promote school professors’ research findings in search of an aggregated industry-academic collaboration and development

Digital Content Institute

7th Fl., No.3-1, Yuan-Chu Street, Taipei 115, Taiwan
886-02-81700966　
http://www.dci.org.tw/

In the past 50 years, development of Taiwan’s industry has evolved from the process of imports to exports to expanded requirements for infrastructure to value-added manufacturing to hi-tech industry. It is the story of from rags to riches, from the bottom to the top that had drawn admiration of the world.

It is also like the roaring waves in the dark ditch driven by the sky-rocking and earth-shaking ocean. The uninterrupted momentum has been catalyzing Taiwan’s industry from manufacturing to service, from hardware to software, from tangible to intangible, from local to global, from creation to innovation, from production value to value-addition, making the transformation a comprehensive experience that ranges from small scale to giant scale in depth.

The mission of Digital Content Institute is to provide one top-notch learning environment for educating more digital content professionals so as achieve the following objectives: 1. Production value of Taiwan’s digital content industry is estimated to reach NT$370 billion in 2006. 2. Increase international sales of Taiwan’s digital content industry by 30%.

Bus
Air-conditioned city buses are frequent and plentiful, and fares differ according to the distance traveled. A single section fare is NT$12-15. Pay upon boarding or getting off according to instructions.

Taxi
Charges are NT$70 for the first 1.5km and NT$5 for each additional 300 meters. An additional NT$5 is charged for every two minutes of waiting, and a 20% surcharge is added to fares between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., NT$10 dollars tip needed for cab dispatched by phone and for luggage placed in taxi trunk. Most drivers do not speak English, so it is a good idea to have hotel personnel write both your destination and your hotel's name and address.

MRT
Metro Taipei Service Hot Line :
0800-033-068; (02) 2536-3001 (8:30 -17:30)
http://english.trtc.com.tw/

The MRT system in Taipei includes lines of Mu-Cha, Tamsui, Shing-Tien, Ban-Chao, and Nan-Kang. With a one-day ticket, you can take the MRT as many times as you like to visit different stops within the same day. Auto ticketing slots can be found in MRT stations, providing ticketing services (Coin changers are equipped in all stations.) 'Single-journey Ticket' price ranging from NT$20 to NT$65 depending on travel distance. MRT running hours is 6:00~24:00.

Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum

200 Wen-Hua Road, Yingge Township 239, Taipei
886-02-86772727　
http://www.ceramics.tpc.gov.tw/econtent/index.asp

Ceramic is closely related with human life and culture. Different ceramic culture features developed from different families, different people. The uncover of Taiwan pre-history ceramic and the ceramic figurines and ceramic pots of the aboriginal, confirm the independence of Taiwan Culture. The immigrants from Mainland China in the Past 400 years followed the ceramic skills of China, the Japanese ceramic techniques brought in during the Japanese Occupation Period, the western industrial techniques and the development and renovation of modern fuels after the restoration of Taiwan, plus the imported raw materials characterized the development of Taiwan ceramic. And, the Ceramic Museum was born. Located in the center of ceramic industry, Yingge Town, the Yingge Ceramics Museum is the first ceramic theme museum established by county government. It unveils a historical page of Taiwan Ceramic Development. The development goal of Yingge Ceramics Museum is to build the Spirit of Taiwan Ceramic Culture with the joint efforts of industries, the government, and the academy.

1. Program Regulations

(1) The programs are conducted mainly in English.  All participants must have fair English language proficiency to benefit from the programs offered.

(2) Any candidate interested in participating in a program should forward the completed Application Form to The ADOC Secretariat through the Taiwan Embassy/Consulate (General)/ Representative Office in its country.

(3) Certificates will be issued to participants who successfully complete their programs.

(4) Participant reports need to be submitted in accordance with the requirement of The ADOC Secretariat programs.

(5) Participants may not bring any family members, friends or pets to Taiwan. Otherwise, the additional expenditures and arrangements should be their responsibilities.

(6) Participants should return to their home country soon after completion of their programs.  Any additional expense or risk incurred due to a change of flight schedule will be the participants’ responsibility.

(7) The ADOC Secretariat may terminate a Fellowship extended to any participant, as well as his/her participation, if he/she:

A. is found guilty of serious misconduct;

B. is found to be engaging in political activities or any form of employment for profit or gain;

C. is found to have unsatisfactory performance during the program:

D. drops out of the program without following proper procedures and obtaining approval from The ADOC Secretariat;

E. is found in violation of such instructions or conditions as may be stipulated by The ADOC Secretariat and the agency sponsoring the program in respect to the program;

F. is found to be mentally or physically incapable of participating in the program actively, or is repeatedly absent from the program without prior permission;

G. is found to be absent for a period of 5 days, without approval from The ADOC Secretariat and the agency sponsoring the program;

H. is found to be unable to participate fully due to language deficiency.

2. Program Advisory

(1) Pre-departure

A. Confirmation of Your Participation:

Please fax the Letter of Invitation and Acceptance with your signature to The ADOC Secretariat through the Taiwan Embassy/ Consulate (General)/ Representative Office in your country.

B. Passport:

Make sure you have a valid passport (good for at least 6 months before its expiry date) or travel document. You or your employer should bear any expense incurred for this purpose.

C. Quarantine:

Check with the health authorities about inoculations or vaccinations that may be required and obtain them with the necessary certification. You or your employer should bear the expense involved.

D. Visa Application:

When applying for a visa to Taiwan, the Letter of Invitation and Acceptance must be presented.  Upon receiving the visa, check to make sure that it is the appropriate one and covers the entire duration of the program in Taiwan. Please note that the visa fee (third country visa fee) will be borne by the participant or his/her employer.

E. Air Ticket:

Please refer to “Fellowships for Participants” Part 1 （2）.

F. Confirmation of Flight Schedule:

The Taiwan Embassy/Consulate (General)/ Representative Office will inform you of your confirmed flight schedule. Please keep in touch with that office for help and advice.

G. Cancellation:

If you have to cancel your participation, please inform the Taiwan Embassy/Consulate (General)/Representative Office accordingly.

(2) Arrival at CKS International Airport

A. Your arrival date should be within 1 or 2 days before the opening ceremony of your program. If your arrival is unduly delayed, The ADOC Secretariat reserves the right to cancel your participation and air ticket (if issued).

B. Upon arrival at CKS Airport, the coordinator will arrange a shuttle bus for you to the hotel.

C. The program manager from The ADOC Secretariat will welcome you at the hotel.

(3) Program Period

A. A program coordinator will be responsible for taking care of participants.  If you have any problem or difficulty in living and learning, please contact the coordinator first.  The coordinator will, if necessary, convey your difficulty to the concerned parties for further assistance. 

B. Please set a good example by attending all sessions punctually and attentively. If you must be absent from the program for some important reason, advanced permission must be obtained from the agency sponsoring the program or The ADOC Secretariat project manager. Poor attendance may result in the termination of your participation, which means you may have to refund in full the amount paid for your allowance, board, lodging, and airfare.

C. During the program period, all matters related to the program will be settled in accordance with The ADOC Secretariat’s rules and regulations; The ADOC Secretariat’s decision will be final, and will be implemented accordingly.

D. Please devote most of the time during your stay in Taiwan to the program only. Please make sure that you do not engage in any employment, business, or political activities.

 (4) Program Completion and Evaluation

A. Your performance will be evaluated by the faculty and parties involved in implementing this program. You, as a participant, will also be asked to evaluate the program, so that improvements can be made in future programs.

B. A certificate will be issued to you when you have completed the program successfully.

(5) Return

A. You are expected to return to your home country upon completion of the program.

B. If your departure date from Taiwan is within 2 days after the closing ceremony of the program, the coordinator will help you to reconfirm your flight during the final days of your training.

C. If you are to leave for your home country immediately following the closing ceremony, the coordinator will arrange a shuttle bus for you to the CKS Airport.

D. Any additional expense or risk incurred due to extension of your stay, and any changes in your flight schedule, will be your own responsibility.

E. After going back to your country, please visit the Taiwan Embassy/ Consulate (General)/ Representative Office for completing your workshop participation.

 (6) The ADOC Secretariat Alumni Society

   The end of the program is the beginning of a new phase for you. After returning to your country, it is The ADOC Secretariat’s hope that you will

A. put the knowledge and skills you have gained to work in your employing organization;

B. help your organization to disseminate the knowledge you have gained through seminars, training programs, discussions, etc.;

C. keep in touch with us and remain in contact with the Taiwan Embassy/Consulate (General)/ Representative Office in your country to participated in the activities of The ADOC Secretariat Alumni Society in your country.