Last month, on May 29, the American non-profit startup accelerator Choose New Jersey officially established its Asia-Pacific Center in Taiwan. Sam Lin, the center's director, extended an invitation to i2i to attend the opening reception through the Investment and Trade Office of Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. The center aims to use Taiwan as a strategic point to expand long-term economic and trade relations between New Jersey and the East Asian region.
The event was hosted by Choose New Jersey's President & CEO Wesley Mathews, who emphasized hopes of leveraging Taiwan's resilient supply chain to drive innovation and economic growth for both parties.
i2i along with Taiwanese startups participating in this year's IP2 Scale Out Program, attended the opening reception to gain insight into New Jersey's future economic plans in the Asia-Pacific region.
The opening reception for the New Jersey Asia-Pacific Center featured a lineup of distinguished speakers. It was hosted by Choose New Jersey's President & CEO Wesley Mathews and included virtual addresses from New Jersey Governor Philip Dunton Murphy and Taiwan Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao.
Other notable speakers included Betsy Shieh, head of the American Institute in Taiwan's commercial section, Liang-Yu Wang, Director-General of the North American Affairs Department at Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Calcado, Executive Vice President of Rutgers University, Barbara Owen, Director of Alumni Affairs at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Beth Chien, Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at MediaTek.
The plan to establish the New Jersey Asia-Pacific Center in Taiwan was set in motion during a 2023 visit to East Asia by New Jersey Governor Philip Dunton Murphy and former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. The goal is to strengthen economic and cultural ties between New Jersey and Taiwan, enhancing cooperation and creating new business opportunities across Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and China, while deepening U.S.-Taiwan economic relations.
The New Jersey Asia-Pacific Center focuses on key sectors including life sciences, manufacturing, clean energy, and artificial intelligence. According to Wesley Mathews, these areas are critical to New Jersey's current economic development.
Since the governor's East Asia visit last year, the number of East Asian companies interested in establishing or expanding their business in New Jersey has increased by 845%.
Wesley Mathews expressed that the opening of the Asia-Pacific Center aims to build bridges with partners in the region. The New Jersey state government's decision to set up the Asia-Pacific Center in Taiwan reflects Taiwan's strategic role as a gateway to the Indo-Pacific region.
(Taiwanese startup team members participating in the i2i 2024 IP2 Scale Out Program)
About Choose New Jersey
Choose New Jersey is a non-profit organization supported by the New Jersey state government, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, with international offices in Trenton, Germany, Ireland, Israel, and India. Since its founding in 2010, it has supported over 420 companies, generating $11 billion in investments. By combining efforts from businesses, government, civil society, and academia, it promotes economic development, fosters local entrepreneurship, and attracts international startups to New Jersey. Key industries include technology, biopharmaceuticals, and finance.
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