Amazon’s cloud computing arm AWS is launching their first flagship joint innovation center in Taiwan, where they will provide assistance to tech professionals and supports to high-tech startups in the fields of cloud computing, big data, IoT, and AI.
Located in Banqiao District, New Taipei City, the center will be jointly operated by New Taipei City government and FCC Partners, a middle-market cross-border M&A financial advisory services provider.
The partnership is set to create a comprehensive ecosystem of startup innovation, which will help pioneer the shift from traditional industries into digital markets in Taiwan, FCC Partner Chairman Huang Chi-yuan said to local media.
The move is in line with Amazon’s greater push to capitalize on the rise of tech innovations from the Greater China region. AWS just rolled out its first global joint innovation center in Qingdao, Shandong Province in March 2017.
On the other hand, the local government considers investment in the innovation center as a strategic decision, which will contribute to the government’s Asia Silicon Valley Development Plan. Taiwan, once an indispensable part of the world high-tech supply chain, has been suffering from a growth slowdown in recent years. The plan is among a series of governmental efforts to revive the local tech industry.
Before Amazon went forward with this allocation in Taiwan, Microsoft and IBM had both established application innovation centers in Taiwan, including a development center for the IoT industry and a cloud innovation alliance in order to strengthen their ecosystems.