At this year’s COMPUTEX exhibition, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) led a delegation of 26 companies formed of SMEs and cohorts from their flagship Star Venture Programme. This Programme targets high-potential startups, accelerators, and consultants to help them realize their full potential. Not only did these companies have the opportunity to meet potential partners at COMPUTEX and InnoVEX, but EBRD also organized a business-to-business matching session for them. Furthermore, on Friday, June 2, the delegation visited three of Taiwan’s top organizations driving the ICT industry: Gorilla Technology, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), and the Taiwan Association for Virtual and Augmented Reality (TAVAR).
The delegation’s first stop was Gorilla, a global leader in video analytics and cybersecurity technology. They work with large clients in government and industry, utilizing edge AI to provide solutions for smart and safe cities, safeguarding communities worldwide. EBRD’s delegation heard from Gorilla’s CEO, Jay Chandan, and learned about the company’s approach to handling big client’s needs, such as airports and military.
Amongst the small and medium enterprises in the delegation, this struck a chord with Parqour, a smart parking company headquartered in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Parqour also works with big clients such as airports and train stations who need advanced video surveillance management. “We have some clients that are looking for the same solutions in 15 operating countries all over the world,” said Daniyar Kenzhekhanov, the Chief Commercial Officer at Parqour. “They [Gorilla] don’t have operating units in central Asia, so that would be an opportunity to cooperate with us and work together.” Daniyar hopes Parqour can work with Gorilla to provide cutting-edge solutions in video analytics to their clients in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and etc.
Next the delegation visited the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Taiwan’s top institute for applied technology research. Founded in 1973, ITRI forges connections between innovative research and industrial demands to create economic value and enhance social well-being. During their visit, EBRD’s delegation was introduced to many of ITRI’s exciting projects and explored their exhibition on net-zero carbon emission.
These carbon capture technologies resonated with Andorean, a Mongolian tech company that works with the mining, construction, and smart city industries. Reflecting on the visit with ITRI, Andorean CEO Erdenetuya Chuluunbaatar said, “The most important project for me personally was the carbon capturing technology. It was actual, practical net-zero technology and… that kind of integration with carbon dioxide absorbing technology will facilitate Mongolia’s net-zero target.” Erdenetuya wants to bring ITRI’s carbon capturing solutions to Andorean’s clients in Mongolia, helping more companies to reduce their environmental impact.
Beyond ITRI’s impressive technological achievements, another company in the delegation was impressed with their organizational model. ITRI “is really a perfect example of knowledge utilization and knowledge transfer, and the collaboration between science and industry that is a really big topic in European countries right now,” said Dr. Ana Ranitović, the Co-Founder and CEO of Campster, an e-learning company based in Belgrade that has their own proprietary learning technology and online courses. For Ranitović, ITRI exemplifies how research, industry, and the government can come together to boost the economy and industrial development.
The delegation’s final stop was the Taiwan Association for Virtual and Augmented Reality (TAVAR), where they learned about Taiwan’s AR and VR industries and tested some new products. TAVAR cultivates strong links between industry and academia, creating an ecosystem for AR/VR startups to collaborate, learn from each other, and find ways to monetize their solutions.
TAVAR’s close connection with academic institutions caught the attention of Ranitović, who has plans for Campster to use AR and VR in their interactive online learning platform. “AR/VR allows for a really immersive experience, so that way you eliminate distractions,” she said. “We are thinking about using augmented reality for language learning, and that is something that we actually talked about with a few companies in Taipei that are already working on developing that.” AR and VR have the potential to change education, bringing immersive experiences to students in a safe environment.
For Parqour, Andorean, and Campster, meeting with Gorilla, ITRI, and TAVAR was a stellar way to close out an unforgettable experience at COMPUTEX 2023. During Parqour’s time at the exhibition, “We met about six or seven companies that do similar things,” Kenzhekhanov said, “some are hardware manufacturers, so we are going to make things with them I hope.” Erdenetuya commented, “COMPUTEX was 200 or 300% better than my expectation… I was able to directly contact with vendors and I got a lot of innovative ideas.” Lastly, Ranitović said, “COMPUTEX was really inspiring… It was very interesting to meet other companies in a similar state as we are and see what everyone is doing.”
COMPUTEX brings together hundreds of organizations from around the world, facilitating international connections that accelerate the ICT industry. Thanks to the efforts of EBRD, 26 companies in their Star Venture program were able to participate in COMPUTEX 2023, meet inspiring organizations, and forge connections for future international collaborations.
