South Korea recently hosted the second annual Social Value Festa, exploring ways to design a sustainable future. The event attracted over 300 major corporations, social enterprises, and venture capital firms, including SK Group, Kakao, and LG Chem. Leading companies showcased solutions leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies to address pressing social challenges.

Government agencies in Taiwan have taken measures to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in recent years, with the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), and National Development Council (NDC) offering subsidies and guidance to foster more US$1 billion unicorns and accelerate industrial transformation into knowledge and applied services. Yet many of these startups have failed to rise out of the doldrums: even though their founders have vanished, these companies still exist in name only without being dissolved.

Taiwan’s Value Valves Industry, a leading manufacturer of industrial valves, has reported that recent US tariff impositions and escalating US-China tensions have had minimal impact on its business. According to Chairman Tai Chung Yang, the company has benefited from order transfers from European and American customers, with a major US client planning a visit to Taiwan for cooperation discussions.