Sustainability relies on new technology say startup influencers in Taipei

台北創業影響家表示，永續依賴於新技術

New and smart technologies provide answers to social and climate issues, but they need a boost


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese working in Europe and a French person working in Taiwan recently shared a stage with a common purpose to help people understand that they can do more than they realize in creating an impact on society and the environment.

David Liu, who moved to Sweden more than 10 years ago, is now General Manager of Norrsken Stockholm, a non-profit foundation dedicated to encouraging startup entrepreneurs to address and solve problems in the world through their business solutions.

Clément Dieudonné, the top marketing executive for Taipei-based Ubiik and a fast-growing international startup, is promoting the deployment of their patented software and devices to make smart energy a reality and that also helps fight against climate change in the course of time.

As the country's leading Industrial IoT solutions provider, Ubiik has been chosen by the country's state-owned electricity monopoly Taipower to be a qualified vendor for its largest IoT project. Clément talked about how Ubiik's new technology has been applied to improve energy efficiency in different countries.

The two shared the stage at a bimonthly networking event in Taipei cohosted by Meet Global, the Taipei-based news blog featuring startup companies, and American Innovation Center (AIC) and exchanged ideas with more than 50 Taiwanese startups and entrepreneurs over cups of freshly steeped Taiwanese tea.

The gathering came at a time when Taiwan is embracing ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) as the best practice for corporate development to maintain its high global standing and attractiveness for investment. Investors also continue to shift to socially responsible companies and industries, which remains generally unchanged despite the looming energy crisis caused by Putin's war in Ukraine.

Talking about sustainability trends, Liu said the challenges people are facing today are global. "The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the examples and who knows what else is next," he said.

"The traditional technology, or the traditional solutions, might not be the best fit. We strongly believe that entrepreneurs and startup founders actually have a great chance to utilize technology to solve those challenges in the world," he said, regardless of whether it is combating climate change or disease. Liu described his non-profit organization as an ecosystem where startup founders can gain knowledge and raise capital to promote and apply their new technologies to make a better world.

Liu said the Swedish hub is expanding outside the Scandinavian nation and is about to open a third location beyond their current "houses" in Stockholm, Sweden and Kigali, Rwanda. More new locations and strategic partnerships with international companies are in planning. He personally hoped one of them would be in his native Taiwan in the future.