Taiwan is showcasing its tech and start-up strengths at this year’s Viva Technology conference, with the Taiwan Pavilion opening its exhibition on Wednesday in Paris.
The Taiwan Pavilion features 29 tech start-ups that can “solve problems in 34 industrial fields,” said Lin Der-sheng (林德生), head of the Taiwanese delegation and a department director at the National Science and Technology Council.
Participants at the Taiwan Pavilion’s opening ceremony on Wednesday afternoon included French Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology Clara Chappaz, French Minister of Higher Education Sylvie Retailleau, Viva Technology Global Partnerships and Public Affairs head Julie Lamande, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉) and representatives from the US, Germany, Japan, Switzerland and Brazil.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan provides significant “inspiration” to France and Europe in the tech ecosystem, Lamande said, expressing hope for a collaboration between France and Taiwan in the semiconductor industry.
“Taiwan is clearly leading in the AI [artificial intelligence] field, especially in deep tech and chipmaking,” she said, adding that AI is the focus of this year’s event.
France and Taiwan have a lot of potential for shared momentum and complementarity, as “Taiwan is strong, with experience in business collaboration and technology, while France has advantages in research and higher education talent,” Retailleau said.
Photo: Reuters
Chappaz expressed willingness to deepen collaborations with Hon Hai, after the company announced memorandums of understanding with France’s Thales Group and Radiall SA last month.
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳), described by French media as “the new global tech leader from Taiwan in a leather jacket,” delivered a keynote speech at the event. It drew such a large crowd that many were unable to enter the venue.
Pegatron Corp (和碩) also showcased its RA4802-72N2 server rack, built on Nvidia’s Blackwell architecture, at the event, while Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) introduced its latest portfolio of AI infrastructure solutions and announced collaborations with AI firm Nebius Group NV.
Viva Technology, founded in 2016, is one of Europe’s biggest tech trade fairs. More than 13,500 start-ups, 3,500 exhibitors, 3,200 investors and 165,000 participants are expected to attend the four-day event, which ends tomorrow.
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