The 2025 Meet Greater South, held August 22-23 at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, brought together 300 startup teams from nine countries. Centered on the themes of semiconductors, AI, and sustainability, the event underscored how these sectors are becoming the core drivers of industrial upgrading and international integration in southern Taiwan.
Kaohsiung's expanding technology corridor
With global tech leaders such as TSMC, AMD, and Nvidia deepening their presence, Kaohsiung is rapidly building a complete industrial ecosystem spanning advanced chipmaking, cloud computing, and intelligent applications. This growth is opening unprecedented opportunities for startups across diverse fields.
The event showcased how semiconductor and AI innovations power advances in 5G, smart cities, green energy, energy transition technologies, electric vehicles, and smart manufacturing. It also highlighted emerging areas such as carbon credit trading and green finance, presenting a comprehensive blueprint for southern Taiwan's next phase of industrial development and global integration.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chi-mai Chen noted that innovation momentum is accelerating toward the south, with Kaohsiung at the center of this transformation. He emphasized that semiconductors, AI, and sustainability are not distant aspirations but part of the city's current reality. From TSMC's 2-nanometer fabrication facility to the arrival of Nvidia and Cisco, a robust technology corridor is gradually taking shape, reinforcing Kaohsiung's position as a vital global semiconductor hub.
Government support fuels industry transformation
Minister of Economic Affairs Jyh-huei Kuo pointed to the Asia New Bay Area 5G AIoT Innovation Park as a catalyst for Kaohsiung's growth. The park has attracted 13 international accelerators, generating more than NT$2.7 billion (US$88 million) in investments and business opportunities.
To further strengthen competitiveness, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has partnered with 15 research institutions to help local small and medium-sized enterprises adopt advanced AI solutions, upgrade production lines, and accelerate the transition to smart manufacturing.
Global startups showcase emerging technologies
The 2025 exhibition featured zones dedicated to AI and semiconductors, AR/VR and digital content, smart healthcare, electric vehicles and green energy management, IoT-driven smart cities, and Web3 financial innovations. Highlights included an AI-powered automated production line simulation in the smart manufacturing zone and immersive experience devices in the digital content area, offering visitors a direct look at next-generation applications.
International startups also brought diverse innovations to Kaohsiung. South Korea's Ipin Labs demonstrated indoor positioning technology for smart logistics and manufacturing; Thailand's Chosen Digital presented electric vehicle energy transition solutions; and the UK's Cubeworks introduced smart shared spaces and unmanned baristas. These examples illustrated how global startups are partnering with local industries to drive practical applications and create new business opportunities.
Article edited by Jerry Chen
