At COMPUTEX 2025, ASUS showcased its comprehensive AI infrastructure solutions, targeting the computing needs of data centers, edge computing, and a wide range of intelligent applications. With a robust product portfolio, ASUS brings to life the NVIDIA AI Factory vision, illustrating how AI will be deeply embedded into enterprise IT infrastructure. This evolution continues to drive forward applications and services that shape the future of AI and high-performance computing

Linxens, a global leader in component-based solutions for authentication and traceability, and Dracula Technologies, a pioneer in ambient light energy harvesting, have announced a strategic collaboration to develop next-generation autonomous IoT solutions for traceability and smart labelling applications. This collaboration paves the way for smarter and more sustainable connected devices

Technology news, product launches and show highlights from the event attendees available for download (PDF).

Illumia Labs, a Canada-headquartered pioneer in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) training, is targeting the Asia-Pacific market, with a specific focus on setting up a local presence and cultivating an advanced, AI-powered XR training ecosystem in Taiwan. The company, co-founded by two former Singapore Air Force pilots, is addressing a critical global labor shortage.Alan Tay, Illumia Labs co-founder and CEO, detailed the company's unique approach to immersive training with generative AI, their ambitious Series A funding plan and how the firm aims to leverage Taiwan's strong technological infrastructure in an interview with DIGITIMES.From Cockpit to Code: The Birth of a Digital HumanThe inspiration for Illumia Labs, according to Alan Tay, stemmed from a persistent real-world problem observed while running a flight school: a constant shortage of mechanics and flight instructors dating back to 2015, which significantly impacted the flight school's ability to produce trained pilots with reduced timeline.After successfully developing an initial Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in 2021 to digitize a flight instructor, the company began moving beyond aviation, realizing the potential for its technology across numerous vocations.Illumia Labs differentiates itself from traditional VR/AR training methods by focusing on human-centred AI. The core technology involves:1. Behavioural Replication: Training the AI to copy the human instructor's behaviour, subtle actions, and complex assessment methods using video data.2. Immersive Scenario-Based Learning: Placing the resulting "digital human" into immersive environments (VR, AR, or XR) where it can act as a mentor or role-playing partner.3. Sensor Agnosticism: The technology is not restricted to bulky goggles but can be integrated into AR/XR glasses or sensor-filled training rooms."We are not there to replace the human, but to make sure that the human is capable doing their jobs with much more proficiency," Tay stated.Beyond Maintenance: AI in Customer ServiceWhile founded in aviation and mechanics, the company has found diverse applications for its technology, particularly in customer service such as training flight attendants, banking staff and other customer facing staff. The AI is designed to ensure a "gold standard" of service that includes proper tone, language, and body language.A key unique feature is the AI's ability to conduct evaluation while the trainee is physically performing a task. For example, the AI can role-play as a "disruptive passenger" while a flight attendant trainee practices virtual food service in a confined space. This hands-on, contextual assessment offers a dynamic and individualized immersive training experience unlike simple chatbot conversations.Crucially, the system is designed to handle multilingual and culturally sensitive training.Alan Tay noted that the product is designed to be 80% complete, stating: "The other 20% I need the local experts to let us know what are the local customs. We can add on, and our AI learns from the video." This final, customized portion is built into the business model as a one-time Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) fee, alongside standard SaaS licenses and seed models for larger organizations.Aggressive Expansion and Taiwan's RoleIllumia Labs is executing an aggressive scaling plan, following its successful model in Singapore and a recent expansion into Malaysia. Participating in the CTA program, the company views Taiwan as a strategic hub for the Indo-Pacific rollout.The biggest challenge the company faces is not technological capability, but infrastructure and data connectivity. "Not everywhere has accessibility to 5G," Alan Tay lamented, citing issues with latency and computing power accessibility in various global markets. However, the co-founder expressed optimism about Taiwan, stating that its advanced infrastructure is expected to make the local rollout "a lot more smoother" than in other parts of the regions. "Taiwan's success stories", he added, "will serve as vital pilot cases for further international scaling."Alan Tay, founder of Illumia Labs. Credit: Illumia Labs

Anandi Botanicals Inc., an Alberta-based startup, is pioneering sustainable, high-tech agriculture by merging advanced plant biotechnology with AI and robotics. The company seeks research and commercial partnerships in Taiwan to scale its solutions for high-value crops and enhance global food security.The company specializes in plant tissue culture and AI-driven optimization across agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and conservation. Founder and Technical Director Dr. Annie Ray, a plant biologist with over a decade of international experience, established Anandi Botanicals in 2024 to address limitations in traditional propagation methods. "Seeds in seed banks often degrade, are susceptible to infection, and may not survive," she explains, making tissue culture "almost the only option" for rare and endangered species.Dev, Co-founder and Chief AI Officer, brings over 20 years of expertise in product development, AI, and automation. The founders' complementary backgrounds allow the company to scale tissue culture efficiently, automating labor-intensive processes that become unviable at large volumes.The process begins with explants from certified mother plants and follows stages including callus induction, shooting, rooting, acclimatization, and greenhouse hardening. The result: virus-free, disease-free, uniform plants with faster growth and scalable production. Techniques include protoplast culture and microfluidics, with AI models analyzing data to optimize workflows and reduce research time. Local GPU execution ensures data privacy, while IP-protected logistics solutions maintain plant viability during shipping, reducing damage from 70–80% in traditional transport.Taiwan Market and Global StrategyThrough the Canadian Technology Accelerator, Anandi Botanicals seeks Taiwanese partners for both R&D and commercial production. Target crops include orchids, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, garlic, and medicinal plants. Partnerships with universities, biotech parks, and local nurseries will support technology adoption and automation integration.The company is leading research on perennial grains in collaboration with the NRC. Perennial grains do not need to be seeded every year, staying in the ground for at least three years. This improves soil quality by increasing carbon content and aeration and requires less tilling.On the research front, the company collaborates with Canada's National Research Council on perennial grains, which improve soil quality, reduce tilling, and provide multi-year yields. A proposal has been submitted to the UN FAO as a global food security solution. Taiwan's focus on sustainability and high food import reliance makes this technology highly relevant.Business Model and Future OutlookAnandi Botanicals operates a dual model: direct sales for crops without IP restrictions and licensed production for valuable IP-protected crops, offering royalties or licensing options. Its AI and automation technologies are being patented, with collaborative sharing possible under NDAs.For their technologies, including their AI-related solutions and workflow automation, they are in the process of IP registration. They are open to the transfer and distribution of their AI technologies through agreements like mandatory NDAs, emphasizing that this is crucial for global food security. Importantly, they are willing to negotiate IP terms and are "more than agreeable to discuss those opportunities" when collaborating with government establishments for the betterment of the entire community or country.Over the next five years, Anandi Botanicals aims to lead the integration of AI, robotics, and biotechnology in agriculture, increasing efficiency in production and research. By partnering with global institutions, governments, and commercial entities, the company seeks to scale field trials, expand perennial crop production, and contribute to global food security.Founder and Technical Director Dr. Annie Ray, Anandi Botanicals.

Dr. Ali Okhowat, a Canadian physician with a background spanning humanitarian work in conflict zones to co-founding the World Health Organization (WHO) Innovation Hub, is now using artificial intelligence to solve one of healthcare's most persistent problems: administrative burden. Through his company Aya Health Technologies Inc., he has developed an AI scribe solution called "Autochart.ai Health Assistant". The team joins the Canadian Technology Accelerator for startups in the second half of 2025, leveraging Taiwan's proactive push toward "smart hospitals" to enter Asian markets.Describing himself as "a physician by training, but a geek at heart," Dr. Okhowat's career trajectory is unique. After completing training in Canada, he worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross in low-resource and conflict areas, including Gaza and Afghanistan, followed by a post with the WHO overseeing the Middle East and North Africa. This field experience heavily influenced his belief in using technology to make care more accessible and efficient, eventually leading him to co-found the WHO Innovation Hub in Geneva.The Genesis of Autochart.ai Health AssistantThe concept for Autochart.ai was born from the direct experience of a practicing physician. Following his return to Canada and involvement in the COVID-19 response, Dr. Okhowat co-established a medical clinic in British Columbia intended to function as an innovation lab for digital health solutions.The resulting product, Autochart.ai, is an AI health assistant and clinical workflow solution designed to reduce the time health providers spend on documentation."The first part is that a note has to be generated documenting what actually happened and what the next steps were," Dr. Okhowat explained. "We are trying to help all health providers who are somewhat burdened with this task of having to create that initial clinical document, and then all of the downstream documents that are also needed, things like referral notes, patient communications messages."The solution, which is built on the Microsoft Azure Foundry and leverages various Large Language Models (LLMs), has been fully commercialized since November 2024 and is currently being used by subscribers in Canada and the US, including several British Columbia providers and health facilities involved in a provincial AI Scribe pilot program.A Focus on Multilingual ContextA key differentiator for Autochart.ai is its robust support for diverse linguistic environments. Recognizing the need for global utility, the company prioritized multilingual capability from the start."We translated the public-facing website fully into 10 different languages, and the interface into 13 different languages," Dr. Okhowat stated. "The number of languages that we accept in terms of input languages and output languages are over 100 different languages and dialects," including support for both simplified and traditional Chinese text. This focus aims to address not only single-language needs but also multilingual, multi-issue, and multi-patient encounters common in clinical settings. The software can also integrate visual context, such as analyzing images of dermatologic lesions, into the generated documentation.Scaling in Taiwan's Smart Hospital EcosystemDr. Okhowat's visit to Taiwan for the Startup Acceleration Program is timely, aligning with the government's recent initiative to encourage hospitals to transform into "smart hospitals" by digital transformation, robotics, and AI.In response to Taiwan's changing demographics and rising healthcare needs, the government has just launched the "Healthy Taiwan Deep Cultivation Plan" (2025–2029) in April with a total budget of NT$48.9 billion (US$1.63 billion), focusing on four key areas-better working conditions for medical staff, diverse talent cultivation, smart healthcare technology, and sustainable, socially responsible medicine-to advance tiered care, workforce retention, and healthcare system reform.Autochart.ai's strategy for entering the market centers on three pillars:1. Localization and Integration: Finding local partners to customize the solution and integrate it with Taiwan's established Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and world-class hardware manufacturers.2. Regulatory Adherence: Gaining a deep understanding of local data security and Taiwan FDA health pathway regulations to ensure full compliance. The system is already designed to support on-premise or local secure cloud environments to meet strict data privacy demands.3. Investment Synergy: Engaging with the local investor community to secure funding necessary for scaling the solution, with the goal of making it a "homegrown solution in Taiwan."The company offers flexible business models, including Software as a Service (SaaS), API-based integration, and licensing. Dr. Okhowat noted the potential for innovative monetization, moving toward a value-aligned model such as a per-chart fee with a managed upper cap to reduce costs for health systems.Future Vision: AI as a Total Health AssistantLooking ahead five years, the vision for Autochart.ai Health Assistant expands beyond supporting providers to directly empowering patients."We want to be able to help the patients just as much," Dr. Okhowat said. The company is currently developing a patient-facing AI scribe, voice agents, and physical AI implementations that would help individuals own and manage their medical records, make appointments, and summarize complex medical discussions for loved ones and their "circle of care." This evolution aims to transform the system into a comprehensive AI health assistant for all stakeholders, from providers to patients to health systems.