Best and Brightest AI Minds Celebrated at Taiwan's Inaugural Best AI Awards

TAIPEI,May 15, 2025/PRNewswire/ -- This is a news report by DIGITIMES:

Taiwan'sMinistry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) hosted the inauguralBest AI Award CompetitiononMay 3, 2025, at the Taipei World Trade Center, Hall 1, aiming to strengthenTaiwan'sAI talent pool and attract greater investment in AI research. The event drew 1,253 teams from 36 countries, with 233 advancing to the finals acrossAI ApplicationandIC Designcategories, segmented into Public Corporations, SMEs& Startups, Students, and International Teams.

Eight teams won Gold Awards: HiTRUSTpay, EYS3D Microelectronics,Daya Yoo, Jmem Tek, National Central University, National Taiwan University, Touch Lab (Philippines), andArba Lab(UK). MOEA positioned the competition asTaiwan'sOscars for AI, fostering innovation, industry collaboration, and AI commercialization. Prizes range fromNT$300,000for student winners toNT$1 millionfor enterprises, startups, and international teams.

Deputy MinisterHo Chin-tsang emphasized AI's transformative role across industries, highlighting the competition's ability to bridge talent development with market needs. MOEA aims to sustain AI integration through policies and partnerships.

Director-GeneralKuo Chao-chung noted the event's strong international engagement, with 353 professionals from 36 countries. The ministry will continue collaborating with academia and industry to advance AI applications and talent cultivation.

Chiu Chui-hui, Director-General of the Industrial Development Administration, cited AI talent shortages as a key challenge, referencing a report rankingTaiwan4th in AI infrastructurebut significantly lower in talent (38th), research (27th), and commercialization (39th). The competition, with its7.4% award selection rate, aims to accelerate practical AI adoption and professional development.

Winning projects demonstrated AI's diverse applications across ICT (18.4%), manufacturing (16.2%), healthcare (15.9%), retail (10.2%), education (8.6%), and finance (7.8%), with particular innovation in AIoT and edge AI integration.

MOEA plans to make theBest AI Awardsan annual event, furtheringTaiwan'sAI development, talent cultivation, and commercialization efforts. Concurrent matchmaking events atCOMPUTEXwill connect teams with over 20 venture capitalists and buyers, fostering investment and collaboration opportunities.

Through these initiatives,Taiwanaims to solidify its status as a leadingAI Island. For updates, follow the officialBest AI Awards LinkedIn page.

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SOURCE DIGITIMES