2020-11-03

The fifth training program of HYPE Global Virtual Accelerator Taiwan, focusing on sports innovation, has officially commenced.

Taiwan Sports Innovation Accelerator (HYPE SPIN Accelerator Taiwan), jointly established by the Ministry of Education’s Sports Administration and the National Chiao Tung University’s Industry Accelerator Center, has successfully organized four training programs to date, nurturing a total of 44 innovative teams from both domestic and international sources and driving the sports technology trend. Today, at the Taiwan Tech Arena, the Kickoff Bootcamp event was held to announce the official launch of the 5th training program. A total of 48 domestic and international sports innovation teams applied for this cycle, and from the 16 teams that passed the preliminary selection, 10 were selected to participate in the 5th training program, injecting more energy into Taiwan’s sports innovation industry and aligning with the international arena.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the kickoff event was conducted online. Secretary-General Yeh Ting-Peng from the Ministry of Education’s Sports Administration and Director Huang Ching-Yao from the Chiao Tung University’s Accelerator Center attended the event in person, while Amir Raveh and Zvika Popper, the founders and operators of HYPE Sports Innovation, participated online through Cisco Webex, adding momentum to the event. The event also featured special lectures on sports innovation technology, inviting Decathlon and previous outstanding alumni teams Jingletek and Uniigym to share their experiences in cooperative development.

Since 2018, the Sports Administration has entrusted the Chiao Tung University’s Accelerator Center and HYPE Sports Innovation to establish the Taiwan Sports Innovation Accelerator, with the aim of combining the Center’s expertise and advantages in building an innovative ecosystem and its experience in nurturing nearly a hundred innovative teams. The goal is to assist teams interested in sports innovation to integrate technologies from various fields such as science and technology, manufacturing, and service industries, bridge the gap between sports innovation and entrepreneurship, accelerate international networking, enter the international market, and enhance the international recognition of Taiwan’s sports innovation industry.

The 5th cycle of the Taiwan Sports Innovation Accelerator will be conducted through a combination of in-person activities and online acceleration courses. This format not only allows for increased frequency and opportunities for teams to interact with mentors but also enables the participation of international mentors. In previous training programs, we have invited industry elites, and for this cycle, we have added esteemed professionals such as Professor Lin Shi-Ping from National Chiao Tung University, Mr. Vincent Liang, Vice General Manager of Jia Bi Qi International, Mr. Chen Shih-Chieh, Co-founder of Koniji Design Studio, Ms. Medo Ma, Co-founder of BlackStorm Consulting, and Mr. Han-Wei Ma, Manager at Aedge Ventures. Together with the international mentorship team from HYPE, these domestic and international experts and scholars in the fields of sports technology research and development, entrepreneurial knowledge, and brand marketing will guide the participating teams to obtain valuable opportunities for business consultation and international integration. In addition, we are collaborating for the first time with Taispeed Innovation Management Consultants to provide guidance to the teams in formulating strategies and facilitating matchmaking.

In the 4th cycle of the training program, we conducted product validation in collaboration with Taiwan Decathlon and a professional baseball team, which received positive feedback and allowed the innovative teams to validate market demands. Therefore, in this cycle, we will continue to collaborate with Taiwan Decathlon and professional baseball teams to discuss and provide suitable teams with opportunities for product testing and proof of concept (POC), aiming to offer more opportunities for product growth and networking for the innovative teams.

In recent years, Taiwan’s outstanding sports performances have been gaining international attention. It is the policy goal of the Sports Administration to elevate Taiwan’s visibility by leveraging sports on the international stage. Through this, the administration aims to assist Taiwan’s sports innovation sector in integrating the advantages and strengths of our technology, manufacturing, and service industries. By staying attuned to the international trends and pulse of sports innovation, we can explore new development opportunities and potential areas, showcasing Taiwan’s soft power in sports innovation to the world.