The 2024 ASPN Accelerator Demo Day, organized by the Sports Administration, Ministry of Education and hosted by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University IAPS, took place on August 9 at CORNER MAX Multi-Functional Exhibition Hall in Taipei. The event attracted 12 teams from 7 countries, showcasing the results of six months of collaborative development with both domestic and international industry mentors. In the end, the Taiwanese team, StatsInsight took the top honors, winning both the “Sports Administration Award” and the “ASPN Award.”
- StatsInsight, the Taiwanese team led by CEO Le Shu, won both the "Sports Administration Award" and the "ASPN Award" at the ASPN Accelerator Demo Day.
President Chi-Hung Lin of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) expressed that the university’s Industry Accelerator & Incubation Center (IAPS) is a globally renowned industry accelerator. He was pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with the Ministry of Education’s Sports Administration through ASPN to establish Asia’s first sports innovation accelerator. Professor Ching-Yao Huang, who recently became Chief Innovation Officer of NYCU, has a notable academic track record and is also a seasoned serial entrepreneur. Over the years, he has dedicated himself to connecting the university’s international resources and promoting sports innovation education. To date, NYCU has successfully nurtured 117 sports innovation teams from 22 countries, significantly enhancing Taiwan’s global reputation.
- Speech by President Chi-Hung Lin of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.
Professor Ching-Yao Huang remarked that this Demo Day saw 12 teams from 7 countries competing for accelerator awards, showcasing the results of six months of collaboration with both domestic and international mentors. The competition was fierce, and the judging panel had a tough time scoring the teams. In the end, Taiwan’s StatsInsight emerged victorious, winning both the “Sports Administration Award” and the “ASPN Award.” The founder of StatsInsight, a former professional baseball player in Taiwan, combined his passion and like-minded partners to create a baseball data analytics technology. The team has already collaborated with local baseball teams and is planning to expand into international markets such as the U.S. and Japan.
Additionally, Snipitz from the U.S. received recognition for its outstanding video technology platform, which allows fans to easily share sports videos and enhances fan engagement with sporting events. The team was also awarded the “ASPN Award.” In the future, all award-winning teams will have the opportunity to be invited to ASPN-related domestic and international exhibitions and events, further expanding their business opportunities.
- Professor Ching-Yao Huang, Chief Innovation Officer of the Office of University-Industry Collaboration at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, took a group photo with the graduating teams from Taiwan.
Maggie Hsu, Director of the Sports Administration at the Ministry of Education, stated that ASPN (APEC Sport Policy Network) was initiated by the Sports Administration in 2016 under the APEC Human Resources Development Working Group. It aims to unite sports officials and industry experts from APEC economies to jointly promote sports innovation education. Since 2018, ASPN has leveraged an accelerator mechanism to integrate resources from various regional sectors, fostering sports innovation talent.
This year’s Accelerator Demo Day was held in conjunction with the Sport Event Taiwan Workshop, inviting over 20 international speakers from ASPN and IAEH to Taiwan. These included representatives from renowned organizations such as Silicon Valley’s Plug and Play accelerator, Microsoft’s Global Sports Innovation Center (GSIC) in Singapore, and the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN). The goal was to draw from global best practices and encourage sports innovation teams to strengthen real-world applications.
- Speech by Maggie Hsu, Director of the International and Cross-Strait Sports Division, Sports Administration, Ministry of Education.
- A discussion between representatives from the renowned Silicon Valley accelerator Plug and Play and the ASPN network accelerator.
It is especially noteworthy that several members of IAEH (International Association of Event Hosts) also participated in the event. These included representatives from Stavanger Tourism and Convention Bureau in Norway, Norway Sports Tech Center, Japan Sports Tourism Alliance, Taipei City Sports Bureau, New Taipei City Sports Bureau, and the Ministry of Education’s Sports Administration. Notably, Hsu Hsiu-Ling, Director of the Sports Administration, is currently a board member of IAEH. During the event, she took the opportunity to strengthen connections, allowing ASPN partners such as the Thailand Sports Authority, Saitama Sports Association in Japan, and Singapore Sports Events to gain further insights into IAEH. This successfully bridged the gap between European and Asian sports event organizations and enhanced Taiwan’s international visibility.
- Group photo from the 2024 ASPN Accelerator Demo Day.