IC TAIWAN GRAND CHALLENGE: GLOBAL CALL FOR PROPOSALS
DEADLINE: 31 January 2025
Taiwan Chip-based Industrial Innovation Program (Taiwan CbI) is a collaborative effort by Taiwanese government ministries. It leverages Taiwan’s semiconductor expertise by integrating chips with critical innovations. The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) spearheads the IC Taiwan Grand
Challenge to bolster Taiwan’s IC startup ecosystem and attract global tech talent and investment. By participating in the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge, the winners will not only win a 30,000 US dollar cash prize for the winners, which aims to help the winners kick off their efforts in collaborating with Taiwan’s local industries, but other additional rewards which may include review and mentoring by industry experts, IC Startup Accelerating Platform in Taiwan, and business development resources in Taiwan.
Categories
Participating teams need to actively leverage innovative IC design to develop advanced application solutions or enhanced technologies across the following categories:
➢ Smart Data & AI (such as: cybersecurity, quantum computing, digital economy)
➢ Smart Mobility (such as: electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, comms/satellite)
➢ Smart Manufacturing (such as: intelligent manufacturing, IC process, robotics)
➢ Smart Medtech (such as: biometrics, smart monitoring, eHealth)
➢ Sustainability (such as: sustainable manufacturing, energy-saving innovation)
Eligibility
1. Startups, legal entities, academic research teams, and persons that plan to collaborate with Taiwan’s semiconductor chip design and manufacturing industry. Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Participants entering as companies must be startups that were established within 8 years from the date of registration. However, this does not apply to non-corporate entities, academic research teams, or individual persons.
- Startups/ legal entities/ academic research institutions/ individuals from mainland China or startups established by people, legal entities or other institutions in China from a third place to invest in Taiwan are not legible to apply to the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge.
- The source of funding must not include funds from a third-area enterprise, which refers to a person, legal entity or institution in China that directly or indirectly holds more than 30% of the shares or total capital contribution of the third-area enterprise; or having the ability to control the third-area enterprise.
2. The participant must own the intellectual property rights of the product, technology or solution or have obtained legal licensing access.
3. The participant must provide concept paper (for initial review) and deliver a presentation (for secondary review) within the designated time. The content of the concept paper includes the core technology, situations that have been solved or verified so far, the business model to be developed, market expansion plans, etc. The participant must submit a pitch video of no longer than 3 minutes, along with other supporting materials.
4. Participants who have previously won awards in the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge are not eligible for rewards in this competition. However, this restriction does not apply if the project leader is different from the one in the previous competition, especially for legal entities or academic research teams.
Deadline and submission
We encourage everyone with innovative ideas and applications to apply and showcase their full technological potential. Full details and application information can be found here: https://ictaiwanchallenge.org/
2nd Round Online Application Ends 31 January 2025.