Friendly cities join hands! Kaohsiung and Kumamoto City signed an Memorandum of Understanding on Startup Exchange and Cooperation to develop an economic strategic partnership

Kaohsiung and Kumamoto City, one of its Japanese friendly cities, continue to develop cooperation in various areas. Since the establishment of the alliance, both sides have not only deepened exchanges in tourism, culture, sports, and semiconductor industries, but will also work together in new industries to expand more possibilities in the future. Deputy Mayor of Kaohsiung Lo Ta-Sheng led a delegation to visit Kumamoto City on Feburary 27 and met with Mayor Kazufumi Onishi of Kumamoto City. Both parties officially signed an Memorandum of Understanding on Startup Exchange and Cooperation, with a hope to establish channels for exchanges between startups in both cities. Building upon the foundation of friendly cities, they aim to continue developing economic strategic partnerships and deepen the close interaction between the two cities through the establishment of cooperative models for startup businesses.

In response to Kumamoto City's invitation, Kaohsiung City Government led by Deputy Mayor Lo, along with the Department of Administrative and International Affairs and the Economic Development Bureau, revisited Kumamoto City to meet with Mayor Onishi within one month. The delegation also visited the Kumamoto Startup Incubation Center, and signed an MOU on startup cooperation. Deputy Mayor Lo stated that Kaohsiung and Kumamoto have close ties. Not only did Mayor Onishi personally lead a delegation to visit Kaohsiung in January, but Mayor of Kaohsiung Chen Chi-Mai also accompanied them to take a ride on the Kaohsiung Light Rail and admired the Yellow Rubber Duck, witnessing Kaohsiung's transformation over the past decade. It is only February of this year, and the Kumamoto City Government team has already visited Kaohsiung twice. Both sides' municipal teams have engaged in in-depth exchanges on transportation systems, water resources, and urban development, aiming to further expand bilateral and diverse cooperation in the future.

Mayor Onishi expressed his warm welcome during the speech, emphasizing the close interaction with Kaohsiung. He pointed out that with the establishment of a JSMC plant in Kumamoto, which has created a significant number of job opportunities, the Taiwanese population in Kumamoto has increased fivefold. The influx of industries poses a significant challenge to Kumamoto's municipal services, including transportation. During the visit to Kaohsiung in January, Kumamoto learned a lot from Kaohsiung's experiences and will apply them as references.

On the afternoon of the 27th, an Memorandum of Understanding on Startup Exchange and Cooperation was signed by Deputy Mayor Lo and Mayor Onishi. Deputy Mayor Lo expressed his pleasure in representing Mayor Chen to sign the MOU with Kumamoto City, not only establishing a communication channel for startups in both Kaohsiung and Kumamoto City but also deepening the strategic partnership between the two cities. Mayor Onishi pointed out that since 2013, Kaohsiung and Kumamoto have continued various forms of cooperation and exchanges. "Being able to sign an MOU for entrepreneurship cooperation today gives me even more confidence! I believe that the two cities will surely prosper even more in economic cooperation in the future, and also drive the sustainability and revitalization of regional industries."

Kaohsiung City Government will subsequently assist Japanese startup teams in applying for "Entrepreneur Visas" based on the MOU, thereby creating opportunities for long-term establishment in the local market. Through a single platform, services such as landing support for new entrepreneurs, office or shared workspace arrangements, assistance in matching with collaborative enterprises, as well as opportunities for R&D testing and verification will be provided. Taiwan and Japan will work hand in hand to promote exchanges and guidance for entrepreneurs in both regions. Through on-site visits to the Kumamoto Startup Incubation Center, XOSS POINT, the city government gained further insight into the development of new ventures in Kumamoto. Through the MOU, Taiwan and Japan will collaborate to facilitate startup companies in seizing business opportunities, thus creating a cross-domain startup ecosystem in the Asia-Pacific region.