Taiwan: Innovation, Investment and the Future of U.S. Trade in Asia

While the world reels from a raging pandemic, Taiwan holds concerts and donates medical masks to partners around the world. By holding COVID-19 at bay, Taiwan has proven that it’s not only an irreplaceable node in the world’s electronics and manufacturing infrastructure, but also a model for health care delivery and responsive democratic governance.   

With the balance of security and innovation emerging as a fault line in the next era of globalization, Taiwan is positioning itself as a trusted platform for U.S. companies engaging with Asia, the world’s most dynamic region.  

Join the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta, Global Atlanta and the Metro Atlanta Chamber to gain a high-level view of partnership prospects in innovation, technology and trade under the new Biden administration.  

Speakers

Recorded Opening Remarks: Bob Rolfe, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

Recorded Keynote: Mei-Hua Wang, Taiwan’s Minister of Economic Affairs: Understanding the trajectory of U.S.-Taiwan economic ties and trade talks under the newly inaugurated Biden administration  

Presentation: Dr. Peter Tsai, inventor of the core material for the N-95 mask, and professor emeritus in the University of Tennessee Department of Material Science and engineering: Fostering collaborative innovation in science and health care 

Panel Discussion: 

• John Woodward, Vice President of Global Commerce, Metro Atlanta Chamber
• Dr. Sue-ling Wang, President-elect, World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce
• Dr. Jeffrey Yiin, Investment Professional, Sycamore Ventures
• Yi-lung Elliot Wang, Director-general, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta
• Martin Chen, Director of the Economic Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta

Moderated by: Trevor Williams, managing editor, Global Atlanta 

Speaker Bios:

Comissioner Bob Rolfe

Bob Rolfe serves as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. The department is responsible for recruiting business and industry to the state, supporting existing companies, expanding economic opportunities across rural Tennessee and boosting the state’s overall economic prosperity. Rolfe has served as TNECD commissioner since March 2017. Under his leadership, TNECD has increased Tennessee’s global footprint. During Rolfe’s tenure, he has led Tennessee’s efforts in the recruitment and expansion of over 130 international projects, which represent an investment of $6.5 billion and 21,000 job commitments across the state. TNECD has placed a major focus on job creation and community development in rural Tennessee. Since 2017, the department has provided more than $380 million in funding to rural communities throughout the state. In addition, companies have invested $7 billion and committed to create 27,500 new jobs in rural communities. Before joining TNECD, Rolfe held the position of CEO of Medical Reimbursements of America, Inc. In 2011, Rolfe co-founded West End Holdings, a Nashville-based private equity partnership. Rolfe received his E.M.B.A. from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University and his B.S. from the University of Alabama’s School of Commerce and Business Administration.

Minister Mei-Hua Wang

 

 

 

 

Education

• Bachelor of Laws, National Taiwan University

Professional Experience

• Minister: Ministry of Economic Affairs (June 2020 – present)
  Deputy Minister: Ministry of Economic Affairs (Mar. 2019 – June 2020)
  Vice Minister: Ministry of Economic Affairs (July 2016 – Mar. 2019)
  Director-General: Intellectual Property Office, MOEA (Dec. 2007 – July 2016)
  Deputy Director-General: Intellectual Property Office, MOEA (Sept. 2006 – Dec. 2007)
  Director: Trademark Division, Intellectual Property Office, MOEA (July 2003 – Sept. 2006)
  Director: Patent Division I, Intellectual Property Office, MOEA (Dec. 2002 – July 2003)
  Director: Patent Division III: Intellectual Property Office, MOEA (Aug. 2000 – Dec. 2002)
  Director: Legal Affairs Office, Intellectual Property Office, MOEA (Jan. 1999 – Aug. 2000)
  Deputy Director: Patent Office, National Bureau of Standards, MOEA (July 1997 – Jan.1999)
  Director: Petitions and Appeals Committee, MOEA (Sept. 1991 – July 1997)

Dr. Peter Tsai

 

 

 

 

• Peter P. Tsai, Ph. D., Inventor of N95 Material, Fellow of American Filtration and Separation Society, 30-year member of Electrostatic Society of America
• Retired and rehired professor of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of
  Tennessee (UT)
• A number of publications, presentations, and patents, licensed to a number of companies
  worldwide making hundreds of billions of N95 and surgical masks
• A number of awards including two times in 2006 & 2018 of technology transfer awards and
  Innovation Award in 2019 from UT in UT’s history and 2020 Awards Night in Technology
  Transfer from Oak Ridge National Lab., 2020 Impact Award from Papier Communications,
  2020 Honoring Ceremony from Knoxville City Council, among others
• More than 50 media interviews in 2020 including Washington Post, API, USA Today,
  NPR, NBC, Department of State, Madrid Live Radio, Nature, The Telegraph, CNN, WION,
  VOA, and India Express, and a number of Taiwanese media, etc., among others
• 2020 Asia’s Most Influential by Tatler

John Woodward

A specialist in cross-border trade and investment, John Woodward is Vice President, Global Commerce at the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC), one of the oldest and largest chambers of commerce in the US. He oversees the international team in MAC’s Economic Development division, which assists foreign-owned enterprises contemplating entry or expansion in the US, and Atlanta-area companies exploring growth overseas.

Prior to his role at MAC, Mr. Woodward was Director of Economic Development for the City of Richmond, VA. Before that, he worked in finance and site selection in New York City at the headquarters of Cushman & Wakefield. He was also a foreign exchange trader and managed the Washington, DC office of Ruesch International.

Mr. Woodward presents regularly at foreign investment seminars in Europe and Asia, and is a guest lecturer at universities in Atlanta. He serves on several boards, including the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau and three bi-national chambers of commerce.

Mr. Woodward holds a BSFS from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business. He also completed programs at Hautes Etudes Commerciales in Paris and the University of Strasbourg, France. He lives in Atlanta’s Westside with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.

Dr. Sue-ling Wang

 

 

 

 

Born: 1953 in Taiwan in a farmer family.

Education: Ming Chi Institute of Technology ( A school owned by Formosa Plastic family) 1973

• University of Windsor: Master of Chemical Engineer 1978
• University of Detroit: Ph.D. of Chemical Engineering 1982

Specialties: Polyurethane Chemistry.

Business Established:

• Headway Chemical Inc, Taiwan Public company 1976
• Color Imaging Inc, USA Public company 1989

Social Service:

• President of North America Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce 1996
• President of World Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce 2021

Dr. Jeffrey Yiin

Trained as a communication engineer, Jeffrey spent 25 years of his career in three rather diverse fields: high-tech industry, venture investment, and higher education. For the first 17 years, Jeffrey held several technical and executive positions in the global mobile semiconductor industry, including Lucent Technologies, Silicon Labs and MStar Semiconductors. While in MStar, he successfully integrated a global R&D team from Asia, Europe and US, and built the mobile phone division that shipped 2G/3G mobile products to the ultra-competitive China market. The company was eventually acquired by MediaTek in late 2012. After leaving the industry in 2012, Jeffrey turned his passion for technology innovation to angel and venture investing. He has been actively investing in early-stage start-ups from various leading-edge technology sectors, including green energy, AI, industrial IoT, medical devices, edge/cloud computing and smart manufacturing. In 2017, he joined Sycamore Venture as a Partner, where he is responsible for technology and business evaluation. He also serves as the independent board member for Alcor Micro since 2017, a public IC design company based in Taiwan. Jeffrey started to teach as a part-time professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Kennesaw State University since August 2020. He enjoyed sharing his industry experience and insight with the young engineering students. Since 2013, Jeffrey has been active in supporting the NPOs in Taiwan that tackle the education issues for under-privileged children. He provided and organized pro-bono services for the NPOs. He was a board member of the Kid’s Bookhouse Foundation from 2015 to 2018, an organization based in Taitung, a remote city in the east coast of Taiwan. Jeffrey received his PhD degree of Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1996. He holds a BSEE degree from National Taiwan University in 1986.

Yi-lung Elliot Wang

 

 

 

 

Education & Professional Training

• Management Development Training (MDT), Take Off Program,
  National Academy of Civil Service, R.O.C. (Taiwan) May – Sep. 2018
• Senior Executive Program, Kennedy School, Harvard University 2008
• Diplomat training program, Oxford University 1999
• M.A., Diplomacy, National Chengchi University, Taipei, R.O.C. (Taiwan) 1995
• B.A., International Relations, Tunghai University, Taichung, R.O.C. (Taiwan) 1993

Career

• Chief Secretary, Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (IDIA),
  Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) 2018 – 2019
• Deputy Counselor on Home Assignment, Department of North
  American Affairs, MOFA July 2016 – Oct. 2018
• Division Chief & Deputy Division Chief, Taipei Representative
  Office in the EU and Belgium Jan. 2011 – July 2016
• Section Chief, Department of North American Affairs, MOFA Jan. 2008 – Jan. 2011
• Third & Second Secretary, Taipei Economic and Cultural
  Representative Office in the U.S. Jan. 2002 – Jan. 2008
  Desk Officer, Department of News and Information, MOFA June 1999 – Jan. 2002

Martin Chen

Martin Chen has been the Director of the Economic Division of the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Atlanta since 2019. He previously represented the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in Canada, France, and Boston of United States. He has also served in the Bureau of Foreign Trade, the Department of Investment Services, and the Department of International Cooperation within MOEA. Martin graduated with an MBA degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Trevor Williams

A seasoned digital journalist, Trevor Williams has spent the last decade covering the intersection between local and global business, traveling to more than 30 countries on five continents in pursuit of stories linked to his native state of Georgia. He focuses intently on Asia and also has written extensively on foreign direct investment, trade and exports, Georgia’s ties with China, and Atlanta’s emergence as a payments hub, among other topics. He earned dual bachelor’s degrees in magazine journalism and religion at the University of Georgia, also minoring in Chinese language and literature. He is a proud husband and father of two young sons, as well as the editor of the book “Making Men: Five Steps to Growing Up.”