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Sound Intellectual Property environment for fundraising and financing. Policies to
Protection attract foreign investment include relaxing restrictions
on foreign enterprises that seek to raise capital and
Taiwan's intellectual property laws are open and simplifying fundraising administrative procedures.
transparent. Not only do they meet the basic guidelines
established under international treaties, they have In terms of direct financing, the cost of listing on an
also undergone revisions in response to business and exchange or over-the-counter market is lower in Taiwan Business Climate
international intellectual property law developments. than in Hong Kong or China. The price-earnings ratio
Furthermore, Taiwan continues to strengthen the and price-to-book ratio of shares are fair, and liquidity
efficiency and quality of the patent and trademark is good. As of the end of 2023, there were 79 foreign
application review process while also optimizing online companies holding primary listings in Taiwan, and 30
application and status tracking systems to provide foreign companies with a primary OTC listing. The
companies with even better service. promotion of Go Incubation Board for Startup and
Acceleration Firms (GISA) and the opening of equity
Taiwan has established an intellectual property and funding, as well as the inception of Taiwan Innovation
commercial court, for the adjudication of intellectual Board (TIB) in July 2021, will further diversify Taiwan's
property cases, and an IPR police force dedicated to financing channels.
counterfeit and piracy investigations. In response to
technological advancements and in order to bolster In terms of indirect financing, Taiwan's high savings rate
protection of trade secrets, Taiwan has focused is a source of abundant capital and its low interest rates
especially on enhancing professional training for reduce the cost of financing. Incentives offered to banks
relevant law enforcement. As such, Taiwan has a that provide loans to SMEs and key startup firms make
comprehensive system for IPR protection, and the bank financing services further available to businesses
overall climate is friendly towards IP holders. In this of all types and sizes.
area, Taiwan has fielded praise from multinational
corporations and IPR organizations. A Diverse Culture of Innovation
In 2010, Taiwan and Mainland China signed the "Cross- Taiwan boasts a thriving R&D sector. Innovative
Strait Agreement on Intellectual Property Rights elements bring worldwide popularity to its high-tech
Protection and Cooperation", which provides an official consumer electronic products, chain store services,
channel for Taiwanese to apply for and claim patents, bicycles, pearl milk tea and Chinese-language music.
trademarks and plant variety rights. An official working
group and platform have been set up to ensure the The World Economic Forum (WEF) has listed Taiwan as
operation of the dispute resolution mechanism and help an innovation-driven economy. In the 2019 WEF Global
Taiwanese businesses protect their intellectual property Competitiveness Report's innovation pillar, Taiwan
rights in Mainland China. was ranked 4th globally and No.1 in Asia, in terms of
company R&D expenditure investment levels, Taiwan
Taiwan is actively expanding international exchange and was ranked 5th globally. In the Global Entrepreneurship
cooperation in the area of intellectual property and has Development Institute's Global Entrepreneurship
signed separate Patent Prosecurition Highway (PPH) Index report, Taiwan was ranked 11th in terms of
agreements with the U.S., Japan, Spain, South Korea and Entrepreneurial Aspirations. These rankings show that
Poland starting from 2011. Also, Taiwan maintains close whether in terms of actual company R&D expenditures
ties with the various institutions, chambers of commerce or entrepreneurial aspirations, Taiwan is among the
and organizations representing intellectual property countries leading the way forward. They also show that,
rights holders. The government is also happy to receive coupled with Taiwan's industry cluster development
progressive and constructive feedback with regard to and its long-term competitiveness (5th in the WEF
intellectual property protection so that we may establish global competitiveness index report), these factors
a positive intellectual property environment and provide have fostered a diverse and innovative local culture and
businesses with safeguards with regard to their R&D and excellent environment. Aside from this, Taiwan also has
innovations, which in turn boosts business opportunities more than 10 technology research institutions, including
and economic development. Industrial Technology Research Institute and the Institute
for Information Industry, which are not only responsible
A Friendly Fundraising and for leading the island's industrial development but also
Financing Environment for cultivating a large number of science and technology
research and development talent, making them ideal
Abundant capital, stable exchange rates, and relatively partners for foreign companies seeking to enter the
low interest rates and capital costs make Taiwan a friendly Asia-Pacific and global markets.
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