Taiwan brings AI and smart energy expertise to Manila

Taiwan’s Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) brought its AI and smart energy expertise to Manila from 13 to 15 November 2025 through its “Economic and Trade Forum Tour,” organized in partnership with the Taiwan Association Inc. Philippines (TAP). The program featured Vivian Huang, International Cooperation Strategy Officer at Taiwan’s Institute for Information Industry, a leading force behind Taiwan’s digital transformation and smart-city innovation.

The Manila leg combined a keynote seminar with corporate visits, aiming to help Filipino-based Taiwanese enterprises strengthen environmental, social, and governance (ESG) readiness, accelerate digital and net-zero transformation, and connect with Taiwan’s technology sectors.

On 15 November 2025, Huang delivered a keynote presentation titled “Digital Transformation and Smart Energy,” attended by nearly 50 business leaders from Metro Manila. She discussed Taiwan’s applications of AI in manufacturing, workforce automation, customer service, food processing, power management, and smart-city governance. Examples included Kaohsiung City’s use of AI to manage large-scale event crowds and optimize traffic and business activity.

TAP President Tom Lin said the seminar “provides practical guidance for enterprises facing rapid industry changes.” Taiwan’s Representative to the Philippines, Ambassador Wallace M.G. Chow, noted that smart energy, digital transformation, and AI-powered governance are global priorities. He added that Taiwan’s experience in renewable energy, digital innovation, and smart cities can serve as a model for enterprises seeking competitiveness and sustainable growth.

The program included visits to two Taiwan-founded enterprises in the Philippines: Kou Fu Color Printing Corporation in Cavite and Ersao Taiwanese Restaurant in Quezon City. Huang recommended digital process monitoring, energy-saving strategies, automation for high-cost production steps, and AI-based tools for inventory, workforce, and operations management. Both companies expressed interest in adopting Taiwan’s technology insights to improve productivity and operational resilience.

The Manila seminar marked the final stop of Huang’s regional mission, following earlier visits to Vietnam and Thailand. The initiative strengthened Taiwan–Philippines industrial linkages and opened opportunities for AI-driven collaboration, reaffirming Taiwan’s support for overseas enterprises in digital and smart-energy transformation.