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【張忠謀任APEC領袖代表 蔡總統交付兩項任務】

中央社/記者溫貴香、余祥報導
總統蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen今天宣布由台積電創辦人張忠謀出任APEC領袖代表，交付宣示台灣願意在全球防疫上做更多貢獻、鞏固在全球供應鏈關鍵地位等兩大任務，包括持續爭取和各國簽署雙邊及多邊經貿合作協定，協助台灣企業進行多元全球布局。

張忠謀回應，台灣控制疫情做得非常好，疫情後就是數位科技非常有影響力的世界。台灣在防疫上充分利用數位科技，相關經驗可以貢獻給APEC國家。

第28屆亞太經濟合作（APEC）「經濟領袖會議」受全球疫情的影響，11月20日以視訊方式舉行，蔡總統上午偕同張忠謀在總統府召開記者會，宣布她再次邀請張忠謀擔任領袖代表，也感謝張忠謀第三度同意代表她出席這場重要的國際會議。過去，張忠謀參與APEC經濟領袖會議，對於促進台灣和其他夥伴國家的合作，成果非常豐碩。

總統說，張忠謀對於科技和數位產業前景，具有卓越的觀點。今年正值全球供應鏈重整的關鍵時刻，再次借重張忠謀的經驗，將台灣對區域發展的貢獻，以及對未來的規劃和建言，清楚傳達給所有APEC成員，這不但是一個最適當的選擇，同時也非常具有意義。

她提到，今年APEC的年度主題，是「優化人民潛力，共享韌性繁榮未來：調整、優先、進展」，面對全球疫情衝擊，今年度的「經濟領袖會議（AELM）」，也會邀請各國領袖，針對如何促進全球共同防疫，以及繼續深化永續且創新的經濟成長，還有對於提出「APEC後2020願景」，共同發表意見。

總統期許團員們積極參與各項議題討論，同時可以達成以下兩項任務。第一，再次宣示台灣願意在全球防疫上做出更多的貢獻，同時也讓國際社會了解台灣所做出的努力；台灣也願意與各國共同努力，建立亞太地區具韌性的醫療公衛體系。

總統說，防疫是全球性的議題，沒有一個國家可以置身事外。台灣已經捐贈、和合作交換許多防疫物資，也和許多國家共商防疫策略，分享研究成果，希望能一起繼續推動快篩、疫苗、藥品的研發。

第二，蔡總統期許代表團能夠達成加強台灣和各國的連結，鞏固台灣在全球供應鏈關鍵地位的任務。總統說，面對全球供應鏈重組的時刻，台灣要能拓展供應鏈上中下游的國際鏈結，也要讓台灣透過貢獻高科技產業實力，來共同促成亞太地區的優質成長。

此外，台灣也要持續爭取和各國簽署雙邊及多邊經貿合作協定，深化台灣在APEC的參與，協助台灣企業進行多元全球布局，透過和重要夥伴國家合作，結合彼此的不同優勢，共創雙贏。蔡總統表示，相信張忠謀一定能夠帶領團員，強化台灣和APEC夥伴國家的合作關係，為台灣找到最關鍵的利基。

總統府發言人張惇涵表示，今年APEC秘書處在10月26日正式對外轉達主辦國馬來西亞通知，考量疫情因素，經濟領袖會議將於11月20日（下週五），台北時間晚上8時至10時5分在線上召開視訊峰會，當天張忠謀將在總統府視訊會議室參與。

張惇涵說，記者會召開前，總統接見今年領袖代表、參與年度部長會議（APEC Ministerial Meeting,AMM）的部長，以及3位現任台灣APEC企業諮詢委員會（APEC Business Advisory Council, ABAC）的企業界代表。

今年參與年度部長會議的部長包括行政院經貿談判辦公室鄧振中政務委員兼總談判代表，以及國家發展委員會主任委員龔明鑫，將透過線上方式參與11月16日晚間的APEC年度部長會議。

APEC企業諮詢委員會代表，分別是宏碁董事長陳俊聖、台灣大哥大總經理林之晨，以及廣達電腦技術長張嘉淵，總統府也感謝三位在數位經濟及資通訊科技領域成功的企業家，將他們推動數位轉型的豐富經驗，在ABAC 分享台灣的努力與成就。

行政院政務委員唐鳳受主辦國馬來西亞的企業界邀請，以線上方式，參與11月19日的「企業領袖對話」（CEO Dialogues）。唐鳳將以「開放的回應、開放的復甦」（Open Response & Open Recovery）為題，說明台灣如何透過開放政府、社會創新及數位科技，提升經濟韌性，加速疫後復甦。

這次是張忠謀第4度擔任APEC領袖代表，前總統陳水扁執政期間，於2006年首次出任；蔡總統執政後，從2018到今年都擔任領袖代表。（編輯：蘇龍麒）

＃蔡英文 ＃張忠謀 ＃APEC領袖代表
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新聞連結：https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202011105002.aspx

【數位讓世界自由】(Digitalization for a Freer World)

昨晚我應邀參加了一場很特別的聚會並用英文短講，包含巴布亞紐幾內亞的ABAC 主席David Toua(Chairman Toua of Papua New Guinea)、愛沙尼亞前總統Toomas Henrik Ilves(Estonia Pres. Ilves)，以及來自世界各地的數位菁英們，大家齊聚自由的、開放的台灣，一起探索、拓展數位世界的邊界。我的講話內容，中文的意思如下：

今日大家有幸共聚一堂，首先我們必須感謝在「數位創新工作小組」(DIWG)主席詹宏志先生爭取下，今年能由中華台北和巴布亞紐幾內亞共同舉辦，邀請在場的數位菁英們，與21個APEC經濟體成員參加，一起分享經驗、激盪腦力、探索未來，創造一個合作的、共享的、溫暖的、更人性化的數位新世界。

2017年APEC的主題之一，是「縮短數位落差」，這是一個有趣的、重要的、值得深入探討的課題。因為三十年來的數位化經驗告訴我們，數位化並非只是一次技術演進，更是一次全面性的社會變革。更精確的來說，也就是從「產業層面」到「管理層面」，進而到「生活層面」，皆深受數位化的影響。也就是說，當傳統生產要素被數位工具打碎再重新組合，形成了新的商業模式，而中小企業的創造力與機會也因此獲得了解放。

然而，數位化真正的威力卻是在於快速改變了人們的生活型態與社會關係。人們面對面卻抱著手機溝通，但手機也讓相隔千里的家庭成員可以隨時面對面；在家庭中，年輕人成為數位時代的「先住民」，指導或協助「數位新移民」的長輩們適應時代變化。過去，由地理造成的「城鄉差距」、血統身分形成的「貧富差距」，可以由數位化快速縮短，但我們必須提醒，「城鄉」、「貧富」差距也可能因「數位差距」而更加惡化。而且，決定差距大小的關鍵因素不再是資源多少，而是數位化的速度快慢。

台灣在數位世界中起步甚早，工程師與寫程式的能力高度普及，台灣三分之二人口，是臉書與LINE的頻繁使用者。我們有民主自由體制作為基底，而且是世界多種文化的交會點，天生有著開放的心靈與無限的創造力。我常提到一個觀念，儘管大國與大型企業有龐大的市場占有率，但小國與中小企業也可搶到多層面的滲透率，以滿足所有社會需求而占有一席之地。競爭與控制也許是20世紀的商業主題，但合作與分享，才是21世紀的經濟主流。

在未來數位化過程中，我認為應持續強化以下四個面向，拓展數位時代的競爭力：
（1）加強數位化的基礎教育課程，紥根中小學資訊教育、普及國民數位技能，消除數位文盲，培養並擴大跨領域數位人才。
（2）建立數位創業環境與投資機會，包括降低寬頻使用及網站代管等企業成本，並且建立有效獎勵與輔導機制。
（3）推動數位化友善的法制架構，強化數位匯流、資訊安全、智財保護、數位個資隱私、產業創新等相關法律制度的調整，逐步消除減低國際數位交流障礙，達成網路無國界目標。
（4）落實鼓勵創新政策，透過活絡大數據資料交易市場，發展資料經濟加值服務；同時建構軟硬整合之數位創新生態體系，加強跨業合作，促成各產業加速轉型升級。

我相信，數位化將讓世界更自由，讓我們一起努力，拓展數位時代的疆界！

昨天台灣大哥大發布訊息，自 2019 年 4 月 1 日起將聘任 AppWorks 創辦合夥人 Jamie 林之晨為總經理，長期關心 AppWorks 的朋友，或許會有些疑惑。其實不是 Jamie 換工作，而是 AppWorks 將與台灣大一起，挑戰一個放大 10 倍的計畫。在此跟大家分享 Jamie 的聲明，有更完整的敘述。

#以下是_Jamie_聲明全文

稍早台灣大哥大發布訊息，自 2019 年 4 月 1 日起將聘任為我為總經理，我的朋友們，以及長期關心我與 AppWorks 的媒體，一定會有許多疑惑，請容我在此統一向大家說明。
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#EnglishBelow 稍早台灣大哥大發布訊息，自 2019 年 4 月 1 日起將聘任為我為總經理，我的朋友們，以及長期關心我與 AppWorks 的媒體，一定會有許多疑惑，請容我在此統一向大家說明。

首先，我不是接下了台灣大總經理的職位，而是接下了整合市值美金 120 億、營收美金 38 億的台灣大與市值美金 36 億、營收美金 25 億的 AppWorks Ecosystem，放大出 10 倍成果的任務。

這得從我的故事說起，如果您還沒聽過的話，我原本已經移民美國，和老婆小孩開心的住在紐約，2008 年，我在美看到 iPhone、Android 相繼問世，Facebook、Twitter 等社群媒體成為主流，意識到軟體的力量將越來越大，而硬體將越來越沒有價值，換言之，台灣的國際經濟地位將受到極大挑戰，因此決定舉家搬遷回台，推動台灣的轉型升級，以免我熱愛的福爾摩沙從世界經濟奇蹟變成失落的遺跡。

這是一個很大的決定，不僅我要放棄自己的美國夢，老婆、小孩都得跟著改變職涯、學涯，因此既然要做，就得發揮最大的 Impact。所以回台之後，我每天思考、決定、努力的，都是最大化我對台灣的貢獻。

因此這些年來我戴了很多帽子，表面看起來沒什麼相關性，但背後都有一個共同的目的，那就是推動台灣的改變。首先，我長期寫網誌、經營 Facebook 等網路社群、在《天下》等期刊寫專欄、出書、演講、接受採訪，心想的是分享新知、新觀念，散播進步需要的養分。

我與夥伴們成立 AppWorks，有系統的幫助年輕人創業，為的是培養千千萬萬帶領台灣前進的下一代生力軍。這也是為什麼 AppWorks 從 2010 年啟動半年一期的創業加速器，至今一直堅持免費提供。目前 AppWorks Accelerator 共畢業的 17 屆、925 位創業者，由他們成立的活躍企業高達 328 家，2018 年產值 760 億，提供 9,500 個工作機會，非常確切的為台灣貢獻一股向上動能。更重要的是，這些創業者們因 AppWorks 而相識相惜，形成一個緊密互助的網路，更是社會的長期資產。

當 AppWorks 在台灣站穩腳步，2014 年我們開始積極走訪東南亞，邀請優秀的東協創業者前來加入，希望透過串連跨國創業者網路，促進台灣的區域化，同時貢獻東協的數位發展。經過 5 年的推動，這個工作也有大幅進展，即將在 3 月進駐 AppWorks 的 33 組 AW#18 團隊，將有高達 19 組來自東南亞，包含他們在內，AppWorks 有 160 家企業在台灣以外的大東南亞市場有據點，形成一個真正區域化的網路。現在，來自台灣、香港、新加坡的 AppWorks 創業者要前往印尼、越南發展，可以很容易的找到 AppWorks 校友帶路，大大降低了區域化的門檻。

除了創業加速器，透過 AppWorks，我們同時努力創造更多台灣改變需要的新典範。以創業投資為例，我們 2012 年成功募集 3.2 億 Fund I，2014 年募得 15 億 Fund II，在 AppWorks 團隊的努力經營下，目前兩支基金的投資績效都是水準以上，其中 Fund II 至今的年化內部報酬率 (IRR) 達 29%，遠高於歐美同期創投基金的 Top Quartile (前四分之一) 指標。透過追求與國際一流基金同等的表現，我們希望促進台灣 LP (創投投資人的簡稱) 更有信心支持本土新興 GP (創投管理公司的簡稱)，進而推動台灣創投業的復甦。

2016 年，我們出資成立 AppWorks School，每 4 個月一期，免費幫助年輕人透過實作學習程式、轉職工程師、加入成長中的數位行業，提升他們的職涯的同時，也為台灣貢獻人才。目前 School 已畢業 106 位學生，其中 85% 成功轉職，第一年起薪中位數達 67 萬。雖然杯水車薪，但我們希望拋磚引玉，刺激台灣教育的現代化，幫助年輕人準備好面對 AI 時代。

此外，AppWorks 雖然仍是中小企業，但受到的關注較多，因此也經常以身作則，為台灣業界示範新時代企業可以有的新思維。除了看齊國際優質創投的薪資獎金水準、年假無上限、自由選擇工作時間地點、新年假期長達三、四週外，我們更在日前啟動交棒計畫，讓年僅 30 歲的 Jessica 劉侊縈、40 歲的 Andy 蔡欣翰升任合夥人，希望激發台灣企業勇敢讓年輕人當家。

私部門之外，有機會推動台灣轉型的公領域活動，我也積極參與。2016 年，我從詹宏志先生手上接下 TiEA (台灣網際網路暨電子商務產業發展協會) 理事長，上任後便努力推動網路電商正名運動，成功說服了櫃買中心創立電子商務分類；2017 年起我開始擔任亞洲·矽谷民諮委共同召集人、數位國家諮詢委員、代表台灣參加每年四次的 ABAC (APEC Business Advisory Council) 會議，2018 年又奉總統之命擔任 APEC Vision Group 代表，與其他 20 會員國派出的先進，一起定義 APEC 未來的 20 年願景。這些雖然都是義務工作，但我都當作正職全力以赴，因為都有機會大大影響台灣的命運，以及在經濟領域的國際能見度。

最後，我去年決定再次舉家，準備遷往雅加達，同樣還是以為台灣貢獻出發。我觀察到 2.6 億人口的印尼正在快速崛起，短短 5 年內從有限的新創活動，到 4 隻本土獨角獸加 3 隻外來獨角獸的蓬勃景況，必須要幫助台灣抓住這個成長機會，但印尼商業生態與台灣大不相同，所以我決定進駐雅加達、深耕當地，希望能因此扮演帶領 AppWorks 新創進入印尼的嚮導，縮短我們與世界第四大國、東南亞第一大國的距離。這麼做得犧牲一些我在台灣的工作，但這些工作多半我的夥伴們可以承接，因此我便毅然開始行動。

講了這麼多，我其實只是希望您能了解，我大老遠從紐約搬回來的目的就是改變台灣，所以這些年來我做決定沒什麼懸念，因為不需要考慮自己的利益，只需要考慮在這個時間點，我做這件事情，是不是最能貢獻台灣。

如此我們便可以回到正題，這次的「台灣大 + AppWorks」專案。

不久前，蔡明忠董事長約我談話，詢問我有沒有興趣接下台灣大總經理的職位，一開始我其實是無法答應的，首先我已經決定搬去印尼，再來我也不確定接這個位子，跟貢獻台灣的關係。回去想了兩整天後，我有了答案，我跟蔡董事長說，必須有四個先決條件：

第一，結合台灣大和 AppWorks，用 AppWorks 生態系去幫助台灣大轉型為科技企業，同時以台灣大為平台去加速 AppWorks 新創的成長，因此創造更多成功的企業，為台灣示範成熟企業如何與新創實際合作；

第二，由 AppWorks 帶路，推動台灣大 + AppWorks 走出台灣，成為一個大東南亞科技集團，為台灣企業的區域化寫下典範，同時也成為能加速 AppWorks 新創區域化的大平台；

第三，以建立一個市值 1,000 億美金 (US$ 100B) 的科技集團為目標，創造第一個由台灣出發、真正達到國際級的非代工企業；

第四，所有因為台灣大 + AppWorks 集團未來的價值成長，公司依規定希望給予我個人的獎勵，要能全數由集團捐為公益使用，且專注在推動台灣的教育改革與電影工業上。

我跟蔡董事長說，如果以這四個目標為前提，那就值得我花 10 到 15 年的生命去推動。這基本上是我的夢幻清單，如果這麼做的話，能為台灣創造的貢獻，比 AppWorks 繼續獨立營運還會巨大許多，想不到蔡董事長毫不猶豫的答應。也因此，我回頭與 AppWorks 的夥伴們溝通，得到大家的支持後，我們決定一起接受這個挑戰。所以開頭我說，我不是接下了台灣大總經理的職位，而是接下了整合台灣大與 AppWorks，放大出 10 倍成果的任務。

當然，這不是一件容易的工作，發展新的商業模式，我或許有 20 年的創業、工作經驗作為後盾，但對於管理電信事業，對於領導一個 7,000 人的大集團，我有太多需要學習的地方，所以，我請蔡董事長務必持續扮演我的 Partner，在這個過程中一起確保電信本業的營運，好讓我們有最大的空間與時間，去爭取新事業的發展，為所有「台灣大 + AppWorks」的 Stakeholders，爭取最佳的長期利益。

未來幾年，將是電信業轉型的關鍵時期，去年 499 之亂加速電信用戶 ARPU (平均每戶營收) 的下滑，消費者換機時間拉長導致手機營收停滯，接下來資本支出是 4G 近 4 倍的 5G 即將到來，更讓電信長達 20 年紅利時代難以延續，AI、IoT、Blockchain、Cloud 等巨型典範轉移接連的到來，進一步逼迫電信業者不能繼續防守。

另一方面，電信業已經建立的品牌、長期客戶關係、大量用戶數據，卻是極有價值，可以更全面應用的資產。透過台灣大 + AppWorks 的結合，目前已經產生 760 億年營收的 AppWorks 的 328 家新創，以及未來將持續培養的更多新興企業，都有機會透過與台灣大的合作加速成長，而台灣大也能因此取得新的營收引擎，創造雙贏的局面。

所以，在可預見的未來，AppWorks 的方向不會改變，我們將持續邀請優秀的創業者加入，透過 AppWorks 原有的能量，以及新增的台灣大平台幫助他們。AppWorks 基金的營運也不會改變，事實上，加入了台灣大的能量，我們有信心能為 LP 們創造更好的財務、策略報酬。我的角色，除了新增台灣大總經理以外，也沒有改變，將持續擔任 AppWorks 的董事長、合夥人，戮力確保台灣大 + AppWorks 的整合能順利成功、長長久久，創造多贏。唯一改變的，大概是我的工作時間將會增加，因此要犧牲與家人的相處，在此先跟偉大的老婆、兩個可愛的兒子道歉，感謝他們對這個決定的支持與諒解。

至於搬遷至雅加達、引導更多 AppWorks 新創進軍印尼的計畫，很遺憾必須暫緩，所幸 AppWorks 的新任合夥人 Jessica (劉侊縈)，已經承諾會扛起這個責任，相信在她的帶領下，AppWorks 的印尼計畫還是能夠大鳴大放、開花結果。

以上，就是針對此次台灣大 + AppWorks 的重大發展，向各位好友、媒體朋友的報告，懇求你們的支持。無論如何，我會持續為貢獻台灣而努力，希望我們這一輩的小孩們長大後，可以和我們一樣，以做台灣人為榮。

最後，預祝 您

新年快樂 諸凡順遂
助君張目 豬滿福保

Earlier today, Taiwan Mobile published an announcement communicating their intention to appoint me as the company’s general manager as of 4/1/2019. I’m sure this announcement may come as a surprise to many of my friends in the startup community, likely leaving you all with ample questions, concerns, and potentially even doubt. Let me take the opportunity to clarify the situation and explain the reasonings behind my decision for everyone.

Firstly, I must clarify that I am not merely taking over as GM of Taiwan Mobile, but taking on the bigger job of integrating Taiwan Mobile, a $12B market cap & $3.8B revenue company, and AppWorks, a $3.6B valuation & $2.5B revenue ecosystem, to amplify our impact by 10x.

But to adequately understand where we’re going, I think it’s important for everyone to know where we’ve come from. This begins with my story—for those of you that haven’t heard it before—which dates back to my time living in New York. It was around 2008 when I saw the launch of iPhone and Android, as well as the advent of Facebook, Twitter, etc, collectively catapulting social media into mainstream use. It was clear that software was increasingly taking over the world while the value of hardware was becoming more and more commoditized. This posed a dire existential threat to Taiwan, whose global economic contributions had been primarily driven by hardware and semiconductor manufacturing. This eventually prompted my resolve to move back to Taiwan and prevent our country from becoming a relic of the past.

This was by no means an easy decision. Not only did I have to give up my American dream, but my wife and child would have to completely uproot their lives, changing jobs and schools. It was a huge sacrifice on their end, so after moving back I dedicated myself to working hard every day to maximize my contribution to Taiwan and exert the greatest impact possible.

I have worn a lot of hats since, and it may seem that there is no correlation on the surface. But, there is indeed a common purpose behind them, which is to promote change in Taiwan. First of all, I have long written posts and columns in online communities such as my own blog, Facebook, and journals like “The Commonwealth Magazine,” while also giving speeches and interviews for a variety of outlets whenever possible. I see these activities as a way to share new knowledge, new ideas, and disseminate the nutrients needed for progress.

I set up AppWorks with my partners to systematically help young people start their own businesses and cultivate the next generation of business leaders that will steer Taiwan forward. That's why AppWorks started its semi-annual startup accelerator in 2010, and has been offering it for free ever since. With the addition of the latest batch AW#17, the AppWorks Ecosystem encompasses 328 active startups and 925 founders, having collectively generated US$ 2.5 billion in revenues and created 9,586 jobs—not an immaterial contribution to Taiwan’s economy needless to say. More importantly, we’ve created a tight-knit community where founders can form lifelong relationships, while seeking advice from both peers and mentors in good times and bad. I see that as a long-term value to society.

Once AppWorks took a firm foothold in Taiwan, we began targeting Southeast Asia in 2014 to invite outstanding ASEAN entrepreneurs to join us. We hope to promote Taiwan's regionalization through a network of international founders, and in turn, facilitate the development of SEA’s digital economy. We've made significant strides these past five years. AW#18 will kick off in March 2019, and consists of 33 teams, 19 of which hailing from countries across SEA and beyond. Spanning our entire ecosystem, AppWorks encompasses 160 companies currently operating in Southeast Asia, forming a truly regional network. Now, AppWorks founders from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore are expanding to Indonesia and Vietnam, and it is easy to find local AppWorks alumni to lead the way, greatly reducing the barriers for international expansion.

In addition to AppWorks Accelerator, we have been working hard to create more examples for a modern Taiwan. Taking venture capital as an example, we successfully raised US$ 11 million for Fund I in 2012 and US$ 50 million for Fund II in 2014. Under the efforts of the AppWorks team, the investment performance of the two funds is currently above the industry average, of which Fund II has achieved an annualized internal rate of return (IRR) of 29%. This is much higher than the top quartile of VCs in both Europe and the United States. By pursuing the same performance as international first-class funds, we hope to encourage Taiwanese LPs (short for venture capital investors) to be more confident in supporting local emerging GPs (short for venture capital management companies) and to promote the recovery and ultimate longevity of Taiwan's VC industry.

In 2016, we created AppWorks School with the aim of helping the younger generation pick up new skill sets, enhance their careers, and join the growing tech industry. The school offers four-month free programs and has now graduated 106 students, 85% of whom have secured jobs as software engineers, with a median starting salary of US$ 21,833. Although our scale is still tiny compared to larger institutes, we hope our efforts have inspired others to promote the modernization of Taiwan’s education system and equip young people with the necessary skills to thrive in the AI ​​era.

In addition, although AppWorks is still a small to medium-sized enterprise, it has received a lot of attention. Therefore, it often leads by example and demonstrates how to apply new thinkings to modern corporate management. In addition to internationally-competitive salaries, our colleagues enjoy flexible working hours and locations, unlimited vacation days, and several weeks off around Chinese New Year. AppWorks also recently launched an internal promotion track, promoting two of our very own staff to partners, Jessica Liu (30) and Andy Tsai (40). We hope that this move will also create a ripple effect across traditional Taiwanese industries, inspiring more local enterprises to put their faith in younger leaders.

Alongside the private sector, I am also actively involved in promoting Taiwan’s transformation through public sector activities. In 2016, I took over as chairman of TiEA (Taiwan Internet and E-Commerce Association) from Mr. Hung-Tze Jan (詹宏志). After taking office, I have worked hard to promote our industry and successfully convinced government cabinet members to create a separate category for e-commerce companies, which didn’t previously exist in Taiwan’s stock market. Since 2017, I have been the co-convenor of the Asia-Silicon Valley Development Agency Advisory Committee, advisor of DIGI+ Taiwan, and the country’s member in ABAC (APEC Business Advisory Council). Most recently in 2018, I was appointed by the President to represent Taiwan in the APEC Vision Group, where 21 member states come together to define APEC's vision for the next 20 years. Although these are all voluntary work, I have treated them as full-time jobs because they produce opportunities that can greatly influence Taiwan’s future.

Finally, last year I was prepared to uproot my family again and move to Jakarta. With a population of 260 million people, I observed that Indonesia was a rapidly emerging economy, producing many areas where Taiwan and Taiwanese companies can contribute. In the span of just five years, Indonesia went from a barren startup landscape to producing four local unicorns and attracting the presence of three international unicorns. Although the opportunities are abundant, Indonesia’s ecosystem was much different from Taiwan’s, creating immense cultural, regulatory, and competitive barriers for Taiwanese companies. I had thus planned on relocating to Jakarta in hopes of better leading AppWorks startups into Indonesia and shortening our distance from the world’s fourth most populous country and GSEA’s biggest economy. I would have had to sacrifice some of my roles and responsibilities in my Taiwan, but I put faith in my partners and co-workers to fill the void.

With all that said, I want you to understand that the underlying mission to change Taiwan has never faltered. With this mission in mind, I’ve never hesitated in making decisions over the years because I’ve never needed to consider my own interests—but only the things I can do at the moment to best contribute to Taiwan and generate the most impact. It’s what prompted my resolution to move back from New York, my intent to move to Jakarta, and now my decision to take on this new opportunity with “Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks.”

Not long ago, the Chairman of Taiwan Mobile Daniel Tsai reached out and asked if I was interested in taking over as General Manager of Taiwan Mobile. At first, I was unable to take his offer because I was getting ready to move to Indonesia and I didn’t know how this would contribute to making Taiwan better. After allowing myself a few days to contemplate, I found an answer. I told Chairman Tsai that I would take on the position, but only if I can pursue these 4 ambitions:

First, leverage the AppWorks ecosystem to help transform Taiwan Mobile into a true technology company. At the same time, leverage Taiwan Mobile as a platform to accelerate the growth of AppWorks startups, thereby creating a successful collaboration template for other Taiwan & SEA large corporations to work with startups.

Second, with AppWorks leading the way, establish Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks into a regional technology group across Greater Southeast Asia, in turn, inspiring other Taiwanese companies to explore Southeast Asia as well as becoming a platform for startups to go regional.

Third, build Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks group to a market cap of US$ 100 billion and create the first non-OEM company that originates from Taiwan and truly reaches a global scale.

Fourth, throughout the process, all the bonuses I am entitled to shall be donated by the group to public welfare, focusing specifically on promoting education reform and the film industry in Taiwan.

I told Chairman Tsai if these are the goals, it’s worth dedicating the next 10 - 15 years of my life to achieve. This is basically my dream list. If I do this, the contribution to Taiwan and the GSEA region as a whole from the combined entity will be much greater than the continued independent operation of AppWorks. Chairman Tsai agreed on these four goals and gave me his promise, but it was still not a decision that I could make on my own--after all building AppWorks into what is it today was not something I did alone. Therefore, I went back to communicate with the AppWorks partners and team, and with everyone's support, we decided to accept this challenge together.

Thus, at the beginning of the post, I said, that I am not only taking over the position of Taiwan Mobile’s GM, but undertaking the task of integrating Taiwan Mobile and AppWorks to amplify our impact by 10x. Of course, developing a completely new business model is not an easy job. I may have 20 years of entrepreneurship and work experience under my belt, but I still have much to learn when it comes to managing a massive telecoms operation with over 7,000 people, most of whom are much more familiar with the industry than me. Therefore, I asked Chairman Tsai to act as my partner through the process to ensure the continued operations of the telecoms unit. This will enable more time and space to develop new businesses, benefiting all “Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks” stakeholders in the long run.

The telecoms industry will likely undergo a crucial transformation in the next few years. Last year’s “NT$499 war” accelerated the decline of telecom subscribers’ ARPU (average revenue per household). Longer replacement periods for smartphones have led to the stagnation of mobile phone revenues and the rollout of 5G will cost four times the capex as 4G. These factors all threaten the industry’s ability to maintain the fluid growth it’s experienced for the past 20 years. Furthermore, the arrival of paradigm shifting technologies such as AI, IoT, Blockchain, and Cloud have put all telecom operators on the defensive.

On the other hand, the telecoms industry has established brands, long-term customer relationships, and a massive amount of user data—all valuable assets that can be better maximized. Through the combination of Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks and the 328 startups that AppWorks has cultivated, all emerging startups will be able to look to the combined platform as a strategic engine for cooperation and growth. This is will also enable Taiwan to develop new sources of value creation--a win-win for both sides.

Therefore, in the foreseeable future, AppWorks will not change direction. We will continue to invite outstanding entrepreneurs to join our accelerator, staying true to the original ethos of AppWorks, while leveraging the new Taiwan Mobile platform to help them. The operation of AppWorks Funds will not change. In fact, with the backing of Taiwan Mobile’s resources, we are confident that we can create better financial and strategic rewards for LPs. My role at AppWorks will not change. I will continue to serve as a partner of AppWorks. I will ensure that the integration of Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks will be a successful, long-lasting win-win situation for all stakeholders involved. The only change is probably that my working hours will increase, effectively cutting into my family time. So first, I must apologize to my great wife and two lovely sons, and thank them for their continued support and understanding of this decision.

As for the plan to move to Jakarta and guide more AppWorks startups to enter Indonesia, regrettably it must be suspended. Fortunately, Jessica Liu, AppWorks’ newest partner, has promised to take up this responsibility. I believe that under her leadership, AppWorks' Indonesia initiative will still be able to make a big splash and develop fruitfully.

Hopefully, this post has provided you with all the relevant details regarding the Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks announcement. To friends and media, I sincerely appreciate your continued support. At any rate, I will continue to work hard to contribute to Taiwan. I hope that the children of our generation will grow up and be proud of being Taiwanese.

Finally, I wish everyone all the best. Have a wonderful and prosperous pig year!