Sustainable Development Goals
Abstract/Objectives
The Business Plan and Marketing Competitions to Promote Products from Taiwan and Diplomatic Allies (hereinafter referred to as “the Competition”) is a competition that brings together Taiwan companies, Taiwanese students studying abroad as well as foreign students from Taiwan's allied countries (hereinafter referred to as “Allied Countries”) studying in Taiwan. It gives them a platform to utilize their knowledge and creativity to introduce products from Taiwan and/or allied countries, to either one of these two categories of the market. The aim is to help to increase visibility and sales of quality, marketable products that Taiwan and its allies produce, and can import and export to each other. The exploitation of opportunities for even more trade between the two parties also helps to strengthen bilateral ties. The Competition is organized by Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) with supervision from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The Competition kicked off for the first time this year (2021). Both marketing and business proposals were judged based on the following criteria: Innovativeness 50%, Proposal Structure 40%, and Feasibility 10%. Cash awards were given to winners of the competition with the intention that the prize is the seed to help winners realize and implement their proposals.
Results/Contributions （500 words）

iobotics was selected as the Gold Award winner in the business plan proposal category for the Competition this year. iobotics is a female-led EdTech startup company founded by four IMBA students from NTHU, namely Joanna Hartono, Karol Rodriguez, Luyandza Dlamini, and Stephani Medina. The team was mentored by IMBA instructor Yu-Wei Hsu for participation in the competition. The company essentially aims to leverage Taiwan’s STEM education system and use it to bring impacts to overseas underdeveloped education systems. Taiwan adopts an inquiry-based science teaching approach, which essentially means that students are given opportunities to be investigative, problem-solving, and experimental in their learning process. iobotics is targeting two Allied Countries, Eswatini and Honduras, to start deploying STEM education and utilize STEM kits and learning packages from selected companies in Taiwan.

 

The problem that iobotics is trying to solve is the phenomenon of the lack of STEM human capital that exists in some countries which in turn, limits a country’s ability to be innovative and compete with global standards. Implementing STEM education means that iobotics is playing a part in helping to foster a generation of “out of the box thinkers” who are also problem solvers. STEM knowledge/skills are transferable, therefore, iobotics is helping to build a generation that will prompt long-term economic growth in their respective countries.

Keywords
EntrepreneurshipSTEMioboticsTAITRAEswatiniHondurasTaiwan
References