SDG3
3rd APBA International Conference Highlights Advances in Healthcare and Artificial Intelligence
The 3rd Asia-Pacific BT&D2 Alliance (APBA) International Conference and the New Southbound International Multilateral Meeting, themed “Connecting and Creating Sustainable Healthcare Innovation Opportunities in Southeast Asian Countries through Smart and Preventive Medicine Strategies,” was held from November 28 to 30 at the Lecture Hall of the College of Science, Cheng-Kung Campus, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). The event gathered leading scholars and industry experts from Taiwan and the broader Asia-Pacific region in fields such as artificial intelligence, chemistry, medicine, engineering, and biotechnology. Through interdisciplinary exchanges and knowledge sharing, participants explored innovative healthcare solutions aimed at advancing industrial innovation and upgrading.
The opening ceremony was held on November 28, attended by distinguished guests including Dr. Chin-Ping Wang (王金平), Former President of the Legislative Yuan and Founder of the Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB); Deputy Mayor Ching-Hui Chao (趙卿惠) of Tainan City; NCKU Vice President Yung-Chun Lee (李永春); NCKU Dean of Research & Development (R&D) Department Chuan-Pu Liu (劉全璞); Dean Shih-Chun Wu (吳士駿) of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS); and NCKU Hospital Superintendent Ching-Wei Lee (李經維).
Speaking on behalf of President Meng-Ru Shen (沈孟儒), Vice President Lee remarked that the Asia-Pacific BT&D2 Alliance has rapidly expanded to include 102 research teams and institutions across 11 Asia-Pacific countries, promoting regional research development, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He noted that NCKU and Taiwan now play a central role in the Asia-Pacific region, contributing significantly to global drug development and healthcare innovation.
Former Legislative Yuan President Wang praised NCKU for fostering the internationally renowned Asia-Pacific BT&D2 Alliance and Taiwan’s biotech research teams. He emphasized that the alliance connects Taiwan with world-leading universities and research institutions in the Asia-Pacific, accelerating global AI-driven drug discovery and healthcare advancements. This, he said, places Taiwan at the forefront of technology R&D and industrial applications, strengthening the nation’s competitiveness and improving the well-being of humanity.
Deputy Mayor Chao expressed appreciation for NCKU’s longstanding support of Tainan City in areas such as health and artificial intelligence, noting that the university’s contributions have greatly advanced the city’s development. She also wished the conference great success.
NCKU R&D Director Liu highlighted NCKU’s strong commitment to artificial intelligence, sustainability, and interdisciplinary international research. He stressed that the APBA represents one of the university’s major accomplishments, enabling collaborations across multiple Asia-Pacific nations and top research institutes, thereby boosting regional scientific and economic development and enhancing global visibility for both NCKU and Taiwan.
NCKU Hospital Superintendent Lee stated that the alliance facilitates the integration of AI and healthcare industries. He expressed confidence that APBA’s achievements would create new opportunities for innovative medical technologies and related industries worldwide, and affirmed NCKU Hospital’s continued dedication to expanding international medical research collaboration through APBA.
Dean Wu of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science pointed out that the conference not only enhances the visibility and contributions of NCKU and Taiwan but also enriches students’ global and interdisciplinary perspectives. The integration of electrical engineering, information sciences, pharmaceutical chemistry, and healthcare resources is expected to produce meaningful contributions to the world.
APBA Chair and Taiwan BT&D2 Team Leader, Associate Professor Hsien-Tai Chiu (邱顯泰) of the NCKU Department of Chemistry, expressed gratitude for NCKU’s longstanding support of international research collaboration. The alliance not only strengthens academic, research, and industrial partnerships but also provides platforms for talent exchange, internships, and innovation, enabling Taiwan to play an important international role and enhancing the Asia-Pacific region’s global influence.
During the opening ceremony, Vice President Lee presented the APBA Outstanding Contribution Award to Dr. Wang, recognizing his exceptional contributions to technological and industrial development in both the Asia-Pacific region and NCKU. Following this, Dr. Wang and other distinguished guests presented additional APBA Outstanding Contribution Awards and APBA Outstanding Innovation Awards.
APBA Outstanding Contribution Award Recipients:
Prof. Dean Ho (National University of Singapore)
Prof. Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay (Director, Indian Statistical Institute)
Dr. Thomayant Prueksaritanont (Director, Drug Discovery and Development Center, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand)
Prof. Michael Gromiha (Indian Institute of Technology Madras)
Prof. Suree Jianmongkol (Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kasetsart University, Thailand)
Prof. Chandra S. Verma (Deputy Director, Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR Singapore)
Prof. Yi-Cheng Chang (張以承教授) (National Taiwan University College of Medicine)
Prof. Yung-Chang Wu (吳永昌教授) (China Medical University, Taiwan)
Prof. Kwoh Chee Keong (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)
Dr. Shu-Chin Su (蘇淑津博士) (Co-founder and CSO, Pontos Bioinformatics & Biomedicine)
APBA Outstanding Innovation Award Recipients:
Associate Prof. Hsien-Tai Chiu (邱顯泰副教授) (NCKU Department of Chemistry, Taiwan BT&D2 Team Leader)
Deputy Director Jung-Hung Lin (林榮信副主任) (Academia Sinica, Translational Medicine Research Center)
Prof. Li-Wei Yang (楊立威教授) (National Tsing Hua University)
Prof. Partha Roy (IIT Roorkee, India)
Prof. Ivy Chung (University of Malaya, Malaysia)
A highlight of this year’s APBA conference was the keynote speech on November 29 by Academician Chi-Hui Weng (翁啟惠院士), former President of Academia Sinica, titled “Decoding Protein Glycosylation for Vaccine and Antibody Development.” He introduced his team’s breakthroughs in synthesizing and analyzing complex glycans and glycoproteins using chemoenzymatic and programmable one-pot strategies. He also discussed the role of glycan structures and protein glycosylation in protein folding, viral infection, cancer, and immune responses, as well as advances in producing optimized human-like Fc-glycosylated monoclonal antibodies for targeted therapies. In recognition of his contributions, Vice President Lee presented him with the APBA Outstanding Contribution Award.
The conference was jointly organized by the Asia-Pacific BT&D2 Alliance (APBA), the Taiwan BT&D2 Team, and NCKU, in partnership with Taiwan’s Ministry of Education New Southbound Policy Initiative. Over the course of three days, researchers from top global institutions delivered nearly 20 keynote presentations, forums, collaboration meetings, exhibitions, and poster competitions. Topics included precision medicine, smart pharmaceutical manufacturing, data-driven health management, AI-assisted drug discovery, and disease prevention—strengthening Taiwan’s collaborative network with Asia-Pacific partners.
This year’s conference introduced a poster exhibition and competition to encourage participation from university students, offering them opportunities to engage in international and interdisciplinary exchanges and prepare for future academic and professional development. On the final day, the conference arranged visits to the Tainan Science Park and local cultural sites, allowing guests to experience the unique blend of culture and technology in Tainan.
Founded in 2021, the Asia-Pacific BT&D2 Alliance (APBA) is dedicated to promoting the sharing of research information and resources, and to developing solutions rooted in both Western and traditional medicine for critical illnesses, cancer, chronic diseases, aging, and metabolic syndromes. The alliance includes members from 11 countries, including Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, the United States, Japan, and South Korea, with participation from more than 120 leading scholars and research teams. Together with its founding partner, the Taiwan BT&D2 Team, APBA supports rapid access to and optimization of precision medicine formulations based on clinical needs.
APBA conference website : https://reurl.cc/W8LeZO
APBA Alliance website : https://sites.google.com/view/asia-pacificbtd2alliance/home
The opening ceremony was held on November 28, attended by distinguished guests including Dr. Chin-Ping Wang (王金平), Former President of the Legislative Yuan and Founder of the Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB); Deputy Mayor Ching-Hui Chao (趙卿惠) of Tainan City; NCKU Vice President Yung-Chun Lee (李永春); NCKU Dean of Research & Development (R&D) Department Chuan-Pu Liu (劉全璞); Dean Shih-Chun Wu (吳士駿) of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS); and NCKU Hospital Superintendent Ching-Wei Lee (李經維).
Speaking on behalf of President Meng-Ru Shen (沈孟儒), Vice President Lee remarked that the Asia-Pacific BT&D2 Alliance has rapidly expanded to include 102 research teams and institutions across 11 Asia-Pacific countries, promoting regional research development, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He noted that NCKU and Taiwan now play a central role in the Asia-Pacific region, contributing significantly to global drug development and healthcare innovation.
Former Legislative Yuan President Wang praised NCKU for fostering the internationally renowned Asia-Pacific BT&D2 Alliance and Taiwan’s biotech research teams. He emphasized that the alliance connects Taiwan with world-leading universities and research institutions in the Asia-Pacific, accelerating global AI-driven drug discovery and healthcare advancements. This, he said, places Taiwan at the forefront of technology R&D and industrial applications, strengthening the nation’s competitiveness and improving the well-being of humanity.
Deputy Mayor Chao expressed appreciation for NCKU’s longstanding support of Tainan City in areas such as health and artificial intelligence, noting that the university’s contributions have greatly advanced the city’s development. She also wished the conference great success.
NCKU R&D Director Liu highlighted NCKU’s strong commitment to artificial intelligence, sustainability, and interdisciplinary international research. He stressed that the APBA represents one of the university’s major accomplishments, enabling collaborations across multiple Asia-Pacific nations and top research institutes, thereby boosting regional scientific and economic development and enhancing global visibility for both NCKU and Taiwan.
NCKU Hospital Superintendent Lee stated that the alliance facilitates the integration of AI and healthcare industries. He expressed confidence that APBA’s achievements would create new opportunities for innovative medical technologies and related industries worldwide, and affirmed NCKU Hospital’s continued dedication to expanding international medical research collaboration through APBA.
Dean Wu of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science pointed out that the conference not only enhances the visibility and contributions of NCKU and Taiwan but also enriches students’ global and interdisciplinary perspectives. The integration of electrical engineering, information sciences, pharmaceutical chemistry, and healthcare resources is expected to produce meaningful contributions to the world.
APBA Chair and Taiwan BT&D2 Team Leader, Associate Professor Hsien-Tai Chiu (邱顯泰) of the NCKU Department of Chemistry, expressed gratitude for NCKU’s longstanding support of international research collaboration. The alliance not only strengthens academic, research, and industrial partnerships but also provides platforms for talent exchange, internships, and innovation, enabling Taiwan to play an important international role and enhancing the Asia-Pacific region’s global influence.
During the opening ceremony, Vice President Lee presented the APBA Outstanding Contribution Award to Dr. Wang, recognizing his exceptional contributions to technological and industrial development in both the Asia-Pacific region and NCKU. Following this, Dr. Wang and other distinguished guests presented additional APBA Outstanding Contribution Awards and APBA Outstanding Innovation Awards.
APBA Outstanding Contribution Award Recipients:
Prof. Dean Ho (National University of Singapore)
Prof. Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay (Director, Indian Statistical Institute)
Dr. Thomayant Prueksaritanont (Director, Drug Discovery and Development Center, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand)
Prof. Michael Gromiha (Indian Institute of Technology Madras)
Prof. Suree Jianmongkol (Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kasetsart University, Thailand)
Prof. Chandra S. Verma (Deputy Director, Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR Singapore)
Prof. Yi-Cheng Chang (張以承教授) (National Taiwan University College of Medicine)
Prof. Yung-Chang Wu (吳永昌教授) (China Medical University, Taiwan)
Prof. Kwoh Chee Keong (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)
Dr. Shu-Chin Su (蘇淑津博士) (Co-founder and CSO, Pontos Bioinformatics & Biomedicine)
APBA Outstanding Innovation Award Recipients:
Associate Prof. Hsien-Tai Chiu (邱顯泰副教授) (NCKU Department of Chemistry, Taiwan BT&D2 Team Leader)
Deputy Director Jung-Hung Lin (林榮信副主任) (Academia Sinica, Translational Medicine Research Center)
Prof. Li-Wei Yang (楊立威教授) (National Tsing Hua University)
Prof. Partha Roy (IIT Roorkee, India)
Prof. Ivy Chung (University of Malaya, Malaysia)
A highlight of this year’s APBA conference was the keynote speech on November 29 by Academician Chi-Hui Weng (翁啟惠院士), former President of Academia Sinica, titled “Decoding Protein Glycosylation for Vaccine and Antibody Development.” He introduced his team’s breakthroughs in synthesizing and analyzing complex glycans and glycoproteins using chemoenzymatic and programmable one-pot strategies. He also discussed the role of glycan structures and protein glycosylation in protein folding, viral infection, cancer, and immune responses, as well as advances in producing optimized human-like Fc-glycosylated monoclonal antibodies for targeted therapies. In recognition of his contributions, Vice President Lee presented him with the APBA Outstanding Contribution Award.
The conference was jointly organized by the Asia-Pacific BT&D2 Alliance (APBA), the Taiwan BT&D2 Team, and NCKU, in partnership with Taiwan’s Ministry of Education New Southbound Policy Initiative. Over the course of three days, researchers from top global institutions delivered nearly 20 keynote presentations, forums, collaboration meetings, exhibitions, and poster competitions. Topics included precision medicine, smart pharmaceutical manufacturing, data-driven health management, AI-assisted drug discovery, and disease prevention—strengthening Taiwan’s collaborative network with Asia-Pacific partners.
This year’s conference introduced a poster exhibition and competition to encourage participation from university students, offering them opportunities to engage in international and interdisciplinary exchanges and prepare for future academic and professional development. On the final day, the conference arranged visits to the Tainan Science Park and local cultural sites, allowing guests to experience the unique blend of culture and technology in Tainan.
Founded in 2021, the Asia-Pacific BT&D2 Alliance (APBA) is dedicated to promoting the sharing of research information and resources, and to developing solutions rooted in both Western and traditional medicine for critical illnesses, cancer, chronic diseases, aging, and metabolic syndromes. The alliance includes members from 11 countries, including Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, the United States, Japan, and South Korea, with participation from more than 120 leading scholars and research teams. Together with its founding partner, the Taiwan BT&D2 Team, APBA supports rapid access to and optimization of precision medicine formulations based on clinical needs.
APBA conference website : https://reurl.cc/W8LeZO
APBA Alliance website : https://sites.google.com/view/asia-pacificbtd2alliance/home
Group photo of the participants
Group photo of the distinguished guests
Vice President Yung-Chun Lee (left) presented the APBA Outstanding Contribution Award to former Legislative Yuan President Chin-Ping Wang, recognizing his outstanding contributions to technological and industrial development at NCKU and in the Asia-Pacific region.
Former Legislative Yuan President Chin-Ping Wang presented the APBA Outstanding Innovation Award to Chair Hsien-Tai Chiu (right).
Deputy Mayor Ching-Hui Chao of Tainan City (left) presented the APBA Outstanding Contribution Award to Dr. Thomayant Prueksaritanont (Director, Drug Discovery and Development Center, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand).
Young student participants
Viewing the conference poster exhibition
