NCKU and Bank SinoPac Renew Collaboration, Launch Enterprise Accelerator to Encourage Campus Startups

Written by Hsu Tsu-Yueh. Image credit to NCKU News Center.
 
National Cheng Kung University and Bank SinoPac extend their six-year history of industry-academic collaboration. On September 15th, at the Future Venue on Sheng-Li Campus, Meng-Ru Shen, President of NCKU, and Eric Chuang, Director of Bank SinoPac, signed the renewal agreement for the third phase of their collaborative project with E-Paper, solidifying their partnership. They also inaugurated the enterprise accelerator “Future Dynamic Accelerator”, a collaborative effort to cultivate the next generation of innovative talents and advance towards a more diverse future while continuing to nurture a green campus.

During the ceremony on the 15th, Shi-Kuan Chen, Chairman of SinoPac Holdings, expressed his special appreciation for National Cheng Kung University’s dedication and commitment to higher education. She commended the outstanding performance of NCKU alumni in academic research, interpersonal skills, and their approach to various matters. Additionally, she presented a certificate of appreciation to former NCKU President Huey-Jen Jenny Su, thanking her for her strong support during her term in cultivating future talents and collaborating on three aspects, including new technologies, new frameworks, and new business models. She also thanked President Meng-Ru Shen for continuing their collaborative efforts as they move forward into the next stage.
 
President Meng-Ru Shen stated that the most important aspects of a university are knowledge and talent. It is crucial for a university to connect outstanding academic research with society and put it into practical use for the benefit of the community. “NCKU is very willing to continue its collaboration with Bank SinoPac. Having good partners on the path to fulfilling the university’s mission is essential. The continued collaboration between NCKU and Bank SinoPac over the past two six-year terms has been conducive.” He believes the relationship between the two parties will expand further, yielding even more significant positive outcomes that will benefit students, faculty, and the industry.

Former NCKU President Huey-Jen Jenny Su was deeply touched to receive the certificate of appreciation from Bank SinoPac. She recalled the journey of envisioning the future and developing digital finance on the NCKU campus with Bank SinoPac. She was very moved by the extensive dedication and time invested by all partners and expressed gratitude for the immense trust and encouragement from all parties. “Throughout the journey, I’ve learned many things I didn’t understand before, and all I could do was to offer my sincere dedication.” She believes that NCKU and Bank SinoPac will continue to explore a more fruitful future based on sincerity and mutual trust.
 
NCKU and Bank SinoPac began the long-running collaboration in 2017, the most extensive industry-academia collaboration project on campus. Over the past six years, the NCKU Atelier Future has implemented 28 industry-academia projects, established seven working groups and experimental teams, and nurtured two startup companies. As many as 481 scholarships have been awarded, and support has been provided for five “Future Dynamic Program” members to participate in the Bangkok Design Week and Global Goals Youth Summit 2023. A total amount exceeding 30 million NT Dollars has been invested in this grand collaboration. This has successfully connected cooperating enterprises and partners from various fields. The Future Venue was renovated with the assistance of Bank SinoPac in 2019. The Atelier Future operates it and serves as a base for students to engage in interdisciplinary learning and innovation.

In response to the collaboration between NCKU and Bank SinoPac, Atelier Future commits to cultivating future talents and actively participates in various initiatives, including promoting sustainable school affairs in terms of engaging in world university impact rankings and university social responsibility (USR) awards. They also organize a series of community activities and workshops to encourage innovative visions on future developments, such as “BAR Future” and “Future Bento.” Additionally, Atelier Future supports students in launching net-zero carbon emission initiatives.
 
The “Future Dynamic Program,” launched in 2022, focuses on integrating technology tools and international collaboration. It recruits students from various disciplines to inspire each other, fostering innovative sandbox experiments on campus. Several projects under this initiative have already been successfully implemented. The idea of the online payment platform “NCKU Bill” was conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the platform is a successful solution for students unable to make physical payments in real-time. Furthermore, to address issues related to office expenses, one of the projects launched a credit card specifically for workplace use, which received positive feedback from the faculty and staff. The successful cases of innovation on campus inspire students to think creatively, take action, and make positive changes, actively supporting NCKU in becoming a model sustainable institution.
 
Under the support of NCKU and Bank SinoPac, the D4Climate Working Group developed the GetEmission digital greenhouse gas management system. They aim to provide businesses with a digital management tool for carbon neutrality efforts, including organizational greenhouse gas assessment, carbon footprint verification, and carbon reduction monitoring. In 2022, the team customized a digital verification system for NCKU to estimate the 2021 greenhouse gas emissions and later to serve as a database for third-party validation. Atelier Future coordinated efforts from various offices, gathered data, conducted analysis, and digitized the verification. In 2023, D4Climate was officially established as a startup company, GovernClimate Ltd. The ISO 14064-1 international standard completed the verification and obtained an independent assurance opinion from a third-party verification agency, the DNV Business Assurance, the first third-party verification the NCKU received.

Building on the experience and achievements in the field of green campus development and the establishment of startup companies, NCKU and Bank SinoPac launched the “Future Dynamic Accelerator” in the initiation of the third phase of collaboration. This program focuses on climate technologies, twin transition, and green financing and sets reducing campus greenhouse gas emissions as its first challenge. It invites all students with visions and innovative ideas to participate, gradually shaping their envisioned dreams and innovative concepts.
 
NCKU and Bank SinoPac join forces to establish an enterprise accelerator to facilitate a comprehensive startup training process, drawing inspiration from the Double Diamond design model. The “Future Dynamic Program" plays the part of the central axis, and working groups and various themed projects are developed in correspondence to this program. It aims to guide participants through self-exploration, learning sustainability, and honing practical skills. Following a selection process, participants advance into the “Future Dynamic Accelerator.” The accelerator leverages the abundant resources of NCKU and Bank SinoPac to enhance the potential for startups to find solid ground and expand their possibilities.