The conference on “Fostering Innovative Growth Partnership with New Southbound Countries”, held on 25th June 2018, was an important outcome of the second phase of research project, “A Planning Study on S&T Activities in ASEAN and South Asian Countries and Prospect of Collaboration with Taiwan”, funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). The conference served to build a platform for representatives from government, universities, research institutes and new southbound countries, in order to facilitate S&T dialogue and cooperation among a few of the new southbound countries and Taiwan, and to promote MOST’s strategy of New Southbound Policy, especially regarding academic exchange, international university-industry cooperation , Overseas Science and Technology Innovation Center (STIC). Therefore, the organizer, Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER), invited three representatives from new southbound countries, including Mr. Miftah Farid (Director of Trade Dept., Indonesian Economic and Trade Office to Taipei), Madam Saudah Mat Isa (Director of Trade, Malaysian Friendship And Trade Centre, Taipei), and Mr. Michael Alfred V. Ignacio (Manila Economic and Cultural Office), to participate in the conference as discussion panelists. “Innovative Growth partnership” was the main theme of the conference, which suggested Taiwan to contribute S&T and innovation capabilities to local society and economic development in new southbound countries in a mutually-beneficial way. The conference was composed of presentations by CIER and the research teams for six countries (Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, and India) to propose their strategic cooperation plan from their research results. Besides, some external experts joined the panel discussion sections to share their views and experiences of international cooperation and New Southbound Policy. The conference is well received by 167 participants from the research community.

Figure 1  2018 Conference on “Fostering Innovative Growth Partnership with New Southbound Countries” : Morning Session

Figure 2  2018 Conference on “Fostering Innovative Growth Partnership with New Southbound Countries”: Afternoon Session