Australia-Taiwan Young Business Leaders Program

The Australia-Taiwan Business Council Limited (ATBC) is conducting the Australia-Taiwan Young Business Leaders Program (Program), as a steppingstone in deepening the B2B relationship between Australia and Taiwan by identifying and encouraging the next generation of business leaders.

The Program will run across 2025 to 2027 as the first of two cohorts.

Announcement of Successful Leaders Program – Thursday, 12^th June 2025

The Australia–Taiwan Business Council (ATBC) is pleased to announce the successful candidates selected to participate in the Australia–Taiwan Young Business Leaders (YBL) Program. The program attracted strong interest from highly qualified applicants across Australia and Taiwan, with more than 50 candidates participating in a competitive selection and interview process. The twelve successful participants represent a diverse range of professional backgrounds and bring extensive expertise across industry, technology, business and academia. Through the events, workshops and conferences of the YBL Program, participants will have the opportunity to learn from one another and from prominent stakeholders in the Australia–Taiwan relationship, while generating new ideas and strengthening bilateral business connections.

The official launch of the 2025–2027 YBL cohort took place on 12 June 2025 in a hybrid event held simultaneously in Sydney and Taipei and streamed online to connect participants across both economies. The program is designed to identify and connect the next generation of business leaders in Australia and Taiwan, fostering deeper cultural understanding and commercial collaboration. Over the course of the program, participants will engage in leadership and mentoring workshops, participate in major industry events in both countries, and take part in Track II dialogues that enable open exchange between public and private sector stakeholders on priority areas for Australia–Taiwan cooperation.

The launch formally welcomed the inaugural 2025–27 YBL cohort and was supported by key partners including the Australian Office Taipei (AO), the Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA), Griffith Business School, the Australia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (ANZCham), Sparke Helmore Lawyers, and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia (TECO). Senior government representatives, diplomats and business leaders attended the launch events in both Sydney and Taipei, highlighting the strategic importance of the program to the bilateral relationship and the strong support of the business community in developing the next generation of Australia–Taiwan leaders.

In Sydney, invited guests include:
 Mr Douglas Yu-tien Hsu, Representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia (TECO Australia)
 Ms Kim Pang, Deputy CEO, National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (DFAT)
 Mr David Cheng-Wei Wu, Director General, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Sydney (TECO Sydney)

In Taipei, attendees include:
 Mr Robert Fergusson, Representative, Australian Office in Taipei (AO)
 Mr Frank Wu, Secretary-General, Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA)

Wednesday, 20 August 2025

Track II Dialogue – Australian Office Taipei

The program formally commenced with a Track II Dialogue hosted at the Australian Office Taipei.

Opening remarks were delivered by:

 Mr Robert Fergusson, Representative, Australian Office Taipei

 Mr John Toigo, Chair, Australia–Taiwan Business Council (ATBC)

 Mr Chien-Chih Hwang, Chair, ROC-Australia Business Council (ROCABC/CIECA)

The session was facilitated by Professor Caitlin Byrne FAIIA, Pro Vice Chancellor (Business), Griffith Business School.

The twelve YBL participants presented across three thematic areas:

 Digital Economy

 Sustainable Business

 Youth Engagement

Each group delivered formal presentations outlining opportunities for enhanced Australia–Taiwan collaboration, followed by reflections and concluding observations from cohort representatives.

Australia–Taiwan Young Business Leaders (YBL) Program Taiwan Program | 19–26 August 2025

Theme: Australia and Taiwan – Islands of Democracy, Stability and Prosperity

The Australia–Taiwan Young Business Leaders (YBL) 2025–27 Cohort participated in a comprehensive leadership and engagement program in Taipei from 19–26 August 2025. Based at the Shangri-La Far Eastern Taipei, the program brought together emerging leaders from both economies for a week of policy dialogue, business engagement and cultural exchange. The program commenced with a Track II Dialogue hosted at the Australian Office Taipei, featuring opening remarks from Mr Robert Fergusson (Representative, Australian Office Taipei), Mr John Toigo (Chair, Australia–Taiwan Business Council), and Mr Chien-Chih Hwang (Chair, ROC-Australia Business Council). Facilitated by Professor Caitlin Byrne FAIIA of Griffith Business School, the twelve YBL participants delivered presentations on the Digital Economy, Sustainable Business and Youth Engagement, outlining opportunities to strengthen Australia–Taiwan collaboration. The opening day concluded with a Welcome Dinner at The Howard Plaza Hotel Taipei, providing the first formal networking opportunity for the cohort.

During the program, participants attended and actively contributed to the 38^th Joint Conference of ATBC and ROCABC at the Shangri-La Far Eastern Taipei, where the cohort featured in the dedicated panel session “Introducing the Australia–Taiwan Young Business Leaders.” This session highlighted the next generation of bilateral leaders and reinforced the strategic importance of the YBL initiative within the broader Australia–Taiwan business relationship. The cohort also participated in the official Joint Conference industry visit program, engaging directly with Taiwan’s advanced manufacturing and innovation sectors, while informal engagement activities—including a visit to the Dadaocheng Wharf Container Market along the Tamsui River—provided opportunities for cultural immersion and relationship-building.

The program concluded with a series of industry, innovation and government briefings designed to deepen participants’ understanding of Taiwan’s economic ecosystem. The cohort visited the Nangang Software Incubator (NSI), hosted by the Small and Medium Enterprises and Startup Administration (SMESA) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, where welcoming remarks were delivered by Dr GJ Lee (Director General, SMESA) and Mr Gary Gong (Chairman, Innovation to Industry). Participants heard startup presentations, toured the incubator facilities, and met leaders from major organisations including TECO Group and CreatorDB. The program also included an Indigenous cultural experience in Yilan County at Kbanun (樂水部落), highlighting Taiwan’s rich cultural heritage and community identity, before concluding with strategic business briefings and networking engagements with senior representatives from government and industry.

Australia–Taiwan Young Business Leaders Program (YBL)
Lunar New Year & Leadership Networking Event – 19 January 2026

Following the successful Track II Dialogue (T2D) and Taiwan Program in August 2025, the Australia–Taiwan Young Business Leaders Program (YBL) 2025–27 Cohort proudly delivered its Lunar New Year & Leadership Networking Event, held simultaneously in Brisbane and Taipei on Monday, 19 January 2026.

This milestone event was made possible through the generous support of the National Foundation for Australia–China Relations (NFACR), the Australian Office Taipei (AO), Griffith Business School of Griffith University (GBS), the Australia & New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (ANZCham Taiwan), Sparke Helmore Lawyers (SH), the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Australia (TECO in Australia), and our valued Taiwan partner ROCABC/CIECA. Since the YBL’s launch in early 2025, these organisations have played a pivotal role in the program’s continued growth and impact.

With a strong commitment to nurturing emerging leaders in both Australia and Taiwan, the YBL program continues to promote mutual understanding and deepen engagement between the two regions. The 2025–27 cohort comprises twelve outstanding young business leaders who form a dynamic and collaborative network across both economies. Through structured dialogue, leadership engagement and cross-border cooperation, participants strengthen cross-cultural understanding while addressing emerging opportunities and challenges within their respective industries.

Event Overview

The evening commenced with registration and arrival of guests, with drinks served upon entry.

The formal program opened with welcome remarks from Mr John Toigo, Chairman of the Australia–Taiwan Business Council (ATBC), followed by remarks from Mr William Fan, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane (TECO Brisbane), and Mr Christopher Lim, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner and Deputy Representative of the Australian Office Taipei (AO).

The first keynote address was delivered by Professor Ashely Goldsworthy AO OBE KSS KM, followed by a presentation from Mr Ryan Chua, Senior Managing Director, Investment Team at Stonepeak Partners.

A moderated Q&A session was then led by Professor Caitlin Byrne, Pro Vice Chancellor (Business), Griffith University. The discussion provided attendees with the opportunity to engage directly with the speakers in an interactive and insightful exchange, encouraging thoughtful questions and collaborative dialogue across the Brisbane and Taipei audiences.

The formal proceedings concluded with a group photo, followed by continued networking over drinks and canapés.

The event concluded at 7:30pm (Brisbane time), marking another successful chapter in strengthening Australia–Taiwan leadership engagement.