BIO Asia–Taiwan 2025 Highlights from the Innovation Forum and Special Sessions

 
25 July, 2025

The 2025 BIO Asia–Taiwan 2025 Conference entered its third day on Friday, with the Innovation Forum continuing its focus on novel antibody therapies, while Special Sessions zeroed in on key topics such as smart healthcare, precision health, digital health, and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Distinguished speakers, both domestic and international, gathered to share insights. Represented were Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare, ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute), Taipei Medical University, Acer Group, imec (Belgium’s microelectronics non-profit research center), GE Healthcare, AstraZeneca, and Eisai. Notably, Shih Chung-Liang, Director-General of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Administration, and Stan Shih, Co-founder and Honorary Chairman of Acer Group, attended in person to offer deep perspectives on digital health and the future of the healthcare industry from a Taiwanese viewpoint.
 
Innovation Forum:

ADC Drug Boom Continues, Smart Healthcare and Precision Health Topics Reach New Heights
In today’s Innovation Forum Session A-8, the spotlight was on innovative Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) targeted therapies. Key speakers included: Teiji Wada, Head of Research Platform at Daiichi Sankyo, who shared the company’s journey in developing next-generation ADC drugs; Yu-Hsuan Lo, researcher at the Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB), who introduced DCB’s innovative pH-dependent ADC platform aimed at enhancing specificity and therapeutic efficacy; Luke Bi, Head of China BioA and APAC LCMS at Labcorp, who discussed the challenges in ADC bioanalytical method development and associated regulatory considerations. This session highlighted the ongoing momentum of ADC therapies and their evolving technological and regulatory landscapes.

The panel discussion that followed was moderated by Tsai-Kun Li, VP of the DCB. He was joined by speakers Teiji Wada, Yu-Hsuan Lo, Luke Bi, and Yi-Huang Hsieh, VP of R&D at Taiwan Advanced Chemicals (TAC).

The discussion centered on strategies to enhance the efficacy and delivery efficiency of ADC therapies, and approaches to broaden the indications and expand the patient population for ADC treatments.

In Innovation Forum Session A-9, the focus shifted to smart healthcare and the regulation and application of AI-driven medical devices. The session was chaired by Kang-Yuan Lee, VP and Professor of Internal Medicine at Taipei Medical University (TMU). Key highlights included: Ray Jade Chen, Chairman of TMU, who discussed emerging trends and governance challenges in intelligent healthcare by integrating genomics with generative AI; Mai-Szu Wu, President of TMU, who introduced TAIP-X, an AI platform developed by TMU, and its clinical applications in smart hospitals, such as automated clinical documentation, smart whiteboards, and voice-enabled systems; Wei-Bin Lee, Executive Director of Hon Hai Research Institute (Foxconn), who offered a tech-driven perspective on the potential opportunities and risks of AI in healthcare’s future; and Chia-Hua Maggie Ho, COO of Amarex Taiwan, who provided an overview of the FDA's evolving regulatory pathways for AI medical devices, including adaptive algorithms, Predetermined Change Control Plans (PCCP), and cross-center coordination strategies. Summarizing, the session emphasized the convergence of healthcare and AI, highlighting Taiwan’s proactive role in balancing innovation, regulation, and clinical integration.

In Innovation Forum Session A-10, the theme centered on the future development of precision health in Taiwan. The session opened with remarks from Chien-Cheng Tai, Senior Technical Specialist, Department of Industrial Technology, Ministry of Economic Affairs; Jeffrey Dutton, Commercial Officer at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT); and Eric Y. Chuang, Vice President and Director General, Biomedical Technology and Device Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

Session speakers included: Kyle Kai-How Farh, VP of Artificial Intelligence and Honorary Scientist at Illumina, who demonstrated how whole-genome sequencing data and analytical tools can be harnessed to accelerate drug discovery and development; Guillermo Del Angel, Executive Director and Head of Rare Diseases at AstraZeneca's Centre for Genomics Research, illustrated how integrating AI-driven multi-omics data with large-scale human biobanks enables faster development of novel therapies and medical innovations; Yau-Yu Chuang of ITRI explained how multi-omics big data and AI are becoming key drivers in accelerating precision health, introducing several genetic analysis tools developed for use in cancer, healthcare, microbiome, and disease research; Dave Whelan, Chief Business Officer of Big4Bio and advisor to Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health, highlighted the connection between Taiwan and Los Angeles as a case study, showing how cross-border collaboration can catalyze AI-driven health innovation and shape the future of biotechnology.

In the panel discussion moderated by Eric Y. Chuang, speakers Guillermo Del Angel, Kyle Kai-How Farh, and Dave Whelan were joined by Wayne Huey-Herng Sheu, Deputy Director of the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI). Together, they explored the applications of whole-genome sequencing in Taiwan and the development opportunities for precision medicine from a global to a local perspective. Notably, Hsu shared insights on how precision medicine has improved chronic disease management, particularly for diabetes care, and addressed the challenges Taiwan faces in the utilization of genetic health data.

Summarizing, the session highlighted Taiwan’s growing commitment to becoming a hub for precision health innovation, emphasizing the power of genomics, AI, and international collaboration in transforming the healthcare landscape.

Special Session A-11: Tech and Public Health Experts Join Forces to Build a Smart Healthcare Ecosystem for a Super-Aged Society

Following the Innovation Forum, this year’s Special Session A-11 focused on digital health and smart medical technologies, and featured multiple representatives from software and hardware technology companies as well as government officials and public health experts.

Shih Chung-Liang, Director-General of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA), pointed out that as Taiwan enters super-aged status, the NHI faces significant challenges from aging and the heavy burden of chronic diseases, with chronic disease-related expenses currently accounting for 40 percent of total healthcare spending. To address this, NHIA is promoting four major applications in smart health care: NHI MediCloud System; Personal Health Passport System; Family Physician Integrated Care Platform; and the Cancer Precision Medicine and Biobank Integration Program. These initiatives integrate data from health insurance, public health, and self-health management to improve the quality and efficiency of care.

Additionally, NHIA has leveraged private sector technology by collaborating with mobile app developers and Google in recent years. Using AI and big health data, they predict diabetes risk, realizing a people-centered digital health vision aimed at building a sustainable, smart, and integrated care system.

Stan Shih, Co-founder and Honorary Chairman of Acer, and Chairman of the StanShih Foundation, shared insights on the integration and future outlook of the cloud healthcare ecosystem. He emphasized that Taiwan’s rise in the global technology industry stems from successfully transforming its industrial model from “vertical integration” to “vertical specialization”, ushering in a new technological paradigm. However, he also stressed that Taiwan’s strengths should not be limited to silicon wafer manufacturing; instead, Taiwan should strive to become the world’s most innovative “Island of Innovation.”

Following, several industry leaders shared their insights: Paru Deshpande, of imec (microelectronics research center), discussed how semiconductor technology is driving new applications in digital health; Yommei Yanagiba, Business Development Head at GE Healthcare China, shared GE’s efforts to integrate medical imaging with AI and clinical workflows to develop practical precision care solutions; and Tony Lee, Industry Lead at Google’s Top Partners Team, explained how Google leverages cloud computing and AI technologies to create tangible value in clinical diagnostics, healthcare processes, and business models.

Other speakers included Ed Deng, Co-founder and CEO of Health2Sync, who shared innovations in chronic disease management driven by sensors, automated digital solutions, and supportive policies who also announced that Health2Sync will launch a digital management app for GLP-1 medications in Q4 this year; Peter Hu, Executive Vice President and CIO of Far EasTone Telecommunications, who approached the topic from the perspective of the health ecosystem and shared Far EasTone’s innovative applications supporting healthcare transformation; Edward Hsu, President of Acer Medical, who discussed how smart technology applications can extend medical care to communities and primary care settings, helping to narrow urban-rural healthcare gaps and achieve equitable care; and Nick Hung, Executive Vice President of Technology and Transformation at Deloitte Taiwan, who presented concrete cases of digital technology applications that improve medical efficiency and foster innovation.

During the panel discussion chaired by Johnsee Lee, Chairman of BIO Asia–Taiwan, and Chen Liang-Gee, Chairman of the Taiwan Digital Health Industry Development Association, multiple guests engaged in in-depth dialogue.

Experts highlighted that Taiwan holds numerous advantages in the digital health sector, not only possessing a robust data infrastructure and strong technical capabilities, but also being home to half of the world’s AI talent, as noted by NVIDIA founder Jensen Huang. This underscores Taiwan’s high potential for AI development. With clear government policies and proactive promotion, these data resources can rapidly translate into practical applications. Within such an ecosystem, Taiwan is well-positioned to become a genuine hub for smart health applications.

However, some experts also emphasized that the development of digital health still faces numerous challenges. They stressed that the overall ecosystem is an interconnected community, involving factors such as technology maturity, funding and clinical validation, and viable business models, all of which need to be aligned and advanced simultaneously.

Special Session A-12: Breaking Through the Cognitive Decline Dilemma – Alzheimer’s Diagnosis and Treatment, Advancing Toward Next-Gen Imaging and Precision Protein Therapies

Session A-12 focused on the latest diagnosis and treatment methods for Alzheimer’s Disease. It opened with a keynote speech by Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare, Lue Jen-Der, who emphasized the importance of early diagnosis for dementia and expressed hope to achieve the national vision of “2025 Dementia Friendly Taiwan 777.” That is, more than 70 percent of family caregivers having access to support and training; more than 70 percent of people with dementia receiving diagnosis and care; more than 70 percent of Taiwanese understanding and having a friendly attitude toward dementia.

Lin Shih-Chia, CEO of the Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan (FMPAT), provided a comprehensive overview of the current status of Alzheimer’s Disease. He also invited Wu Hsi-Wen, Deputy Director of the Long-Term Care Department at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, to share Taiwan’s national policy vision for dementia care. Moving forward, the plan aims to include dementia patients of all age groups within the long-term care system, while increasing both professional training and public awareness to foster correct understanding and a more dementia-friendly attitude.

Hsu Jung-Lung, Chairman of the Taiwan Dementia Society, provided a detailed clinical analysis of Alzheimer’s Disease, covering its causes, disease progression, and diagnostic criteria.

Yukio Ishikawa, Senior Director at the Deep Human Biology Learning Unit, Eisai, shared the history and current milestones of Alzheimer’s therapies focused on β-amyloid as a core target.

Ming-Kuei Jang, CEO of APN Life Sciences, shared next-generation diagnostic methods for Alzheimer’s Disease as well as innovative therapies using immunotherapy and protein degraders to remove brain lesions.

Makoto Higuchi, Director of the Advanced Neuroimaging Center at Japan’s National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), presented on the development and clinical applications of molecular imaging probes for neurodegenerative diseases.

Taigo Yamaya, Head of the Imaging Physics Group at QST, shared recent advancements in brain positron emission tomography (PET) technology.

Lu Lu-Yi, CEO of Taiwan's Novascope Diagnostics, shared the development journey and latest progress of blood diagnostic technology using the company's biochip platform.
Sanghoon Park, CEO of Illimis Therapeutics from South Korea, analyzed the mechanisms by which astrocytes clear brain lesions.

Hung-Kai Kevin Chen, Chairman and CEO of Taiwan's Elixiron Immunotherapeutics, discussed treating Alzheimer’s disease by inhibiting microglia-induced neuroinflammatory responses.