Taiwan's "Central and Eastern Europe Investment Fund" aims to boost Taiwan-European industrial cooperation

The “Central and Eastern Europe Investment Fund,” also known as the CEE Fund, was established by the Executive Yuan of Taiwan’s National Development Fund and has been officially entrusted to Taiwania Capital, a national venture capital firm, for management.

The fund focuses on semiconductors, biotechnology, aerospace, fintech, electric vehicles, and laser optics in Taiwan and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), with a particular emphasis on Lithuania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. The CEE Fund is not a loan or a grant, but rather an equity investment vehicle. Taiwanese enterprises interested in investing in CEE and CEE companies interested in forming joint ventures, technological collaborations, or supply chain partnerships with Taiwanese companies would be given priority. The goal is to strengthen Taiwan’s economic and investment ties with democratic allies in Europe, in addition to cooperating in the construction of robust supply chains.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan and CEE bolstered their diplomatic ties by donating epidemic-prevention goods to each other. A cross-ministerial group of 66 individuals visited Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania in October 2021, comprising representatives from industry, academia, and research. The group, led by National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-Hsin, inked 18 memorandums of cooperation spanning a wide range of topics, including research parks, aircraft, electric vehicles, smart cities, semiconductors, biotechnology, and finance. The “Central and Eastern Europe Investment Fund,” with a budget of $200 million, will help to consolidate the efforts.

Taiwania Capital CEO David Weng emphasized the numerous potential for bilateral cooperation. He noted that the tour demonstrated that CEE startups and businesses are very interested in Asia and Taiwan. At the same time, Taiwanese businesses want to expand their position in the EU market by investing in Central and Eastern Europe. Taiwania Capital, which has four years of expertise in domestic and foreign investment, seeks to mediate the requirements and strengths of sectors on both sides in order to create collaborations between CEE and Taiwanese businesses.

Invite CEE startups to Taiwan for apprenticeships or to set up shop in incubators, organize bilateral business investment and trade delegations, and host events promoting investment in CEE to other exchanges are all part of the current agenda. Mitch Yang, who has extensive experience in entrepreneurship, international business development, and corporate mergers and acquisitions, has recently joined Taiwania Capital as the Managing Partner of the “Central and Eastern Europe Investment Fund.”