TAIPEI, Aug. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Driven by the growing interest in Artificial intelligence (AI), DevDays Asia, Microsoft's largest developer event in the Asia-Pacific region, took place earlier this month in Taiwan. The event was co-organized by Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs and the Administration for Digital Industries.

Now in its ninth year and held in Taipei and Kaohsiung, the theme this year was "Launch into the AI Era, Innovate and Shape the Future Together." The event featured Microsoft experts across disciplines who showcased technologies and tools that power AI innovation. Topics spanned across a broad range, from Azure OpenAI, GitHub Copilot and Copilot for Microsoft 365 to new Copilot PCs and SQL Server and beyond, with a strong focus on the importance of responsible innovation with AI and cybersecurity to meet the evolving challenges, opportunities and unique value of development with the Microsoft open platform.

Collaboration with Microsoft on Taiwan's AI development Commended by Minister of Digital Affairs, AI Startups in the Spotlight

Taiwan's Minister of Digital Affairs (moda), Yennun Huang, noted at the opening ceremony that DevDays Asia has become an essential platform for the exchange of ideas, significantly aiding Taiwan's AI development. He also stressed moda's longstanding dedication to advancing Taiwan's digital economy.

Minister Huang stated: "In recent years, we have seen new opportunities for the industry from generative AI and cybersecurity. Recently, we secured NT$10 billion in investment from the National Development Fund for AI startups. We need continued support from technology giants like Microsoft to help Taiwanese startups reach the international stage. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Microsoft to foster the growth of Taiwan's digital economy."

Bringing the DevDays Asia event to southern Taiwan helps to connect the island's tech talents from north to south. In addition to DevDays, Microsoft Taiwan and moda collaborate on multiple projects to cultivate AI talent in Taiwan including AI Day, AI Taiwan, and the AI+ Contest.  

Microsoft Supports Taiwan's AI Partner Ecosystem

AI is driving a new wave of critical paradigm shifts, and 2024 marks a pivotal year for Taiwan's generative AI development. Sean Pien, General Manager of Microsoft Taiwan, emphasized Microsoft's ongoing support for the region's AI industry in his speech at the opening ceremony: "Taiwan's AI development has jumped to the next level, and we are seeing local industries embracing AI in a huge way. Over 70% of Taiwan's top 100 enterprises have adopted and implemented Microsoft AI services, making a strong business case for the technology. Microsoft provides comprehensive products and platforms that support enterprises on their AI journey, from infrastructure to ecosystems to best-in-class customer support. Taiwan stands at the forefront of the AI era, and it is an honor to be its trusted technology partner. With security as the foundation of this partnership, we look forward to utilizing our global resources and experience to empower Taiwan's AI partner ecosystem to thrive and prosper."

Microsoft Fostering Taiwan's AI Talent

Microsoft is dedicated to empowering individuals and businesses globally in the AI era. In recent years, the company has launched multiple initiatives across various industries in Taiwan to cultivate new AI experts, reaching a significant milestone of training 200,000 people. Over the past year, an additional 50,000 people have completed AI training with Microsoft, further driving AI innovation in Taiwan.