Celebrating and embracing the spirit of progress and excellence, the International Innovation Awards (IIA) 2023 proudly honours 34 remarkable innovations that redefine industries and elevate the human experience on a global scale. As one of the pillars of the Innovation Revolution movement spearheaded by regional NGO Enterprise Asia since 2017, the award recognition program, which aims to create an innovation ecosystem for enterprises, is held annually to recognise outstanding innovations across the globe. This year marks the 7th edition of the awards which took place in Taipei, and was graced by Chern-Chyi “C.C.” Chen, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Betty Hu, Deputy Director, Administration for Digital Industries, Ministry of Digital Affairs.
This year’s winning innovations epitomise the core tenets of sustainable progress, steering towards accelerated growth, heightened efficiency, and inclusive practices. In perfect alignment with the IIA's mission, these innovations epitomise the ethos of fostering a global stage for businesses. They exemplify solutions that not only redefine industries but also serve as gateways to a more sustainable and promising future. Each winning innovation serves as a clarion call, encouraging organisations worldwide to persist in their investment in innovation for a future built on sustainability and progress.
The awards drew an exceptional mix of submissions across 20 countries and markets such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates and United States of America, just to name a few. 34 innovations were selected and crowned winners from over 200 applications through a rigorous evaluation process by a jury of prominent judges across three categories: Product, Service & Solution, and Organisation & Culture.
“The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a seismic shift, an era where digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and automation are transforming the way we live, work, and interact. It is a time of unprecedented opportunities and challenges, and it is in this crucible of change that self-reflection becomes a guiding light. As we stand on the precipice of this revolution, we must strive for a society where innovation is synonymous with equity, sustainability, and ethical growth. The businesses that thrive will be those that recognise that self-reflection, driven by a moral compass, is the rudder guiding them through the uncharted waters of technological change.” Richard Tsang, President of Enterprise Asia, stated in his welcome address.
Among the notable recipients of the highly coveted ‘InnoCube’ under the Product Category include Micron Technology, Inc.’s ‘Micron 6500 ION Data Center SSD’, which solves the issue of scaling AI in the data centre by delivering more performance while consuming 20% less power than previous 30 terabyte drives on the market, and Medidata Solutions International Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.’s ‘Rave Companion’, which simplifies and accelerates data transfers for clinical trial sites into Rave EDC.
For the Service & Solution Category, the New Taipei City Government, Information Management Center was awarded for ‘NewTaiPay (New Taipei Mobile Payment App)’, which is an incentive mechanism to distribute New Taipei Dollars to encourage municipal interaction that aligns with achieving the net-zero carbon emissions goal, and the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Health and Prevention with its ‘Customer Happiness Department’, which is the country’s first federal User Experience (UX) Lab on its premises that engage customers in digital services development.
Far Eastern Big City Shopping Malls Co., Ltd. claimed the accolade under the Organisation & Culture Category with ‘Development X Health X Impact: Big City makes the happy workplace’, which comprehensively improves the work experience of its employees and achieves the goal of corporate talent sustainability. Krungsri Finnovate Company Limited also emerged as a winner under the Organisation & Culture Category with ‘Krungsri Finnovate's Impact in Sustainable Startup Growth’, which is Thailand's first startup fund allowing individual investments with a substantial fund size of 3 billion Thai Baht.
Prior to the awards ceremony, the International Innovation Summit (IIS) 2023 was held during the day and officiated by Amy Ho, Commissioner of the Economic Development Department of the New Taipei City Government. Themed “Sustainable Innovation For Future Enterprises”, the Summit is a transformative program featuring industry leaders from around the world and provides a platform to not only inspire but catalyse action towards sustainable transformation.
Over 300 innovation experts, industry leaders, and policymakers across the globe gathered at the summit to share and exchange the latest insights to reimagine business models, products, and services to create sustainable growth for organisations as well as a positive impact on society and the planet.
At the Summit’s opening, Enterprise Asia Vice Chairman William Ng expressed that “Innovation, at its core, is a testament to human ingenuity. Yet, in our pursuit of excellence, we must not lose sight of the profound impact our choices have on the world around us. The ecological footprint of innovation cannot be an afterthought; it must be an integral part of the innovation process itself. The theme of the summit serves as a clarion call for collective action. It challenges us to reimagine the very fabric of innovation, intertwining it with the principles of sustainability that are not only vital to the health of our planet but also fundamental to the longevity and success of enterprises that shape our global landscape.”
The Summit’s speakers included Agnès Pondaven, CEO of Qualibri Consulting and Climate Fresk Coordinator in Taiwan; Dr. Will Zhao, Professor at the University of Waterloo and Director of G Social Lab (Canada); Jakkris Tangkuampien, Corporate Innovation Coach at Ekipa Consultancy and Former Thailand Lead Innovation Practitioner at Pruksa Holding, Roche and ExxonMobil; Jane W. Wang, Global Leadership Coach & Transformational Coach, Facilitator of Intercultural Competence & DEI, and Activist for Degrowth & Well-Being Economies.
The International Innovation Awards and International Innovation Summit 2023 are supported by the International Chamber of Commerce - Philippines, Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce, Malaysian Alliance of Corporate Directors, Malaysia Entrepreneurs’ Development Association, Myanmar Business Executives Association, National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Singapore-Thai Chamber Of Commerce, The Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), VietCham Singapore, and 台灣循環經濟與創新轉型協會. PR Newswire is the Official News Release Distribution Partner while the media partners are Bangkok Post, BusinessWorld, Commercial Times, Dailywire.asia, Hong Kong Economic Times, and SME Magazine.
FULL RECIPIENT LIST OF THE INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION AWARDS 2023
