Premium Service, Connecting the World
When it comes to competition, everyone says, "The world is flat." When it comes to markets, however, people say, "Taiwan's market is too small." If the world is flat and everyone competes in the same global market, why is Taiwan's market considered smaller than others? Speaking of global competition, Taiwan's technology industry immediately comes to mind. Starting about 40 years ago, Taiwan's technology industry has achieved economic miracles. Whether through own-brand products, contract manufacturing, or components, Taiwan's technology products are sold in many countries worldwide, making it a major industry with international competitiveness and a global market focus. However, due to competition from domestic factories, as well as from China, Korea, and others, profit margins in this industry have been severely squeezed, making it increasingly challenging. Especially in recent years, there has been a declining willingness among Taiwan's younger generation to participate, prompting a need for industry transformation or the development of new industries. Given Taiwan's inherently friendly nature, coupled with its core in technology and continuous innovation, we believe Taiwan has the potential to create another core industry by integrating service with humanities, technology, and innovation. Therefore, since 2008, we have committed ourselves to assisting in the creation of Taiwan's second core industry, which we refer to as the "New Service Industry," blending humanities, technology, and innovation. In 2012, we further defined the New Service Industry as the "Premium Service Industry," emphasizing "high-quality, high-value, and internationally oriented knowledge-intensive service industry."
When it comes to competition, people often say, "The world is flat," implying a level playing field. However, when discussing markets, it's common to hear, "Taiwan's market is too small." If the world is indeed flat, with everyone competing in the same global market, why would Taiwan's market be considered smaller compared to others?
In the context of global competition, Taiwan is renowned for its technology industry. Over the past 40 years, Taiwan has achieved remarkable economic success in this sector. Whether through own-brand products, contract manufacturing, or components, Taiwan's technology products are sold worldwide, demonstrating its international competitiveness and global market orientation. However, intense competition from domestic manufacturers and counterparts in China and Korea has significantly squeezed profit margins, posing increasing challenges. In recent years, there has also been a decline in interest among Taiwan's younger generation to participate in this industry, prompting discussions about industry transformation or the development of new sectors.
Taiwanese are known for their friendly nature, and coupled with Taiwan's core strengths in technology and continuous innovation, there is potential to establish another core industry that integrates service with humanities, technology, and innovation. Hence, since 2008, our focus has been on helping develop Taiwan's second core industry, termed the "New Service Industry," which we further defined in 2012 as the "Premium Service Industry." This industry aims to provide "high-quality, high-value, and internationally-oriented knowledge-intensive services."
When discussing global markets, no one says the market for technology products is small, yet over the past decade, many have argued that Taiwan's market is too limited. This reflects a shift from selling products to providing services. Unlike goods, which can be shipped, services are limited by proximity. For example, few would travel hours by plane just for a meal, underscoring the importance of regional population density for service providers estimating potential consumer bases. Japanese service providers don't lament the size of their domestic market, nor do American counterparts view theirs as small, given their population sizes. Conversely, Singapore and Hong Kong are viewed differently because their service sectors transcend geographical constraints. Hong Kong, as a financial hub, offers global financial services accessible from anywhere, and Singapore serves as a business nexus linking Europe, America, and Southeast Asia through MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) services.
A service that offers unique value and is worth the distance transcends geographic limitations, making the entire world a potential market. Thus, the Seeing Taiwan Foundation has set two primary missions: "Successfully marketing Taiwan's unique characteristics internationally" and "Making the world Taiwan's service market," aiming to attract global visitors to experience Taiwan through refined services. Any industry's development relies on both market size and talent availability. Without adequate market size, even the best talent struggles to thrive, and conversely, a large market loses meaning without the right talent to translate demand into value. Therefore, alongside efforts to expand the global premium service market, the Winston Wen Cultural and Educational Foundation focuses on educating new service professionals capable of meeting the demands of high-quality, high-value, and internationally-oriented knowledge-intensive services.
Our father often said, "There is only one type of person in the world: those who need care," teaching us the importance of a global perspective and prioritizing human needs. Thus, we chose to promote the premium service industry as a means to offer Taiwan's services globally, meeting the diverse needs of people worldwide. It's a challenging yet promising journey, but as our mother taught us, "Where there's a will, there's a way." Over the years, we've found like-minded partners and witnessed growing enthusiasm from those living on this land, believing that together, we can achieve anything.
Moving forward, through connecting the global premium service market with Taiwan's new service talent, the Winston Wen Cultural and Educational Foundation will continue collaborating with the Seeing Taiwan Foundation to vigorously promote Taiwan's high-quality, high-value, and internationally-oriented premium service industry, showcasing Taiwan as a place of refinement, elegance, and distinctiveness to the world!