【INTRODUCTION】

The Global Academia-Industry Alliance (GAIA) promoted by the MDIC, National Cheng Kung University is a uniquely innovative business model of medical device industry in the world. Through international cooperation and mutual communication, GAIA aims to be a value-creation ecosystem that conducts academic and research outputs to innovative applications beneficial to ageing society.

♦ Developing international exchanges and cooperation.
♦ Organizing international seminars.
♦ Encouraging NCKU college students to participate in international communication.
♦ Recruiting international students to Taiwan as visiting students.

【PROGRESS】

1. Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) with University of Malaya

Malaysia is chosen as the first base of Taiwan’s medical devices because of the close relationships between National Cheng Kung University and other outheast and South Asian universities through the Presidents’ Forum of Southeast and South Asia and Taiwan Universities (SATU). Thus, National Cheng Kung University and five GAIA members have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) with University of Malaya and its spin-off company, BioApps Sdn. Bhd.(BioApps-UM). With this agreement, further international collaborations are expected. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Minister of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Taiwan R.O.C., Chia-Juch Chang, NCKU President Hwung-Hweng Hwung, UM President &Vice Chancellor Dato’ Mohd. Amin Jalaludin, Southern Taiwan Science Park Director General Chun-Wei Chen, representatives of BioApps-UM, and some GAIA members. Based on this agreement, six Taiwanese medical device manufacturers will be able to sell their products to Malaysia through BioApps-UM.

2. Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) with University Medical Center at Hochiminh City

he joint-collaborative team is formed by groups from the three departments (MDIC, The Southern Taiwan Science Park, and University Medical Center at Hochiminh City). Working together with the local hospitals and clinics, the joint team plans to propose several projects on the design and development of subject-oriented, task-specific devices. In Addition, the joint team collaborates with Department of Biomedical Engineering at International University of Vietnam National University to develop medical devices in several fields, i.e. biomechanics, biosensors, applications of microelectronics, and electromagnetic therapy.