【Article by IMES】
Taipei City, May 28, 2025 — The Innovation Management and Digital Transformation class at IMES (International Master’s Program of Applied Economic and Social Development) embarked on an insightful field visit to the Taipei Social Innovation Lab on May 28, 2025. Led by Professor Alicia Say, the visit aimed to deepen students’ understanding of Taiwan’s dynamic social innovation ecosystem and its growing connection to sustainable development and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) transformation.

Established by the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration under Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Taipei Social Innovation Lab serves as a collaborative platform to foster innovative social enterprise models and community-driven solutions.

The visit began with a guided tour by the Lab’s onsite team, offering students a firsthand look at creative spaces and displays featuring products from local social enterprises. Highlights included a collection of handmade, recycled goods—such as bags, socks, and household items—demonstrating the potential of transforming waste materials into valuable, marketable products. The space embodied the Lab’s commitment to circular economy principles and inclusive, community-led innovation.

A key moment of the visit was a presentation by Dr. Niven Huang, Managing Director of KPMG Consulting Co., Taiwan. Dr. Huang emphasized the three essential pillars of social innovation: science, technology, and cross-sector partnerships. He shared how KPMG collaborates with businesses and government agencies to embed sustainability into their core operations, introducing tools like the Impact Navigator and Diagnose Toolkit that help organizations align strategies with global sustainability goals.

Dr. Huang underscored that sustainability is no longer a peripheral initiative but a strategic imperative, and highlighted Taiwan’s proactive role in ESG policy development. His presentation provided students with valuable perspectives on how social enterprises are redefining the intersection of profit and purpose.

To conclude the visit, students engaged in meaningful discussions, reflecting on pressing social and environmental challenges in Taiwan—from pedestrian safety and the aging population to plastic pollution—and explored how innovative solutions might address these issues. This immersive experience served as a live case study for the course, bridging academic theory with real-world practice and inspiring the next generation of changemakers committed to social impact.