In the past, the whole world witnessed how a native of Taiwan led a small local company and turned it into a world-class conglomerate, Acer Group. This time, entrepreneur Stan Shih is going to display his talents on the world stage again by representing Chinese Taipei at the 2007 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Sydney, Australia, in September.
"It was a complete surprise when the president called and asked me to attend the APEC forum on his behalf," Shih said Aug. 22. He is the second business tycoon appointed by President Chen Shui-bian as a special APEC envoy. Last year, Morris Chang, chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.--the world's largest contract chipmaker--represented Chinese Taipei at the APEC summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. "Thinking about Chang's example, I decided to take on this responsibility and further serve the society," Shih added.
The entrepreneur started his career by obtaining bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from National Chiao Tung University. Together with four partners, Shih founded Multitech International Corp., the forerunner of Acer, in 1976, with approximately US$30,000 in capital. The company initially focused on developing microprocessor-based technologies. In 2006, Acer became the world's fourth-largest computer manufacturer, earning US$11.32 billion in revenues, according to the company. Shih's emphasis on brand-building, innovation and efficient supply-chain management made Acer a role model to other companies in the industry.
Retiring from Acer in 2004, Shih established iD SoftCapital Inc., an investment and consulting firm. His achievements and influence in the information technology industry are still globally recognized, with Time magazine profiling him in its "60 Years of Asian Heroes" special issue last year.
Shih noted that at the APEC summit he will bring members' attention to three initiatives: the APEC Digital Opportunity Center project, the recycling project conducted by the Tzu Chi Foundation and the commercial energy-conservation project.
Launched by Chinese Taipei in 2003, the ADOC project is aimed at helping bridge the digital divide among member economies. "I'd like to launch 'ADOC 2.0,'" which refers to the second phase of the ADOC project that aims for comprehensive collaboration with other economies, including the United States, Japan and Australia, Shih said. "Taiwan can manufacture hardware for the ADOC project at the most competitive cost, but we need more partners and more software companies to participate in the initiative," he explained.
Shih also plans to introduce the story about a large number of Tzu Chi volunteers who regularly travel to different communities throughout the island to collect materials for recycling. Their efforts are in accord with the rising awareness of environmental protection and should be shared with other members, Shih noted.
As for the energy-conservation project, he wants to call on businesses to reduce energy consumption, particularly in office buildings and skyscrapers. "I want to make more people in the world realize what Taiwan can contribute to the international community, especially to this year's APEC theme of sustainable development," Shih stressed.
Write to Allen Hsu at allenhsu@mail.gio.gov.tw