Vision tends to lead to the momentum for innovation and progress. Epoch Foundation noticed that the Taiwan at the turn of the 1990's was a place full of vision; back then Epoch already foresaw emerging Chinese-based economies around the world as well as global expansion as a burgeoning and necessary trend for the rapidly growing Taiwan companies. Epoch has its vision for Taiwan's significant role in such Chinese-based economies, and looks forwards to working with business communities for the realization of such vision.

After conceiving this idea, Paul Hsu, founding partner of Lee and Li Attorneys-at-Law, met with Prof. Lester C. Thurow in Asia. During this time, Prof. Thurow served as dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management, and the two men shared similar views on Chinese-based economies being rapidly formed, based in part on their observations regarding the development and integration of regional economies around the world. They believed in, and foresaw the ability of Asia Pacific regional economies and Chinese-based economies, to play an increasingly critical role in the world. As a result, Mr. Hsu and Prof. Thurow invited a number of Taiwanese new-generation business leaders to join in establishing the Strategic Development Foundation, the predecessor of Epoch Foundation. At the same time, Epoch's long-term cooperation with MIT in management and technology innovation was conceived.

At the beginning of the 1990s, drastic changes in geoeconomics and geopolitics brought forth strong challenges to Taiwan's economy, politics and society. In particular, were growing concerns in the private sector regarding Taiwan's ability to assume a business-hub role in Asia Pacific and to solidify its place in the world arena by effectively using its limited resources. Sharing these concerns and sharing a vision for the future of Taiwan, the new-generation business leaders served as the founding members of the organization. The founders included: Earle J.S. Ho, Chairman of Tung Ho Steel Enterprise; Nita Ing, President of Continental Engineering; Nelson A.P. Chang, President of Chia Hsin Cement; Show-chung Ho, President of Yuen Foong Yu; Yu-lon Chiao, President of Walsin Lihwa; Anthony T.S. Wu, Chairman of Shin Kong Group; Felix H.T. Tsai, Chairman of Cathay Group; Ken S.J. Hsui, President of Prince Housing and Development; Theodore M.H. Huang, Chairman of TECO Electric and Machinery; Kenneth C.M. Lo, President of Chinatrust Bank; Daniel Tsai, Chairman of Fubon Group; and Harvey Tang, President of Mercury & Associates. Other members to later join Epoch included: Y.C. Lo, President of Philip Taiwan; Stan Shih, Chairman of Acer Inc.; Pierre Chen, Chairman of YAGEO Corp.; Morris Chang, Chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.; Bruce Cheng, Chairman of Delta Electronics, and Lih-teh Hsu, Chairman of Lien-ho Foundation. Each has served as important supporters to Epoch Foundation over the past decade.

The Strategic Development Foundation was registered with the government in December 1990, but this foundation was announced to the public as Epoch Foundation in March 1991. This new name was chosen for the foundation's self-expectation of keeping abreast of the time and being epoch-making in facilitating Taiwan's knowledge economy. The English name, Epoch, was recommended by Harvard professor Du Wei-ming, who met Mr. Hsu at a conference in Seattle; Mr. Hsu consulted him for the English naming of the foundation.

It has been more than ten years since Epoch was established. More than one decade ago, forward-thinking businesses began to sense that there would be sweeping changes across industries as they were moving towards the next millennium, but overwhelming changes in artificial intelligence, biology, communications, genetics, information technology, the Internet, and material science as well as profound, rapid, and widespread impacts from such changes are far beyond what was once expected. Now business communities have come to a better understanding that they must pursue outstanding intelligence, innovation, and technology -- which can be summed up as knowledge, the source of competitiveness -- in order to have a foothold in this epoch of globalization.

Knowledge is what Epoch has been committed to ushering into Taiwan over the past decade, during which each and every issue Epoch has addressed is of great relevance to the progressive developments in Taiwan's business communities, economy, and society. Epoch has been working with business communities, MIT, mass media, and pertinent Taiwan government organizations every year to organize a number of speeches and large-scale symposiums on finance, management, technology, and other issues pertinent to the economy, arranging face-to-face discourse between important MIT scholars and Taiwan opinion leaders. Moreover, Epoch has been providing advanced management training and cultivation of management professionals via MIT to Taiwan businesses and education circles, and introducing advanced technology, latest R&D findings, and management trends to Taiwan directly by Epoch-Industrial Liaison Project and Epoch-Information Technology Project.

Major symposiums include: Financial Services Industry: Responding to the Global Economy (1994), Reorganizing for Success in the Twenty-First Century (1995), Utilizing Taiwan's Resources-Asia Pacific Regional Strategic Alliance for Development, Growth, and Change, (1995), Technology Transfers and Entrepreneurship (1996), Reshaping Taiwan's Economy for the 21st Century (1997), Understanding the new World of Information (1998 and 1997), Regional Financial Center- A New Challenge to Taiwan's Economic Miracle (1997), Understanding the new World of Information- Project Oxygen (1999), Licensing Center (2000), Creating a Chinese Language- based Internet Economy(2000), and Building Wealth in an IT-Driven Economy (2000).

In particular, Project Oxygen -- arranged by Epoch -- was first announced by MIT's Laboratory of Computer Science (LCS) and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (AI Lab) in May 1999 in Taiwan. In June 2000, MIT debut Oxygen Alliance in Boston. Project Oxygen consists of LCS and AI Lab researchers for the development of a new generation of human-centered computation. Oxygen Alliance consists of six major IT corporations around the world: Hewlett-Packard, Nokia, Philips, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone in addition to Acer Group and Delta Electronics Group from Taiwan. Project Oxygen has been one of Epoch's foci over the past few years, aiming to ensure Taiwan's sustaining competitiveness and innovation in the face of mushrooming new challenges.

In the twenty-first century, Epoch positions itself as a bridge to knowledge-based economy, paying further attention to issues related to capital markets, education, innovation, intellectual property rights, regulatory environment, and R&D while Taiwan is pursuing its vision for knowledge-based economy.
Epoch could not have been so successful without the long-term support from business communities, in particular, Epoch Chairman Bruce Cheng, Vice Chairman Kenneth C.M. Lo, and President Paul Hsu, who has been hands-on in the operation of Epoch, in addition to outstanding volunteers from several universities. Epoch believes that visions are indispensable to hopes; hopes keep us moving forwards. Epoch looks forwards to joining force with individuals and groups that share the same belief for the progress of Taiwan in the next decade and beyond

(Written by Josephine Chao, VP, Epoch Foundation March, 2001)