The San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership and the Taipei Computer Association are convening the visit, which runs through Wednesday, Aug. 26, and brings together seven Taiwanese technology companies and San Gabriel Valley cities, the two organizations said in a news release.
At the Pasadena meeting, the companies will present their goals and learn about local advantages and opportunities. The organizers described the session as an initial matchmaking opportunity that will be followed by a chance for cities to send representatives to Taipei in March 2027 for the 2027 Smart Cities Summit and Expo.
“The San Gabriel Valley is business-friendly, convenient to international logistics and distribution, and internationally hospitable thanks to our major Asian and Asian-American population and business communities,” said Paul Thomas, acting president and CEO of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership. “We’re a key opportunity for foreign direct investment to generate local jobs, so we’re very happy to have the Taipei Computer Association so keen to explore what we have to offer.”
Five delegation participants have been confirmed: ASUS, Foxconn, HiPower, EBMCI and Richten Energy. Foxconn is the world’s largest manufacturer of electronics and was recently ranked 20th in the Fortune Global 500, and ASUS is the world’s fifth-largest computer vendor by volume, according to the organizers.
The Pasadena session will be followed by two days of visits to flagship locations for American companies in healthcare, information technology, logistics and communications. Site visits are arranged at City of Hope, the Verizon Innovation Lab and Los Angeles Metro, with additional stops to be announced.
The San Gabriel Valley portion is part of a larger tour that also includes Los Angeles, Irvine and a visit to Texas.
The partnership said the 31 cities on the eastern side of Los Angeles County offer manufacturing, healthcare, education and logistics industries, cultural ties across the Pacific Rim, and distribution access as a crossroads between the Ports of Los Angeles and commercial air, road and rail routes.
The Taipei Computer Association is expanding its matchmaking model overseas in response to interest from its members, the organizations said. Through the Smart Cities Summit and Expo, Taiwan has demonstrated strengths in artificial intelligence, chip manufacturing, industrial computing and smart city applications, and the expo’s matchmaking program has connected Taiwanese companies with foreign cities.
By bringing the delegation to the United States, the association aims to give U.S. partners a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s industrial clusters, integrated supply chains and technology ecosystem, and to introduce solutions in AI, digital transformation, net-zero development and urban resilience.
The San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership is a regional nonprofit corporation supported and directed by its members. Information is available at 626-856-3400 or www.sgvpartnership.org.
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