This year (2026) marks the 30th anniversary of the implementation of the Trade Secrets Act. On April 24, TIPO, in collaboration with Taiwan Association for Trade Secrets Protection (TTSP), held the seminar “Sparks of Innovation: From IP Protection to Value Creation” at the International Conference Hall at the Center for Public and Business Administration Education (NCCU CPBAE).

The event was inaugurated by Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) Cynthia Kiang. Distinguished guests included Acting President of the Judicial Yuan Ming-Yan Shieh, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Justice Mou-Hsin Huang, TTSP Chairman and Associate General Counsel of TSMC Fu-Yuan Hsieh, National Security Council Consultant Chih-Chieh Lin, and TIPO Director General Cheng-Wei Liao.

Deputy Minister Kiang noted that amid rapid changes in the global environment, the mobility of R&D talent and the rapid transmission of digital information have made trade secret protection increasingly important for maintaining industrial competitiveness, supply chain security, and corporate resilience. She emphasized that these goals require both continuous improvement of legal frameworks and close collaboration between government and industry. Strengthening joint enforcement efforts and educational outreach with the Ministry of Justice’s enforcement authorities, while assisting enterprises in establishing comprehensive confidentiality mechanisms, is key to curbing trade secret misappropriation.

Centered on the theme “From IP Protection to Value Creation,” the seminar invited more than ten experts from industry, government, and academia to review domestic and international developments in trade secret legislation, judicial practice, and corporate management. Discussions also explored best practices for establishing comprehensive trade secret protection mechanisms and examined future development trends. The event attracted more than 300 participants and generated enthusiastic exchanges.

During the seminar, TIPO also hosted the Trade Secret Intelligent Management Expo, featuring 11 businesses, including TSMC and ASE Group, which shared their practical experiences in trade secret management. The exhibition provided practical models for small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to strengthen their trade secret management systems, fostering their mindsets from “IP protection” to “value creation.”

TIPO further emphasized that protection of trade secrets has been significantly strengthened since criminal liability provisions were added to the Trade Secrets Act in 2013. Over the years, TIPO and TTSP have jointly organized outreach seminars across Taiwan to promote confidentiality strategies among industrial clusters, receiving positive feedback from businesses. Through this seminar, TIPO hopes to further enhance enterprises’ capabilities in innovation and practical application, reinforcing Taiwan’s industrial competitiveness.