UC Davis Health Strengthens Taiwan Partnerships to Advance Biomedical Innovation
Vice Chancellor Mark Rosenblatt recently led a UC Davis Health delegation to Taiwan to deepen relationships with leading technology companies, research institutes and universities, positioning UC Davis as a partner for biomedical innovation while expanding opportunities for research, commercialization and global collaboration.
Kim Elaine Barrett, vice dean for research at the UC Davis School of Medicine, and Don Taylor, chief ventures officer for UC Davis Health Ventures, part of the Innovation and Economic Development Office, joined Rosenblatt on the delegation.
The visit, organized by UC Davis Health Ventures, was part of UC Davis Health's broader strategy to connect its research and clinical expertise with Taiwan's strengths in technology and biotechnology. The delegation also showcased Aggie Square as a destination for international partnerships that can accelerate the development and translation of new health innovations.
"UC Davis Health is a global innovator committed to turning bold ideas and medical research into better health for patients and communities throughout Northern California and beyond," Rosenblatt said. "By building partnerships with Taiwan's technology, research and academic leaders, we can accelerate discovery, advance transformative solutions and improve lives worldwide."
The delegation met with leaders from Taiwan's research, industry and academic sectors to explore collaborations spanning regenerative medicine, cell and gene therapy, cancer research, medical devices, digital health and artificial intelligence.
A central goal was connecting Taiwanese startups and emerging technologies with UC Davis' research, clinical expertise and commercialization ecosystem.
"Potential areas of collaboration include connecting selected Taiwanese biomedical startups and technologies at Aggie Square with UC Davis clinical experts, validation capabilities, commercialization resources, investors, and U.S. market-entry pathways," said Taylor. "We also discussed opportunities to advance joint projects in areas such as cell and gene therapy, cancer, medical devices, imaging and digital health."
The delegation also visited National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and National Tsing Hua University, where leaders discussed opportunities for collaborative research, academic exchanges and future institutional partnerships.
"The relationships we began building in Taiwan create exciting opportunities for collaborative research that spans institutions, disciplines and borders," Barrett added. "Those partnerships will help accelerate scientific discovery while expanding opportunities for our researchers and clinicians."
In addition to visiting universities and potential industry partners, Rosenblatt delivered a keynote address at the BioMedX Conference, introducing nearly 200 Taiwanese biotechnology companies to UC Davis Health's innovation ecosystem and Aggie Square's role in supporting translational research and industry collaboration.
Several follow-up discussions are already underway, and UC Davis Health is planning future visits to Sacramento and Aggie Square with representatives from Taiwanese organizations to continue exploring opportunities for collaboration.
The next phase will focus on developing joint projects and creating new pathways from research and technology development to clinical validation and commercialization.
Taylor said the visit underscored the value of building long-term partnerships.
"We were impressed by Taiwan's vibrant innovation ecosystem and the many opportunities to build meaningful partnerships that can advance health product innovation worldwide."