TAIPEI, Taiwan, Oct. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Twelve entrepreneurs and business leaders from Taiwan were named awardees of the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2015 at a glittering gala dinner at Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei. Over 200 attendees were present at the by-invitation only event, comprising of industry leaders, leading entrepreneurs, dignitaries and the who's who of the business world, including, Mr Siew Wan-Chang, former Vice President of Taiwan, Mr Yang Wei-Fuu, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs, Mr Chang Fang, Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr Eugene Chien, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan and Advisor to Enterprise Asia, Datuk Seri Dr Victor Wee, Advisor to Enterprise Asia, Dr Niven Huang, General Manager of KPMG Sustainability Consulting Co., Ltd, and Dato' William Ng, President of Enterprise Asia. 

The Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards, or APEA, is a regional recognition program organized by Enterprise Asia, the region's foremost association and think-tank for entrepreneurship. The Awards are presented to a handful of entrepreneurs across Asia Pacific each year, with award ceremonies held in over thirteen countries every year.

The Awards is often compared to the Olympics for the stringent entry criteria and highly competitive judging parameters. Nominations of the Awards itself is by invitation, either by past and current awardees, a supporting trade association or the organizing committee of Enterprise Asia. Nominees are then subjected to a series of rigorous tests, including financial verification by an appointed audit firm and a compulsory physical site audit and interview, culminating in a secret balloting process by Enterprise Asia's organizing committee.

Awardees are expected to be torchbearers of entrepreneurship and business leaders in their respective countries, and adhere to a strict standard of personal and business ethics. 

"We can say with certainty that the recipients of the APEA are like none others. Not only do they have to prove their entrepreneurial skills and experience in one of the toughest contests in the world, they also subject themselves to a pledge to uphold the highest standards of entrepreneurship, which includes allegiance to the two founding pillars of Enterprise Asia, namely Investment in People and Responsible Entrepreneurship", says Dato' William Ng, President of Enterprise Asia.

The final twelve were announced by Enterprise Asia at the awards ceremony in Taipei at Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel. Among the recipients was Mr Simon Chiang, Chairman of Ever Rich D.F.S. Corporation. Mr Chiang was the highlight of the awards, receiving the accolade of Special Achievement Award.

Sharing his in-depth experiences in being a beacon of entrepreneurship in Taiwan, Mr Chiang said that, "Forty years ago, Taiwan's enterprises relied on manufacturing MIT excellent quality exports and its reaches to the international stage. Twenty years ago, Taiwan's enterprises relied on semiconductor digital innovation and technology and became active in the international arena. And in 2015, today, I sincerely hope that Taiwan's  enterprises, through its traditional ethical culture and corporate social responsibility, can contribute some positive force towards the world's global village. We will continue to work towards this together."

The APEA has now been inaugurated in Taiwan, expanding the current reaches of the Awards. It's abundance of entrepreneurs and business leaders as the drivers and backbone of Taiwan's economy has brought the APEA to its region. The recipients in Taiwan were selected from among 100 shortlisted candidates, ranging from talented young entrepreneurs to experienced industrialists. It is through this recognition program that Enterprise Asia hopes to continue to encourage and stimulate economic growth throughout the region.

Mr Ng explained, "The APEA is aimed at promoting entrepreneurship. Beyond recognizing the efforts of these entrepreneurs, we hope to encourage them to continue taking their businesses to the next level, and in the process, providing more job opportunities to the people in the region, and help to drive the economy forward".

The twelve truly deserving individuals were awarded under the Most Promising, Outstanding and Special Categories of the Awards, representing various industries and focus areas.

RECIPIENT LIST OF ASIA PACIFIC ENTREPRNEURSHIP AWARDS 2015 TAIWAN

Special Achievement Award

Simon Chiang, Chairman, Ever Rich D.F.S. Corporation

Outstanding Category

Martin Liou, President, AMWAY Southeast Asia Region

Dr Thomas Shen Y.S. , Chairman, Apex Biotechnology Corporation

Chang Cheng-Yueh, President, Reiju Corporation Co., Ltd

Peter Chiang, Chairman, Taiwan Chinsan Electronic Ind. Co., Ltd

Chou Chun-Chi, Chairman, Taiwan Sinyi Group

Most Promising Category

Dr Herh Ting, Chairman, Davicom Semiconductor Inc.

Lin Tsong-Chin, Chairman, General Biologicals Corporation

Dr Andrew Tseng, Chairman & CEO, Grape King Bio Ltd

David Chen, Founder & CEO, IST Energy Co., Ltd

Lee Chao-Chun, President, Kanglin Global Group

Yu Su-Kuan, Chairman, Simula Technology Inc.

About Enterprise Asia

Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine towards sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a world of economic equality. Its two pillars of existence are investment in people and responsible entrepreneurship. Enterprise Asia work with governments, NGOs and other organizations to promote competitiveness and entrepreneurial development, in uplifting the economic status of people across Asia and in ensuring a legacy of hope, innovation and courage for the future generation.

About APEA

Launched in 2007 the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards are the region's most prestigious awards for outstanding entrepreneurship, continuous innovation and sustainable leadership. The Awards provide a platform for companies and governments to recognise entrepreneurial excellence, hence spurring greater innovation, fair business practices and growth in entrepreneurship. As a regional award, it groups together leading entrepreneurs as a powerful voice for entrepreneurship and serves as a by-invitation only networking powerhouse. The program has grown to encompass thirteen markets all over Asia.

Source : http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asia-pacific-entrepreneurship-awards-apea-183500301.html