TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The National Development Council (NDC) will launch a “Next Big” category of companies to promote the image of Taiwan as a creative hub overseas, reports said Wednesday (Aug. 4).

Based on the groundwork laid by the “Startup Island Taiwan” movement, the “Next Big” group gathered 30 innovative community leaders, business people, and representatives from relevant government departments to select nine companies for the program, CNA reported.

The NDC spent six months discussing the choices and visiting the nominees one by one before deciding on their picks. The list included prominent electric scooter manufacturer Gogoro, cosmetics group Greenvines, e-commerce travel platform KKday, and live social entertainment group 17LIVE.

The innovators selected by the “Next Big” jury will encourage even more young people to celebrate their creative spirit and try out new projects, the NDC said. The government will help the companies to promote their image overseas and to boost international cooperation.

The NDC will hold an official presentation of the “Next Big” project later in the year, featuring in-depth interviews with the selected participants, according to the CNA report.