The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) today launches the "Hidden Gems Discovery Program." Through proactive outreach to financial institutions and fintech startups, the program aims to search for innovative fintech projects with development potential. The FSC also encourages firms to propose applications for fintech innovation experiments and business trials for more cross-industry collaboration and cultivating a more supportive environment for fintech innovation.
To foster fintech innovation, the FSC has implemented a dual-track approach for fintech "innovation experiments" and "business trials," along with support mechanisms such as regulatory clinics and legal consultation services. These initiatives are designed to provide guidance on regulatory and innovation-related issues, helping firms navigate legal and compliance challenges during business development.
The FSC stated the current application mechanisms rely on  financial institutions or tech companies to submit projects after internal screening, which may block some potential proposals that are now feasible. The FSC, therefore, will proactively engage with firms to search for innovative projects. To assist businesses in clarifying doubts about experiments or trials, the FSC will visit firms directly. The goal is to understand whether they have previously conceived any innovative ideas for experiments and business trials that have not yet been submitted for application. By doing so, the FSC hopes to help firms by offering tailored advice for future development and encouraging them to submit proposals if they are suitable. The " Hidden Gems Discovery Program," symbolizes the effort of both the FSC and firms to unfold firms’ full potential of innovation and to transform ideas into tangible outcomes.
The FSC stated that, in addition to proactively visiting firms, those interested in sharing related ideas or suggestions are also welcome to contact the FSC to schedule a meeting via email (fintechcenter@fsc.gov.tw). Through the implementation of this program, the FSC expects that market participants will be able to identify more innovative potential cases, understand and address challenges encountered during the innovation process, and promote cross-institutional or cross-industry collaboration. The FSC will also use the insights gained as a reference for refining and optimizing future fintech policy measures.