Irene Wu

Irene Wu is the Director of the International Design Development Sector at the Taiwan Design Center which is the only national design centre in Taiwan. The center serves as an integrated service platform for creative design and economic development promotion for Taiwan.

Irene is an experienced creative business executive, design promoter, educator and consultant and was responsible for establishing the first digital innovation centre (America Innovation Center, AIC) in Taiwan.

She introduced the first Fishackathon & NASA Hackathon and curated innovative courses and exhibitions combined with 3D printing, AR, VR, IOT and blockchain technology together with other technology applications to build up the innovative ecosystem in Taiwan. This centre was recognised as one of the best design of digital learning centres by the Smithsonian Design Museum.

Irene is an active design promoter. She has dedicated her career to help designers and students of design promote their work across national and cultural barriers.

Serving as the Deputy CEO of 2016 World Design Capital Taipei Promotion Office, she helped introduce a Design Thinking methodology into public governance and evoke a designers’ social innovation movement across government.

Irene is undertaking a PhD with her research interests focusing on service design and innovation. The aim of her research is to evaluate the role of service design within government innovation through participatory design and data-informed design.