by Annabelle Kay
DesertSci was honoured to be part of the official Australian delegation, led by Austrade, at the BioAsia Conference in Taipei, Taiwan. We were proud to represent Australian innovation in the rapidly growing Asian life sciences market, showcasing our capabilities to industry leaders and potential collaborators across the region.
A key highlight was presenting our Proasis platform, which streamlines protein structure data management and accelerates AI-enabled drug discovery, to international delegates eager to explore innovative solutions for SBDD.
The Asia-Pacific biotech landscape is evolving at breakneck speed, and there was no better place to witness this transformation than at BioAsia Taiwan. We were captivated by the incredible innovation happening across Taiwan’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, particularly in structure-based drug discovery (SBDD) and the integration of artificial intelligence in drug discovery and development. These advances make us excited about the opportunities ahead for SBDD in the broader Asian region.
This year’s BioAsia Taiwan highlighted the advancements that have cemented the island’s role as a critical hub for pharmaceutical innovation in Asia. With over 2,300 participants and more than 600 international delegates from 50 countries, the conference showcased cutting-edge developments driven by advanced technology, world-class research institutions, and strategic market access.
What impressed us most was the sophistication of Taiwan’s approach to drug discovery, leveraging computational chemistry drug design, AI drug development companies, and molecular dynamics simulations to accelerate target identification and lead optimisation. Major players such as Bora Pharmaceuticals and TaiMed Biologics presented cutting-edge industry advancements.
The conversations we had revealed teams grappling with the same challenges we see globally – how to efficiently analyse complex protein structures, maximise the potential of protein structure data with structural insights, and accelerate the journey from target to clinical candidate using AI-enabled drug discovery tools.
Multiple sessions focused on Taiwan’s leadership in precision medicine, with particular emphasis on how structural insights are driving personalised therapeutic approaches. Protein ligand docking and fragment based drug discovery (FBDD) were frequently discussed as techniques enabling tailored drug design.
Taiwan’s semiconductor and AI expertise is clearly translating into pharmaceutical innovation, with companies using AI for drug discovery and machine learning to analyse complex protein structures. The level of computational sophistication was impressive and highlighted the growing need for platforms that can handle both traditional structural analysis and AI-driven insights.
One of the most encouraging trends was the emphasis on regional collaboration. Taiwanese companies are increasingly partnering with counterparts in Singapore, South Korea, and Japan to share resources and expertise. This collaborative approach is accelerating drug discovery timelines and creating opportunities for shared infrastructure and knowledge.
A recurring theme at the event was the challenge of integrating diverse data types (such as crystal structures, protein structure analysis in bioinformatics, computational models, and AI predictions) into coherent drug design strategies. Data pipeline and datamesh concepts were frequently mentioned as potential solutions to streamline data consumers and data producers within biotech teams.
The gap between structural biologists, computational chemists, and medicinal chemists remains a significant bottleneck. Teams have excellent individual expertise but struggle to translate insights across disciplines effectively.
As Taiwanese biotech companies grow and take on larger, more complex projects, many are hitting infrastructure limitations. The tools that worked for early-stage research aren’t scaling to handle enterprise-level drug discovery programs. Upgrading computational infrastructure and implementing molecular dynamics (MD) simulation tools such as GROMACS are becoming increasingly necessary.
Our team was proud to present our SBDD platform, Proasis, to conference attendees, with teams from large global pharma, emerging Asian biologics groups, and innovative universities in the room. The response was overwhelmingly positive, particularly around our streamlined approach to protein structure data management and analysis and cross-team collaboration features.
Based on our conversations and observations, several trends are shaping the future of structure-based drug discovery in Taiwan:
The Taiwan government’s continued investment in biotech infrastructure is creating opportunities for more sophisticated drug discovery platforms. New funding initiatives specifically target computational drug discovery capabilities.
Taiwan’s universities are producing increasing numbers of computational biology and structural biology graduates, many with international experience. This talent influx is enabling more ambitious drug discovery programs.
Many companies are recognising the need to upgrade their computational infrastructure and data management systems to compete globally. This creates opportunities for platforms that can bridge traditional approaches with modern, integrated workflows, handling big data analytics in bioinformatics and large scale virtual screening.
When companies can seamlessly integrate AI-driven design with precision manufacturing, structural biologists can work hand-in-hand with computational chemists using shared platforms, and when regulatory pathways support rapid translation from lab to clinic, the entire industry benefits.
This transformation extends far beyond Taiwan’s borders. As countries continue to invest in drug discovery capabilities and forge stronger collaborative networks, we’re witnessing the emergence of a truly global, interconnected pharmaceutical ecosystem. The innovations happening in Taipei today will impact patient care in Sydney tomorrow, clinical trials in Singapore next month, and regulatory approvals worldwide next year.
For those of us building the infrastructure and tools that power modern drug discovery, this evolution presents both tremendous opportunity and clear responsibility. The teams we met in Taiwan aren’t just looking for better software or faster computers – they’re seeking partners who understand that the future of medicine depends on breaking down silos, accelerating collaboration, and ensuring that scientific insights translate rapidly into therapeutic breakthroughs.
The energy and ambition we experienced at BioAsia Taiwan gives us confidence that the next decade will bring therapeutic advances – from AI-enabled drug discovery to fragment based lead discovery and DNA encoded library screening – that seemed impossible just years ago. And energises us to continue on our development path, making innovative and functional software tools that will enhance this exciting trajectory.
To see how Proasis can accelerate your drug discovery workflow, explore our platform here.
Annabelle Kay, Director at DesertSci – connect with her on LinkedIn to learn more.
