“Bone Accessory” Earned NT$1 Million in Startup Funding Through the MOE U-start Indigenous Youth Program

The student startup team “Bone Accessory”, guided across disciplines by Yong-Ching Tseng of Yuan Ze University’s College of Management, participated in both the U-start Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program and the U-start Indigenous Youth Program, receiving a total of NT$1 million in startup funding.

The team also won the 2025 Taoyuan Design Award, capturing the Gold Award in the “Inclusive Design Category” under the corporate challenge–student division. Their accomplishments demonstrated the College of Management’s strong capacity to empower students across the university and to foster cross-disciplinary innovation.

The Bone Accessory team consisted of three students from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering: Jen-Po Wang, Shih-Yu-Chia Lin, and Yu-Hsiang Chen. The team was founded to address the risk of losing traditional Indigenous bone-carving crafts among younger generations. Team representative Jen-Po Wang explained that the team centered its mission on “cultural revitalization,” transforming legally sourced and traceable animal bones into fashionable accessories that aligned with modern aesthetics. Their creations blended traditional Atayal craftsmanship with contemporary jewelry design, allowing the public to deepen their appreciation and emotional connection to Indigenous culture and artistic expression. He added that the team would continue showcasing Indigenous vitality while passing on cultural heritage through innovation.

Advisor Yong-Ching Tseng stated that the success of Bone Accessory served as a pioneering experiment in cross-disciplinary innovation led by the College of Management. Starting from Atayal cultural elements, the students integrated traditional bone ornament craftsmanship with principles of sustainability, demonstrating their understanding of cultural continuity while also exhibiting creative energy and entrepreneurial spirit through interdisciplinary collaboration. She expressed gratitude to the Youth Development Administration of the Ministry of Education for providing resources that enabled students to demonstrate their talents and creativity.

Dean Min-Ping Huang of the College of Management remarked that Bone Accessory exemplified the college’s commitment to “cross-disciplinary empowerment.” The college encouraged its faculty to collaborate with teachers and industry professionals from various fields, supporting students of diverse academic backgrounds in building managerial competencies and entrepreneurial skills. The goal was to cultivate future leaders equipped with social responsibility and strong market competitiveness.

Dean Huang emphasized that the College of Management would continue to serve as a strong driving force behind campus innovation and entrepreneurship. By providing top-tier faculty, deep industry–academic collaboration, and innovative curriculum design, the college aimed to equip students with the essential capabilities to thrive amid digital transformation and sustainability trends. She added that the college would continue supporting promising teams like Bone Accessory, helping them turn creative ideas into competitive and sustainable businesses.