The Series Mania Forum, Europe’s largest television series market, is entering the peak of its program. On March 25, the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) hosted the “Asia Co-Pro Pitch by TAICCA”, where the winner of the inaugural Serial Bridges Asia Award was selected. TAICCA also revealed that the Serial Bridges Asia, the workshop to develop original series from Asia, has been expanded this year with the addition of a new partner, Thailand’s Creative Economy Agency (CEA), upgrading the initiative into a cross-regional Asian series development platform.
On the same day, TAICCA signed a renewed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Series Mania, represented by Francesco CAPURRO, Series Mania Forum director . TAICCA CEO Erica WANG was invited to join an official industry panel at the event. Through its Europe-focused international collaboration strategy, TAICCA continues to support Taiwanese content creators and production teams by connecting them with global industry resources while also opening up new co-financing and co-production opportunities, serving as an important bridge between Taiwan’s content industry and the European market.
The Asia Co-Pro Pitch by TAICCA was attended by distinguished guests including Director of Series Mania Forum Francesco CAPURRO; Taiwan Representative to France HAO Pei-chih; and Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris Director CHEN Hung-hsing.
TAICCA CEO Erica Wang noted that Serial Bridges Asia, a series development workshop jointly organized by TAICCA and the Series Mania Institute, is now in its third year and has successfully incubated 12 series projects to date. She also announced that this year TAICCA will broaden its collaborative network for the first time by teaming up with Thailand’s CEA, combining the top-tier resources of France’s Series Mania Institute to officially upgrade the Taiwan-France partnership into a cross-regional series development platform spanning Europe and Asia. Selected teams will take part in a year-long development program across Bangkok, Taipei, and Lille, receiving intensive professional training and participating in markets to expand business opportunities.
This year’s pitching session invited three European television industry experts to serve on the jury, offering perspectives from the distribution, production, and development sides of the industry. They are Manya LUTZ-MONEIM, Content Editor at Germany’s leading production and distribution company Beta Film; Guillaume POMMIER, Co-Head of Distribution at Federation Studios, a major French production company that signed an MOU with TAICCA last year; and Anna NOBI, Director of Development at Gaumont Television, part of the historic French media company Gaumont. Together, they selected the most promising Asian series project.
The recipient of the inaugural Serial Bridges Asia Award was revealed shortly after, with 《The Fundamentals》 emerging as the winner after strong competition among the three workshop teams. The jury unanimously praised the overall quality of the Taiwanese projects, highlighting their strong storytelling potential and international outlook.
The jury praised the exceptional caliber of the finalists: “The Asia Co-Pro Pitch jury was particularly impressed by the quality of the four pitched projects, the culmination of in-depth work on both their themes and oral presentations. THE FUNDAMENTALS stood out for its distinct Taiwanese local focus paired with universal appeal—a crime story that is both intriguing and accessible, with the clear potential to captivate audiences worldwide.”
In addition to receiving industry consultation opportunities, the winning team also gains eligibility to apply for TAICCA’s Creative Content Development Program (CCDP), with the potential to receive up to USD 60,000 in early-stage development funding.
TAICCA and Series Mania renewed their MOU during the networking event following the pitching session, with TAICCA CEO Erica WANG noting: “Taiwan and Series Mania have built a deep partnership over the past five years. We’re already seeing real results: French companies connecting with Taiwanese partners, and more co-productions between Taiwan and Europe coming to life. None of that happens without Series Mania and the bridge we’ve built together.
Francesco CAPURRO, Series Mania Forum director also shared that:“Taiwan was the first Asian partner of Series Mania Forum, opening the way for all other Asian countries that now are attending the event. And so this is very important for us.” Erica WANG also introduced Taiwan’s iconic bubble tea to guests at the event, inviting them to experience Taiwanese culture in a relaxed and engaging networking atmosphere.
CEO WANG was then invited to participate in the official industry panel “Serial Bridges: Igniting New Co-Production Dynamics”, joining European and Asian television industry representatives to discuss trends in international co-production. During the discussion, she stated: “For Taiwan’s industry to produce outstanding content and expand globally, what it primarily lacks is funding and international distribution channels. TAICCA will continue to play an active role in connecting industry partners.” She also enthusiastically introduced the newly established Serial Bridges Asia Award and the expanded 2026 Serial Bridges Asia, underscoring Taiwan’s commitment to building a regional platform for creative collaboration.
TAICCA’s strong presence at Series Mania not only reinforces Taiwan’s strategic role in Asia’s content industry but also opens up a new chapter in international talent development through deeper collaboration with global partners. Moving forward, TAICCA will continue to strengthen its international talent incubation system, providing more targeted market resources and partnership opportunities to help Taiwanese original content thrive in the highly competitive and rapidly evolving global audiovisual industry.
