Our Team – Crispy Donut

The Collaboration between ITECH Wilhelmsburg in Hamburg and the MCUT in New Taipei made it possible to participate in an amazing three week Design Thinking Workshop where students from many different countries participated. In order to bond as a Group it’s important to find common ground first. Our shared love for the delicious dessert “the Crispy Donut” lead to our Group name and was the kick off for our project.

Group 3 - Crispy Donuts

From left to right: Uci, Ethan, Titouan, Lykka, Cindy, Tweety

Backrow from left to right: Leon, Ben

The Case – Keelung

Understanding Keelungs situation

Our idea was inspired by the large number of roughly a million cruise ship tourists arriving in Keelung that only bring limited value to the city. Keelung faces strong competition from nearby destinations such as Taipei, the capital with a wide range of major attractions, and Jiufen, which is highly popular among tourists. We observed that tourists tend to use Keelung as a transit hub to Taipei and leave the local business behind. The tourists follow pre-planned routes, lack awareness of Keelungs local offerings and face barriers such as time constraints, language differences and poor accessibility of key sights. Combined with environmental factors like frequent rain, these issues prevent spontaneous exploration. This gap between existing potential and actual engagement motivated us to develop a solution that makes Keelung’s experiences more visible, accessible and easy to integrate into short stays.

Our idea – Keelung Connect

Keelung Connect is a platform designed to turn transit passengers into local explorers by offering curated tours suiting the limited time window of the passangers. By utilizing high-visibility, QR-coded welcome posters at the port and cooperating with cruise ship companies aswell as locals, we bridge the gap between the ship and the city’s hidden gems.

The Value of Keelung Connect

Increased Local Economic Value:

By connecting cruise passengers with local businesses through curated tours, the platform redirects tourist spending from Taipei to Keelung, benefiting restaurants, shops, and service providers.

High Visibility:

High visibility is a achieved through beautifully designed, large-scale welcome posters that greet cruise passengers upon arrival with a QR code linking directly to the platform.

Seamless & Time-efficient tourist experience:

The all-in-one platform with pre-curated 2–8 hour itineraries and a return-to-ship guarantee removes the biggest barriers (time pressure, uncertainty).
As a result Tourists can explore Keelung without stress or planning effort.

Improved Accessibility to Hidden Attractions:

Through integration with transport providers like the T99 Coastal Keelung Shuttle Bus and structured routes, the concept makes hard-to-reach locations (e.g. elevated forts, viewpoints) easily accessible, even for seniors or short-stay visitors.

Strong Distribution through Strategic Partnerships:

By collaborating with cruise lines, travel agencies and the port authority, the platform gains direct access to customers at the most critical moment (arrival).
This ensures high visibility and conversion during the “golden first minutes” or even before arriving in Keelung.

Scalable & Cost-Efficient Digital Model:

The system relies heavily on automation (QR codes, self-service booking, digital itineraries) which keeps operational costs relatively low.
This allows the model to scale efficiently while maintaining profitability.

Target Group

Target Group Profile: the Cruise ship passenger

Name: Sarah

Age: 52

Origin: German

Focus: Safety and speed. Needs a structured, low-risk 2–3 hour itinerary.

Driver: Spontaneous decisions at the port.

Requirement: Clear English info and guaranteed return to the ship.

SDG – Sustainable Development Goals

Keelung Connect is a project with the goal to transforms the city from a mere transit point into a primary destination. By integrating digital solutions with local infrastructure, the project aligns with the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The core objective of this project is to redirect the economic benefits of cruise tourism back into the local community.

Local Economic Retention: By providing tourists with easily accessible information and time-specific tours, the project ensures that passenger spending stays in Keelung rather than immediately transferring to Taipei.
Supporting small & medium sized Enterprises: Through partnerships with local restaurants, specialty retailers, and tour guides (“Local Partners”), the model provides small businesses with a steady stream of international customers.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

This project leverages digital innovation to optimize existing maritime and urban infrastructure.

Digital Transformation: The implementation of a “mobile-first booking site” and a high-visibility QR code infrastructure represents a technological upgrade to traditional tourism.
Innovative Marketing: Using “large-scale welcome posters” and automated personalized itineraries (f.e. 2h, 3h, 6h) creates a modern, efficient “smart city” experience for visitors.
Intermodal Integration: By coordinating with transport providers and the Port Authority, the project enhances the “first touchpoint” infrastructure, making the transition from ship to city seamless and efficient.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The project promotes the preservation of Keelung’s unique cultural heritage while improving urban accessibility.

Preserving Cultural Heritage: By curating tours focused on the Miaokou Night Market, historical forts, scenic highlights and traditional festivals, the project provides a financial incentive to protect and celebrate Keelung’s local identity.
Inclusive Mobility: The project also addresses “Seniors (60+)” by providing low-impact mobility solutions to reach elevated historical sites, ensuring that the city’s tourism infrastructure is inclusive for all age groups.
Reducing Environmental Pressure: Encouraging tourists to explore the immediate harbor area on foot or via local transport (rather than taking long-distance coach transfers to other cities) contributes to more sustainable, localized tourism patterns.

Prototype

In the following you can see the prototype of the website opened on a computer and a mobile phone. Below it you see a prototype of a “welcome poster” with the QR code near the train station leading to the website of Keelung Connect.

You can gain effortless access to Keelungs Hidden Gems by just scanning the QR Code and having all the information available on a website with user-friendly and intuitive interface. The website offers itenieries for different time frames from 2 to 8 hours so every cruise ship tourist can explore Keelung within the given time before departure.

Keelung Connect website

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So don’t just pass through – Dive in!