Taiwan possesses strong biotech and ICT talent and R&D base: President

總統：台灣擁有強大的生物技術和ICT人才以及研發基地

Country is a world leader in the biotech sector: President Tsai


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - At the opening of Bio Taiwan 2018 Thursday, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said the country possessed all the elements necessary to play a leading role in the development of biotechnology, ICT and digital health care.

She said her administration had loosened government restrictions, resulting in the encouragement of even more Taiwanese companies to enter the sector and develop services and products which combined biotech with ICT.

The president emphasized how since taking office two years ago, her government had listed biotechnology as a key sector worth promoting, and connected local concerns with international trends to allow each Taiwanese locality to develop its own biotech specialization.

The number of companies eligible to receive subsidies had grown, Tsai told the July 19-22 event’s opening ceremony in Taipei. While developing new biotech products was a long journey, the government would not stand aside but accompany the corporations in facing challenges, Tsai said.

As examples of local success, she mentioned the approval of a new drug by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, and the licensing of medical equipment to a Japanese manufacturer.

According to U.S. data from 2017, Taiwan ranked No.3 globally among 21 countries for its biotech efforts, in particular in the fields of basic infrastructure, practical research and copyright protection, the president said.

In addition, she said her government was stimulating cooperation between the biotech and the ICT sectors, while succeeding in attracting major international players to invest in Taiwan.

The latest edition of Bio Taiwan counts 1,400 stalls and hopes to welcome 100,000 visitors. More than 70 international speakers will take part in seminars and more than 1,000 delegations from 23 countries will participate in the activities, organizers said.

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