According to the Scientific American, a leading science magazine, the biotech industry in Taiwan has slipped down the global league table from rank 17 to 25.  It is mainly due to the lack of international competitiveness in the intellectual property system.  The inadequate supply of young talents in the biotech industry is another major issue. 

The Taiwan Biotech Industries Take-off Action Plan was introduced by the government in 2009.  This plan focuses on the industrial infrastructure.  For example, the establishment of the Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park aims to attract developers of innovative medical devices to form a biotech industry cluster. 

The National Biotech Science Park is to be inaugurated by the end of next year.  The government invested over NT$20 billion in this project with a view to creating a new drug R&D base.  The government also incorporated the services provided by Ministry of Science and Technology, TFDA, MOEA and Academia Sinica into a one-stop service window for the industry. 

There are plenty of funds from the private sector for the biotech industry.  The government will just play an advisor’s role, respect the market mechanism, promote deregulation and provide infrastructure in order to encourage the industry’s development. 

The Executive Yuan will meet the representatives of the biotech industry in September to discuss future policies in the context of an ageing population, the long-term care system and the uses of drugs and medical devices.  

In order to solve the problem of the shortage of professionals, the Ministry of Science and Technology introduced a scheme to provide financial aids to local PhD students for their short-term researches and studies abroad.  The Ministry is also seeking opportunities to forge cooperation with advanced countries in order to cultivate new talents with global visions. 

【Commercial Times / 2015-07-04】