In 2017 the government began promoting the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program (2017-2025) to energize the economy and stimulate overall economic momentum, as well as respond to new industries, technologies and lifestyle trends in Taiwan and abroad. This program allocates a ceiling of NT$840 billion (US$27.6 billion) in total funding across eight categories: railway projects to provide safe and fast transportation, water environments to build resilience against climate change, green energy infrastructure to ensure environmental sustainability, digital infrastructure to create a smart and connected nation, urban and rural projects to balance regional development, child care facilities to reverse declining birth rate trends, infrastructure to ensure food safety, and human resources infrastructure to nurture talent and boost employment.
In addition to continuing to strengthen rural infrastructure and balanced regional development, the program vigorously promotes 5G services, digital development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and other areas key for supporting Taiwan's Six Core Strategic Industries. The program bolsters digital transformation and environmental sustainability, building a more resilient Taiwan and laying the foundation for the nation's growth over the next 30 years.
Eight categories
1. Green energy infrastructure: Promote R&D and long-term development of installations relating to solar energy, wind power generation, and science cities such as the Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City. Strengthen development of future-oriented energy sources, system integration and other related infrastructure to support the national policy goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
2. Digital infrastructure: Accelerate promotion of an ultrawide bandwidth society, including construction of related infrastructure.
3. Water environment infrastructure: Expedite construction of infrastructure for water remediation, water supply and water recreation purposes.
4. Railway infrastructure: Connect the high-speed rail and traditional railway systems, upgrade traditional railways, move rail tracks above or below ground, promote urban mass transit, and encourage railway tourism in central and southern Taiwan.
5. Urban and rural infrastructure: Address parking problems, improve roadway quality, develop localized industrial parks, build infrastructure for enriching the cultural lives of local communities, create sports and recreation environments, build up indigenous communities and promote local revitalization.
6. Friendly child care infrastructure: Promote public child care and education facilities for children ages 0-6 to help address the declining birth rate.
7. Food safety infrastructure: Raise the effectiveness of the border inspection and customs clearance system, improve the food safety sampling and testing capabilities of local health bureaus, and strengthen the central government's food safety testing capabilities.
8. Human resources infrastructure: Improve the practical learning environment at vocational schools, create technology innovation and entrepreneurial bases for young people, train high-level professionals in targeted industries, cultivate digital and specialized talent, and promote English language skills to make Taiwan a bilingual nation by 2030.