Premier Mao Chi-kuo today visited Kaohsiung's Brogent Technologies, Inc. and extolled the company as a model for the development of the high-tech sector in southern Taiwan.
Brogent Technologies has driven the transformation and upgrading of the domestic information and communications technologies (ICT) and traditional electrical and mechanical engineering (EME) industries, creating a new value chain and a niche in the international market, Mao said. He is looking forward to seeing others follow Brogent's example or develop innovative models of their own.
This would help southern Taiwanese youths who aspire to work in high-tech industries to find jobs close to home, the premier pointed out. He noted that since taking office, many residents of southern Taiwan have complained to him about the lack of local opportunities for their children in this field. Mao hopes for more innovative high-tech industry growth in southern Taiwan, which would mean more job opportunities for young people who want to return to their hometowns.
Mao also pointed out that Taiwan's ICT and EME industries must upgrade and increase their products' added value. He experienced Brogent's "i-Ride" flight simulation theater and its video game "Alien Invasion," and the "i-Ride" features a 6-DOF (six degrees of freedom) motion platform. This displays Taiwanese industries' utilization of innovation to drive industrial upgrading, break into the international market, and become highly competitive, he said.
Digital media and digital entertainment are Brogent's selling points, and it focuses on multifaceted integration and development of software, hardware and digital content. This is a model for Taiwan's future development, the premier said.
Mao complimented Brogent for finding a market niche quickly after developing digital archives, grasping a future trend and building an interactive environment for people to experience flying. The idea has not only brought enormous business opportunities but also helped the ICT and traditional EME industries, which have strong roots in Taiwan, transform and upgrade to create a new value chain. It can be considered as one of the best business models, the premier stated.
In addition, Premier Mao expressed his appreciation to the college and university presidents and vice presidents in attendance today and said that their efforts are in the right direction. Close connections between academia and industry are worth promoting, and every school can pick a few key fields in which to cooperate with relevant industries and attract teacher and student participation.
From Brogent Technologies' example, the premier noted, one can learn that when promoting innovation, schools must make students understand that success will not occur out of nowhere and encourage them to be pragmatic and professional and have breakthrough ideas.