The biotechnology and medicine industry will become one of Taiwan's star performers if it receives the appropriate public and private support, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said at a press conference today on the field's developments over the past year.
"Though biotechnology and medicine requires enormous capital, often takes a long time to generate profits and presents significant bottlenecks and challenges, it will certainly become one of the nation's star industries given hand-in-hand cooperation by the public and private sectors, the utilization of the Taiwanese people's outstanding talents and entrepreneurial spirit, and deregulation by the Legislative Yuan," the premier declared.
"Over the past year, the Institute for Biotechnology and Medicine Industry (IBMI) has conducted scrupulous research, appraisals and retrospectives on biotech policy and provided major support and suggestions to the government on the promotion of this industry. On behalf of the administration, I would like to express my gratitude to IBMI Chairman Chen Wei-zhao and the industry's trailblazers for their proactive response to government policy," Jiang remarked.
"The government considers biotechnology a very important emerging industry. Under the leadership of former Premier Liu Chao-shiuan, the Ma administration designated biotechnology and medicine as one of the six emerging industries for the nation's next phase of development.
The Taiwan Biotechnology Takeoff Diamond Action Plan, also known as the Diamond Promotion Plan for the Biotechnology Industry or 'the Diamond Plan' for short, was approved in 2009. Under this program, the government spearheaded the formulation of measures and guidelines by collaborating with the nation's industrial, academic and research sectors to jointly lay the foundation for the development of this major emerging industry.
"The establishment of the Food and Drug Administration, which is now under the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), was part of this plan. This agency has delivered concrete results in deregulation, the alignment of Taiwan's laws and regulations with prevailing international standards as well as the erection of an integrated platform for cooperation between the industrial, academic and research sectors.
"Hence, within a very short time we have seen exponential growth in the number of biotechnology and medicine companies listed on the over-the-counter as well as Taiwan's stock markets," Jiang affirmed.
In 2012, medical management was integrated into the program so that Taiwan could augment and export services in this field, in which it has a strong foundation, in addition to research and development of new drugs and mass production of medical equipment, he said.
"I hope that with the collaboration of the manufacturing and services sectors, the medical industry will flourish and shine as a diamond of Taiwan," Jiang said.
In response to business representatives' request that a cross-strait certification mechanism for medicine and medical equipment be established, Jiang pointed out that the agencies responsible for such operations in mainland China are undergoing organizational restructuring, and the appropriate competent authority has not yet been decided.
Jiang has directed Mainland Affairs Council Minister Wang Yu-chi and MOHW Minister Chiu Wen-ta to incorporate this issue into high-level cross-strait discussions and to urge mainland China to expedite the process. Subsequent developments will be made known to businesses in a timely manner, the premier assured.