The National Science Council (NSC) today held a press conference to unveil the Incubation Platform for Mobile Devices, which aims to integrate leading firms' technologies to provide customized services for small companies with creative ideas.
The platform is based on a "small apple" concept, focusing on simpler devices that provide practical, specialized functions to meet users' daily needs, in contrast with the "big apple" model for complex, multifunctional mobile devices such as Apple's iPad and iPhone, which is widely known in Taiwan.
The NSC will invite leading enterprises, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., MediaTek, Runtex Group and Chunghwa Telecom, to collaborate with the Industrial Technology Research Institute as well as academia to form an incubation company which will specialize in developing information and communications modules and interfaces and provide integration and testing platforms to help create product prototypes and match inventors with customized contract manufacturers.
"Innovation plays an important role in Taiwan's pursuit of a free economy, and the success of this project will help improve Taiwan's international competitiveness to meet increasingly rigid technological challenges," Premier Jiang Yi-huah said at the event.
"Taiwan has been working toward a free economy for years, and the government's current Free Economic Pilot Zones plan aims to create more opportunities for economic development through deregulation, internationalization and efficient administrative procedures.
"If innovation is not injected into its industries, however, Taiwanese products will remain mired in difficult competition in the contract manufacturing market," Jiang warned.
"Hence, innovation will play a bigger and bigger role, and only if our industries channel it can Taiwan stay ahead of other nations."
Given that the Incubation Platform for Mobile Devices is an important trial for economic innovation, the Executive Yuan will give strong backing to the program with a view to bringing about the transformation and upgrading of Taiwan's high-tech industries, the premier pledged.
"Competition with neighboring and emerging countries is intense, and whether Taiwan can lead the pack depends on its industrial development decisions. National Science Council Minister Chu Ching-yi has made great efforts to promote emerging high-tech industries," he remarked.
"The Incubation Platform for Mobile Devices should turn profits as well as allow young talents and academic institutions to convert their abundant creativity into practical devices and designs, making Taiwan more internationally competitive.
"The objective is not to turn Taiwan into a vertically-integrated giant monopolistic market or factory, but to have it play a key role in industry chains, whether it is in designing, testing or critical component manufacturing. As long as we make the right choices, the investments will pay dividends," Jiang said.
With respect to the timing of the inauguration of the Ministry of Science and Technology and appointment of its minister, the premier quipped that the media's interest in these decisions will wane once they are announced. "Ask not who takes over which post and how long each person serves; ask what contribution he or she makes to contribute to the government and the public during the time served," Jiang said, adding that this is also the motto with which he encourages himself and his colleagues.