Premier Sean Chen highlighted the importance of sustainable development at the 13th Industrial Sustainable Excellence Award ceremony held December 4 in Taipei by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).
The premier pointed out that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in recent years has been paying closer attention to sustainable development—an indication that while economic development is essential, the environment and natural resources must also be protected. Today's award winners were lauded for having achieved business success without adversely affecting the development potential of future generations. This management philosophy lies at the heart of sustainable development, Chen said.
In addition to excellence and sustainability, this year's ceremony focused on the themes of value creation and in-depth development. Creating value is the central goal of the "three industries, four reforms" project under the government's Economic Power-Up Plan. The premier hoped that all industries would incorporate innovation and environmental protection into their processes as a means of raising their competitiveness.
As for deepening development, Premier Chen borrowed a metaphor from today's opening performance in which the Sun Son Percussion Ensemble used recycled frying pans and lids as percussion instruments. The performers beat on anything they could find, he said, just like these companies should use all means at their disposal to develop their business in the desired direction.
The Excellence in Achievement Award, the highest honor given to an individual, was presented to John T. Yu, chairman of the engineering firm CTCI Corp. The premier also thanked all other award winners, noting it is the quality of companies like these that has helped shape a strong economy for Taiwan.
The MOEA indicated that the Industrial Sustainable Excellence Award encourages sustainable practices and industrial upgrading among Taiwan's businesses. The enterprises nominated for the award spanned the industrial range from traditional hardware manufacturing to new software services. After a rigorous selection process, nine outstanding companies were named as this year's winners.