While presiding over the Executive Yuan's Board of Science and Technology (BOST) meeting today, Premier Lin Chuan called on the board to do its utmost to expedite the nation's science and technology (S&T) transformation.
S&T strategies must complement the government's policies, Lin reiterated. To enhance the nation's industrial competitiveness, President Tsai Ing-wen in her campaign platform outlined the project on five major innovative industries. Lin anticipated further discussion of key technology innovations in this project at future BOST meetings in order to break through the present developmental bottleneck.
Aside from development of manufacturing and other related "hardware" sectors, investment in "software" sectors such as services, gaming and smart industries should be enhanced, the premier noted. He thus enjoined relevant agencies to take the views of BOST committee members into consideration, step up communications and exchanges with various industrial sectors, carry out systemic integration, and incorporate the committee members' and sectors' perspectives into appropriate projects in the S&T budget.
The Executive Yuan's Office of Science and Technology stated that the Executive Yuan has for the first time set up a pilot mechanism for managing large-scale S&T research and development projects. By instituting an execution model for S&T projects and selecting projects that can truly benefit the public, the administration aims to enable the S&T budget to effectively link industrial applications and guide enterprises to innovative development in order to energize key technologies and induce industrial growth.
Premier Lin is BOST convener, and Minister without Portfolio Wu Tsung-tsong and Minister of Science and Technology Yang Hung-duen serve as deputy conveners. The BOST committee comprises eight ministers as well as seven outstanding entrepreneurs and academic experts specializing in areas such as S&T management, biomedicine, and information and communications technology.
The government hopes to capitalize on the committee members' experiences to open up distribution channels, Lin pointed out. It also aims to seek out systemic professionals to assist in S&T integration. In so doing, the BOST would maximize its potential and help accelerate the nation's S&T transformation.