The government is devoting full efforts toward promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, not only to transform Taiwan into a major base for nurturing such activities but also to enhance the country's competitiveness, Premier Mao Chi-kuo said at a business innovation forum held today at the Taipei Expo Park.
Encouraging all sectors to work together in building Taiwan into a world pioneer of smart living, the premier said innovation creates value, which proves the worth of one's existence and makes the world a better place.
"For an innovation to be sustainable, it must focus on concern for humankind, society and the environment."
Sharing his experiences in promoting atypical public policies in the past 20 years, Mao named motivation, ability and opportunity as three indispensable factors in the creation of innovative value.
"Motivation arises from a person's aspirations, curiosity, perseverance and resilience. Ability refers to his or her professional skills and the ability to learn, think independently and execute. Opportunity comes to those who are observant, creative and take action to seize it."
Aside from Taiwan's outstanding advantages and its ability to set up small, nimble production centers for innovative entrepreneurs, the nation also possesses a well-developed information and communications technology (ICT) value chain that can be used to turn the island into an international center for innovation support. Taiwan's reputation in intelligent property protection will also prepare the nation for an important role in global processes of innovation and entrepreneurship, Mao said.
"The government is working hard to make Taiwan a major base for fostering innovation among industries. It is also drawing resources from the National Development Fund, the Science and Technology Development Fund, and other government-wide programs to promote entrepreneurship and innovation."
In addition to nurturing a new generation of systems integrators to restructure the ICT value chain, the government is providing incentives for suppliers to shift toward small-scale production and away from manufacturing original equipment or original designs for foreign brands. Efforts are also being made to create a regulatory environment that is conducive to Taiwan's competitiveness and favorable for innovative businesses, he added.