Following a report by the National Development Council (NDC) on the Asia Silicon Valley Development Plan, Premier Lai Ching-te said that President Tsai Ing-wen has set a development course to transform industry in Taiwan away from contract manufacturing and into innovation and smart technology, enabling the nation to emerge as a leader in the digital economy.
The Asia Silicon Valley plan is a flagship program that builds a complete innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem emerging around "internet of things" (IoT) technology. The project adds momentum to job creation and the economy, and will provide today's young people a glimpse of a future in which their dreams can be realized. The NDC, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)—with the full cooperation of other ministries and agencies—have been promoting the Asia Silicon Valley plan for more than a year with promising results.
Premier Lai highlighted three important points for relevant agencies: The first is to improve basic infrastructure, so that the public can enjoy the benefits of progress in smart technologies and a better quality of life. The second is to encourage digital education by loosening regulations or continuing the vigorous promotion of relevant policies, to further cultivate new talent or expand digital applications for daily life. The third is deregulation aimed at enlivening the internet and network environments and encouraging industry to further interconnect.
The NDC indicated that in order to expand synergies within the Asia Silicon Valley plan, it will take the lead in linking the resources of the MOEA, MOST, the NDC and other ministries and agencies. In addition to pursuing a complete innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem built around IoT, the government will also take full advantage of trends and opportunities in the innovation economy by focusing on such areas as artificial intelligence (AI), driverless vehicles, IoT security, augmented and virtual reality, and mobile technologies.
IoT, AI and related new technologies all have the potential for interdisciplinary applications, and the NDC will continue to enhance lateral connections with innovation projects in other industries in order to expand cross-industry applications such as smart-tech energy sources and smart technology-enabled agriculture.