IT firms hunt for high-tech talent

Nearly Taiwanese information technology companies will jointly form a delegation to recruit more than 1,000 high-tech workers from the US and Japan in the next week, a top science and technology official said yesterday.

"In order to keep and promote the competitiveness of Taiwan's IT industry, overseas experts are regarded as valuable resources," said Tsai Ching-yen (蔡清彥), a convener of the Executive Yuan's science and technology advisory group.

The recruiting will mainly focus on research and development talents specializing in the integrated-circuit (IC) design and flat-panel display sectors.

A total of 47 Taiwanese companies are planning to join the delegation, including Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp (奇美光電), AU Optronics Corp (友達光電), Quanta Computer Inc (廣達電腦) and Compal Electronics Inc (仁寶電腦).

These companies hope to collectively recruit at least 1,142 professionals from overseas. The trip, however, is part of the government's larger effort to ease the nation's shortage in high-tech professionals.

Government show that, between 2003 and 2005, Taiwan is expected to encounter a shortage of 16,341 high-tech professionals. Most of the shortfall would occur in the semiconductor, flat-panel display, digital content and communications sectors.

The delegation is the largest-ever recruiting mission held by the government, said David Lin (林坤豐), an associate researcher of the Cabinet-level advisory group. "We have been organizing this kind of trip annually over the last five years. But in the past there were only 10 Taiwanese companies joining us each year," he said.

This year the authorities are confident that the mission will be rewarding.

"Due to a slow economy in these past two years, many US companies either streamlined or cut research budgets," Tsai said. "It gives us a good opportunity to lure overseas talent to relocate to Taiwan."

As of yesterday, the delegation organizer had received a total of 407 resumes from people in San Francisco, Los Angelus, Boston and Washington DC. In Japan, 96 professionals have also submitted resumes.

Last year Taiwan's liquid-crystal display (LCD) production surpassed Japan's to make this country the world's second largest supplier after South Korea. Tsai said that's why many Japanese would be interested in working here.

In order to get more talent to come to Taiwan though, some say that improvements are needed in the living conditions.

A clean, quiet and comfortable living environment with sufficient bilingual education facilities will be needed to attract talent from overseas, said Randy Yen (顏宗明), deputy director-general of Hsinchu Science Park Administration.

Currently 4,300 overseas Chinese and foreigners work in the Hsinchu Science Park, accounting for 4 percent of the area's 98,700 employees, Yen. said.

In addition to the IT recruiting mission, the government plans to have another two delegations that will focus on the electronic-service business and the biotechnology industry.

The E-service mission is being organized by the commercial section of the American Institute in Taiwan to visit US high-tech firms including Microsoft Corp, Phoenix Technologies Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Co and IBM Corp between Sept. 7 and Sept. 18.

Eyeing business from the biotechnology sector, a total of 25 government officials, company executives and academics will join the biotech delegation to visit the US between Sept. 14 and Sept. 20 and to participate the Bio/Pharm 2003 in Philadelphia.