Taiwanese and US participants, including Microsoft Corp representatives, at a forum in Taoyuan on Tuesday explored a road map for the government’s “Asian Silicon Valley Development Plan.”
The forum was the first event since the National Development Council and the American Institute in Taiwan in April launched the Digital Economy Forum Smart Technology Working Group, a public-private partnership that aims to push cooperation in “smart” technology.
The working group aims to revamp Taiwan’s hardware export-focused technology sector by improving collaboration with Silicon Valley in California, as well as implementing emerging trends such as automaton and industry 4.0 systems, in the hopes that local enterprises might be able to offer tailor-made solutions for global markets.
Microsoft presented an Internet of Things innovation center it has established in Taiwan — the first of its kind in the world — and showcased its artificial intelligence solution, as well as new applications for HoloLens, the US technology giant’s mixed-reality technology.
Experts said that the use of smart technologies in cities would allow governments to combat pressing concerns such as traffic congestion, pollution, climate change and crime.
Taoyuan is the ideal location to spearhead the Asian Silicon Valley initiative, as 200 of the nation’s 500 largest manufacturers are based in the special municipality, Taoyuan Deputy Mayor Wang Ming-teh (王明德) said at the forum.
Taoyuan has been transforming into a hub for smart technology, as well as electric vehicles and “green” energy, Wang said, adding that its connection to Taipei via the Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line makes it an ideal hub for the initiative.
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