Biotech fair opens in Taipei

The four-day 2002 Taipei International Biotech Fair opened Friday at the Taipei World Trade Center to coincide with various forums and seminars in an effort to launch Taiwan's biotechnology sector by attracting talent from home and abroad. In addition to many theme zones set up by local governments and universities, the locally developed cloned pig -- Copypig No. 3 -- as well as a biologically engineered aquarium fish which is transparent with fluorescent highlights are also stars of the fair as examples of Taiwan's efforts in the biotech sector. Economic Affairs Vice Minister Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥) gave a speech in the opening, touting the innovation-oriented industry as a new star among Taiwan's high-tech industries. Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, who also addressed the opening, said that seven of Taiwan's 19 medical centers are located in Taipei and that 49 percent of the country's biotech research centers are headquartered in the city and in neighboring Taipei County.