The outlook for Taiwan's biotechnology sector in the second half of this year is encouraging, and investment for the whole of 2004 is expected to exceed the average level in recent years, according to forecasts by a government unit.
The Industrial Technology Information Service (ITIS) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) estimated that investment to be channeled into the domestic industry will top NT$20 billion (US$593.5 million) -- the average level for the last three years -- for the whole of 2004. The ITIS made the estimate on the grounds that investor willingness in the industry is strong, pointing to surveys as proof.
Citing the results of two polls made in the first and the second quarter this year, an ITIS analyst revealed that planned investment levels by companies jumped from an average of NT$4.78 billion to up to NT$9 billion.
At a time when Taiwan's population is rapidly aging and the demand for medication is rising, the analyst expressed her optimism that investment money will flock into the domestic sector to surpass the level of NT$20 billion for the whole year. Looking back to the first half of this year, she claimed that various government policies have also paid off in efforts to promote the domestic industry. For instance, she said, the Science and Technology Advisory Group under the Executive Yuan announced that it will set up a gene databank, taking advantage of Taiwan's multi-ethnic environment, to launch research on diseases in particular related to Chinese people across the globe. The databank will be the first of its kind in the world dedicated to Chinese people, she said.
The private sector has also been in full swing to forge cooperative ventures with foreign enterprises, ranging from new drug development and market exploration, she added.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS