Becoming a “digital nation” and an “intelligent island” is the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) development blueprint for the nation to enhance competition, the party’s presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday.
At a ceremony in Taipei celebrating the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Taichung, Keelung City and multinational networking equipment manufacturer Cisco Systems to create “smart city” solutions in the two cities, Tsai illustrated her policy of maintaining Taiwan’s “speed in progress” by analyzing information in the era of the “Internet of Things (IoT)” and “Internet of Everything.”
In partnership with Cisco, Taichung will focus on building a smart public transportation network, Taichung Deputy Mayor Zhang Guang-yao (張光瑤) said.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The city government is also aiming to build a low-carbon city, Zhang said.
The Taichung Gateway District will serve as the test ground for cutting-edge urban technologies, which the local government hopes will result in a community that integrates smart production, ecology and living, he said.
Keelung Mayor Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said that his city’s partnership with Cisco is expected to help create dynamic traffic and environmental management systems, energy control, business services and smart city management.
He said the city government is looking at the possibility of building a Cisco Innovation Center in Keelung.
Tsai said she believes that Taiwan, being one of the world’s major centers of information and communication technology, could play a key role in the IoT and the global supply chain of “Industry 4.0” by using its existing industrial infrastructure.
“We have small and medium enterprises that act and respond quickly, perceptive technology communities and a tech-savvy young generation,” she said.
“We have said before that the DPP’s general strategy for Taiwan’s industrial upgrade is based on three main approaches: connecting with the local [needs], with the world and with the future. Similarly, our plans in the IoT and intelligence application industry correspond to all three,” Tsai said.
“First, establishing ‘intelligent cities’ could not only enhance the life quality of the residents with technology, but also create a domestic demand market and local industries and job opportunities. We would also strive to set up different cross-country platforms open for global cooperation, such as the signing of the memorandum with Cisco today,” she said.
The DPP has also discussed forming an “IoT volunteers group” with Cisco systems to create “smart city solutions” in Taipei and Keelung City with local governments and experts in the related industries, including representatives from various technology enterprises, both domestic and foreign, such as TSMC, Mediatek, Quanta, Asustek, Pegatron, Tatung, Cisco, IBM and Microsoft, Tsai said.
Additional reporting by CNA
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
MOTIVES QUESTIONED The PLA considers Xi’s policies toward Taiwan to be driven by personal considerations rather than military assessment, the Epoch Times reports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) latest purge of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership might have been prompted by the military’s opposition to plans of invading Taiwan, the Epoch Times said. The Chinese military opposes waging war against Taiwan by a large consensus, putting it at odds with Xi’s vision, the Falun Gong-affiliated daily said in a report on Thursday, citing anonymous sources with insight into the PLA’s inner workings. The opposition is not the opinion of a few generals, but a widely shared view among the PLA cadre, the Epoch Times cited them as saying. “Chinese forces know full well that
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week. The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabin crew would go ahead on Thursday and Friday next week. While the Auckland-based carrier pledged to take reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the workers’ strike, an Air New Zealand flight arriving at Taipei from Auckland on Thursday and another flight departing from Taipei for Auckland on Saturday would have to
RSS