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Taiwan Business Alliance: Improvement seen in biotech IPR

"The protection of intellectual property is an evolving process. Taiwan now recognizes that without respect for intellectual property it cannot attract major companies here."

Wang Chang-yi, president of US-based Unite

The protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) is strong enough in Taiwan's biotechnology sector to encourage more investment here, industry leaders said at the Taiwan Business Alliance Conference yesterday.

"The protection of intellectual property is an evolving process," Wang Chang-yi (王長怡), president of US-based United Biomedical Inc (聯亞生技開發), told the Taipei Times.

"Taiwan now recognizes that without respect for intellectual property it cannot attract major companies here," he said.

Vaccine developer United Biomedical set up its Asian research operations in Taiwan in the late 1990s after acquiring factories here from global pharmaceutical giants F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd and GlaxoSmithKline.

Yesterday Wang encouraged more companies to follow her company's lead and locate in Taiwan because the government is very supportive of biotechnology companies, there are a lot of talented scientists here and costs are much lower than in the US and Europe.

United Biomedical set up in Taiwan "at a fraction of the cost" of Western countries, Wang said.

The government is keen to promote new industries as its manufacturing base moves to China. It has earmarked US$5 billion for biotechnology research centers and institutes.

The head of a home-grown biotechnology company agreed that IPR protection is strong in the nation's biotech sector.

"When you have nothing to lose, you steal," said Hardy Chan (詹維康), executive vice president at drug developer ScinoPharm Taiwan Ltd (台灣神隆).

"When you have everything to lose, you behave," he said.

The lower costs of setting up in Taiwan, which Chan claimed were as little as one-quarter of the same facilities in his native California, and local talent are major draws.

"Research is clearly a strength of Taiwan," Chan said.

Grants and tax breaks also help.

"To encourage R&D centers, the government can offer up to 50 percent off the total costs of developing projects for companies to which the IPR belongs," said Daniel Lee (李永川), president of medical-device manufacturer Apex Medical Corp (雃博).

There is also an added 35-percent tax rebate on R&D costs on top of that, Lee added.

Private cash is also readily available.

"Taiwan is one of the countries that has very active venture capital [funds]," said Johnsee Lee (李鍾熙), president of the Biomedical Engineering Center at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (工研院).

"We have more than 180, and a high proportion invests in high technology," he said.
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