The government has approved plans to earmark NT$11.3 billion (US$358.96 million) next year to build the nation into a regional technology hub, National Development Council Deputy Director Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said yesterday.
Approval of the budget has set in motion plans to realize the “Asian Silicon Valley” initiative, one of the five major innovative industries President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) vowed to promote during her time in office.
“The first step is to set up an execution center to help the council coordinate and integrate proposals and resources and make sure things proceed as planned,” said Kung, who is to serve as acting chief officer of the center.
Photo: Wang Meng-lun, Taipei Times
The council plans to staff the center through an open tender, scheduled for the end of this month, so that the center may start to operate next month, Kung said, adding that the tender qualifications and requirements would be announced soon.
The center is intended to link up with Silicon Valley in the US and other global technology clusters to help make Taiwan an entrepreneurial base for young people to realize their innovations and ideas, Kung said.
That means the center’s team will have to demonstrate management, communication and technology prowess, and an expertise in the Internet of Things and other innovative fields, Kung said.
Of the NT$11.3 billion, only NT$5.7 billion is a new budget item. The rest of the money is to come from existing budgets set aside for different government agencies, Kung said, adding that the center aims to incubate 50 total solutions in the next eight years and foster two international-class firms to invest in Taiwan.
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