In a bid to develop Taiwan's digital animation picture industry, Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday pledged to set aside NT$140 million to fund new projects.
The premier also revealed that the government is studying the possibility of investing in the production of international animation pictures.
Yu pledged to establish a commission for the promotion of culture and creativity to serve as a bridge between the industry and experts and encouraged the country's animation houses to team up with academia to cultivate talent.
Visiting the Wang Film Productions Co (宏廣公司) in Hsintien, Taipei County, yesterday morning, Yu said that the government includes the development of culture and creative industries in the NT$2.6 trillion national development project because such industries are important in the era of globalization.
"Many people have asked me what the nation's competitiveness has to do with these industries," Yu said.
"If you come here, you'll find out that creativity plays an integral role in a knowledge-based economy."
As Taiwan has one of the most liberal environments in Asia and some of the top digital cartoon artists in the world, Yu said that he expects to see Taiwan excel in this sector.
"The US has Walt Disney who created Mickey Mouse, Japan has Hayao Miyazaji who created Totoro and I hope Taiwan will someday create a cartoon icon which receives international acclaim," he said.
Let the government help make Taiwan the center of the animation picture industry, Yu said.
"We'd like to see the industry upgrade itself from merely adding the finishing touches to creating original works," Yu said.
To help the industry obtain funds more easily, the government will earmark NT$140 million and study the possibility of using government funds to invest in the production of international animation pictures.
"As it costs a lot of money to produce an animation picture with international standards, we thought it might not be a bad idea for the government to offer some financial assistance to the industry so they can establish an internationally acclaimed brand name and break into the competitive market," Yu said.
According to Yu, the output value of animation pictures, including those for TV programs and motion pictures, was US$26.8 billion last year. The figure is estimated to reach US$29 billion this year.
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