Promoting biotechnology, semiconductors and digital transformation are the key to creating an innovative, inclusive and sustainable society by 2030, Minister of Science and Technology (MOST) Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) said yesterday as he took office.
Wu, 65, an expert on applied mechanics, served as a minister without portfolio, overseeing tech-related policy, since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office in 2016.
Prior to that, he was a convener of the technology division of the New Frontier Foundation, a think tank linked to the Democratic Progressive Party.
Photo: CNA
He assumed office at a ceremony at the Ministry of Science and Technology in Taipei overseen by Minister Without Portfolio Chang Jing-sen (張景森), as his predecessor, Chen Liang-gee (陳良基), handed him the seal of office.
Chen laid the critical foundation for promoting innovation and startups, basic research and training international talent, as he had pledged to when he took office in February 2017, Wu said.
He would continue Chen’s policies, and aim to make Taiwan an innovative, inclusive and sustainable society by 2030, Wu said.
The goals are to solve problems generated by the aging society, declining birth rate, a widening wealth gap, environmental changes and insufficient energy supply, as well as tackle the challenges posed by new social modalities, which require considerations about socio-economic, environmental and political changes, he said.
Wu named six development directions — biotechnology and precision health initiatives, more advanced semiconductors, digital transformation, 6G networks that involve the applications of low-orbit satellites, boosting cybersecurity capability, and improving Internet connections among public and private sectors — that he had planned during his time as a minister without portfolio.
Praising Hsinchu-based Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) as the “pride of Taiwan,” Wu said the ministry would work with the company and research institutions to develop semiconductors measured in angstrom units to build a “smart nation.”
Ministry executives and officers on Tuesday afternoon threw a farewell party for Chen that lasted for more than three hours.
He was proud of having helped keep TSMC’s 3-nanometer fab in Tainan, the launch of two satellites — the remote sensing satellite Formosat-5 in 2017 and Formosat-7/COSMIC2 constellation for weather observation last year — and three new research vessels, said Chen at the party.
Chen, the longest-serving technology minister thus far, said that he regretted having to cancel a headhunting trip that had been planned for late March, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
Chen said he planned to return to research at National Taiwan University.
In related news, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Shieh Dar-bin (謝達斌), an expert in oral medicine, and Vice Minister of Science and Technology Tsou Yu-han (鄒幼涵), a long-time ministry official, have been retained in their posts.
Former deputy minister Hsu Yu-chin (許有進), recruited by Chen from Synopsys and responsible for promoting startups, has been replaced by Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Lin Minn-tsong (林敏聰), a physicist, who had been director-general of the ministry’s Natural Sciences and Sustainable Development Department.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS