The government’s technology budget next year is forecast to reach NT$126.4 billion (US$4.52 billion), a 10.8 percent increase from the previous budget, the Ministry of Science and Technology said yesterday.
The ministry released its figures after the Executive Yuan approved the fiscal 2022 budget for the central government and affiliated agencies. The budget is pending legislative review.
Among the spending plans, NT$43.7 billion is allocated for basic research governed by various ministries, the ministry said.
The ministry’s own budget for next year stands at NT$44.7 billion, a rise of NT$4.5 billion over this year, including NT$32.5 billion allocated for science research projects, it said.
With the budget, the government plans to support advanced long-term research and cultivate talent, Minister of Science and Technology Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) said.
The ministry has also identified areas for development according to the government’s focus on six core industries: digital information, cybersecurity, precision health, national defense, green and renewable energy sources, and strategic stockpile industries.
The ministry is to focus on advanced semiconductors, precision medicine, disease prevention science and technological start-ups, it said.
Scientific research and development on space technology is also a potential area, the ministry added.
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