This year has brought unprecedented challenges to the global economy. As COVID-19 spread across the world over the past half year, supply chains are restructuring, the operating modes are changing, and the need for digital transformation is increasing. The virus has also given rise to numerous business opportunities in the digital realm, and under the…

The major new development is creation of Taiwania Capital Management, a government-backed venture-capital operation. Among the seven industries targeted in the government’s “5+2 Industrial Innovation Program,” the one starting with the strongest foundation is smart machinery. Overall machinery production value this year could break the NT$1 trillion (about US$33 billion) mark for the first time,…

Taiwan has created several new programs that offer promising opportunities for application developers. It is estimated that by 2050, over 70% of the global population will live in cities, including at least 29 “megacities” with populations exceeding 10 million people. Surging urban populations will increase challenges with regard to transportation, security, pollution, healthcare, and other…

New smart-city digital technologies involving the Internet of Things are being adopted by the nation’s largest cities and could help spur economic development through industrial transformation. Some of the leading examples so far are the eTag electronic toll collection system, the EasyCard payment platform, and the Wi-Fi system on the Taoyuan Metro. Under planning is…

For Taiwan to maintain its competitive position, it will need to adopt new technologies and business models Taiwan has built itself into a major player in global technology supply chains through fast, efficient manufacturing of information technology (IT) hardware. It is a leading producer of semiconductors, solar cells, display screens, motherboards, and other mid-stream components,…