Having a rich pool of biotech professionals, with the help of the government Taiwan has established numerous biotechnology institutes. Included in this list are Academia Sinica, the National Health Research Institutes, and the Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB). These institutions have trained many biotech professionals and have together produced thousands of research papers contributing to the Scientific Citation Index (SCI). Moreover, large numbers of outstanding overseas-based Taiwanese biotechnology professionals have returned to the island in recent years to devote themselves to the development of a strong domestic life science industry. Consequently, whether in academia, the private industry, or the government, there are devoted professionals working for the common goal of accelerating the growth and development of this industry. Basic research within Taiwan's biotech sector is rapidly reaching international standards. The number of patents granted, technology transferred, and the number of scientific papers published has been increasing each year. In addition, government agencies such as the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the National Science Council, the Department of Health, and the Ministry of Agriculture have increased their R&D budgets in support of the development of biotechnology. Goverment organizations, research institutes and national research progroms invested a total of NT$20.343 billion in 2003, a growth of 33.8 percent compared to 2002, accounting for 33 percent of the government's technology budget. We believe that the efforts of the island's R&D professionals and the support of the government will establish Taiwan as a world-renowned hub of biotechnology in the very near future. |
