A ceremony was held June 10 in Taipei City by the Ministry of Economic Affairs to honor 19 individual winners of the National Innovation Awards. The awards spotlight government, academia and industry work to move the local economy forward through innovation.
According to the MOEA, 25 organizations, eight teams and 19 individuals were selected from 305 submissions for the awards that covered a wide range of sectors including artificial intelligence, digital medical care, semiconductors, marine debris management and waste reduction.
Citing the 2024 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, Premier Cho Jung-tai said during the ceremony that Taiwan ranked eighth among the 67 economies included in the report, with the country third in two subcategories related to research and development, reflecting the importance the government attaches to R&D.
The premier said AI is a key component in President Lai Ching-te’s Five Trusted Industry Sectors initiative, adding that the National Development Council, National Science and Technology Council and other related agencies are working on a ‘10 major AI infrastructure projects initiative’ to promote development of smart applications, critical technology and infrastructure.
Cho said it is important to incorporate AI into every facet of the industry sector and public domain to spur growth in manufacturing, medical care and finance industries and ensure continuous growth of the local economy. Equally importantly, the premier said precision medicine is a critical component of the president’s Healthy Taiwan initiative and will help provide patients with the most appropriate treatment and cut down on medical costs.
The premier commended the winners for their ingenuity that moved Taiwan industry sectors forward, expressing anticipation that the innovations would be incorporated into government policies to further raise national development. (SFC-E)
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