Taiwan’s software industry has a gross production of NT$600 billion (US$21.67 billion) with a workforce of 260,000. This compares with the NT$2.7 trillion hardware manufacturing industry and its economies of scale advantages, with a 420,000-strong workforce, government data show.
The government is turning its focus toward helping the software industry expand into trillion-dollar territory by 2030, to facilitate the development of the digital economy.
The Cabinet has announced plans to establish a ministry of digital development by the second quarter of this year.
This development blueprint is exciting, especially given the emergence of the “metaverse.” If the sector can be arranged to meet this challenge, it will stimulate other industries, and increase economies of scale.
However, the government needs to find experts who are also experienced managers, and not just parachute in retired officials with promises of a cushy retirement. Leaving behind this hackneyed way of operating would be a truly positive development.
Taiwan’s Internet development has for many years been under the control of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, a deeply unsatisfactory arrangement. A lack of expertise has meant that certain suppliers have been able to take advantage of the tech boom to the detriment of the Internet users.
With this new start, hopefully experts can be brought in to allow the government to regain control of the situation.
I have high hopes for the new ministry. After all, Taiwan has the potential to shine in this area and to compete at the highest level internationally, and to introduce innovations to the industry.
Li Kuan-long is a lecturer at Cheng Shiu University’s Center for General Education.
Translated by Michelle Mitchell
Taiwan’s victory in the World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 championship is an historic achievement. Yet once again this achievement is marred by the indignity of the imposed moniker “Chinese Taipei.” The absurdity is compounded by the fact that none of the players are even from Taipei, and some, such as Paiwan catcher Giljegiljaw Kungkuan, are not even ethnically Chinese. The issue garnered attention around the Paris Olympics, yet fell off the agenda as Olympic memories retreated. “Chinese Taipei” persists, and the baseball championship serves as a reminder that fighting “Chinese Taipei” must be a continuous campaign, not merely resurfacing around international
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) appears to be encountering some culture shock and safety issues at its new fab in Arizona. On Nov. 7, Arizona state authorities cited TSMC for worker safety violations, fining the company US$16,131, after a man died in May. The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health released its six-month investigation into the fatality and cited TSMC for failing to keep the workplace free from hazards likely to cause death or serious harm. At about the same time, the chip giant was also sued for alleged discriminatory hiring practices favoring Asians, prompting a flurry of debate on whether TSMC’s
This month, the National Health Insurance (NHI) is to implement a major policy change by eliminating the suspension-and-resumption mechanism for Taiwanese residing abroad. With more than 210,000 Taiwanese living overseas — many with greater financial means than those in Taiwan — this reform, catalyzed by a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, underscores the importance of fairness, sustainability and shared responsibility in one of the world’s most admired public healthcare systems. Beyond legal obligations, expatriates have a compelling moral duty to contribute, recognizing their stake in a system that embodies the principle of health as a human right. The ruling declared the prior
US president-elect Donald Trump is inheriting from President Joe Biden a challenging situation for American policy in the Indo-Pacific region, with an expansionist China on the march and threatening to incorporate Taiwan, by force if necessary. US policy choices have become increasingly difficult, in part because Biden’s policy of engagement with China, including investing in personal diplomacy with President Xi Jinping (習近平), has not only yielded little but also allowed the Chinese military to gain a stronger footing in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. In Xi’s Nov. 16 Lima meeting with a diminished Biden, the Chinese strongman signaled little
RSS