Despite the government’s rallying call to bolster the local space industry, many industrial representatives at an online forum yesterday questioned authorities’ capacity to do so.
While the Space Development Act (太空發展法) has been promulgated, its supervising agency, the Ministry of Science and Technology, did not present a clear road map for space development, forum organizer and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said.
The primary goal is to make the nation an internationally valued actor in space and next-generation satellites, particularly in low-orbit satellites and ground station equipment, National Space Organization (NSPO) Director-General Wu Jong-shinn (吳宗信) said.
Screen grab by Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
The NSPO would boost partnerships with local firms and provide testing platforms for domestically developed components, Wu said, adding that a planned science park in Pingtung County would be a new hub for industrial innovation and the space industry.
Some local businesses have asked whether promoting industrial development is the NSPO’s primary concern, Metal Industries Research and Development Center analyst Chen Ching-hui (陳靖惠) said, asking if the Ministry of Economic Affairs would be more qualified to lead the task.
The NSPO mainly works on government missions, but does not actively explore business opportunities for local firms, Liscotech System Co general manager Jack Chen (陳良豐) said.
Developing advanced components for satellites takes a long time, but many businesses cannot get funding until the end of a project, he said.
The government imposes strict limits on funding applications, which is unfavorable for small and medium-sized firms if they aim to engage in long-term research and development, Odysseus Space executive business assistant Eric Hsu (許閔荏) said.
Established by Jordan Vannitsen in Taiwan in 2016, the company had to shift its research and development base to Luxembourg, which provides more legal and financial support for start-ups, Hsu added.
Amending the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法) might not be easy, but the government could consider extending its funding duration for start-ups, he said.
The government vowed to develop “six core strategic industries” that include defense and space supply chains, but it is questionable whether it has devoted National Development Fund or capital from state-run banks to those sectors, Geosat Aerospace & Technology Inc chairman Lo Cheng-fang (羅正方) said.
It should seek opportunities in international cooperation for the local space industry, and develop launch vehicles to help other countries get small satellites and cubesats into space, he said.
Taiwan’s warming relations with Europe present a good opportunity to do that, Lo said.
Letscom International general manager Randson Huang (黃文杰) asked whether the NSPO is assisting or competing with local firms, and whether it would transfer technologies to them.
As Taiwan is not a UN member, previous negotiations over satellite communications frequency use in low-Earth orbits had been done through non-government and amateur radio channels or with another country’s help, Huang said, asking how the government plans to develop satellites for commercial use.
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