The government is to allocate NT$1.8 billion (US$56.4 million) over the next four years to build basic digital infrastructure for “digital twins” technology applications, the Cabinet said on Thursday.
The program aims to attract overall investment of NT$2 billion to boost the tourism, culture, entertainment and gaming sectors, and close the “digital gap” between rural and urban centers by encouraging local governments to collaborate with the private sector, Ministry of Digital Affairs officials told a news conference.
The Cabinet on May 31 announced a roadmap for the Asia Silicon Valley Development Plan 3.0 in response to growth of generative artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and satellite telecommunication, and to help Taiwanese industry meet the twin challenges of transitioning to digital and net zero business models, ministry officials said.
Photo courtesy of the Executive Yuan
The program for “digital twin” applications is among the efforts to build up the needed basic infrastructure at the local level, they said.
Implementing the digital twins program would boost innovation and growth for Taiwan’s entertainment, e-commerce, e-learning, sports technology, tourism, culture and entertainment sectors, and elevate the competitiveness of local digital business sectors, the ministry said.
“In the past, most public project budgets were spent on building and hardware projects. For the digital twins program, we have taken examples from other countries,” officials said.
They cited Japan’s Virtual Shibuya, the Assassin’s Creed Unity video game developed by French-Canadian game developer Ubisoft Montreal, and South Korea’s “Virtual Seoul” platform.
Under the new program, for the first time the government would have public project budgets for developing software, 3D modeling, online networks and related digital technologies, and to build up the nation’s digital content library, officials said.
Administration for Digital Industries Deputy Director-General Lin Chun-hsiu (林俊秀) said in other countries 3D modeling and software development are joint ventures between the public and private sectors.
After a while these become available for commercial use and innovative applications for concerts, large-scale e-gaming competitions, e-commerce platforms, sports technology, online learning, tourism, culture and entertainment, he said.
“In the future, these can be applied for immersive cultural and historic heritage exhibitions, 5G mobile connection, 3D modeling, augmented reality and generative AI. It would facilitate more interactive experiences,” he said.
“The applications can be used to create landscape and props for gaming and virtual concerts. They would reduce expenses and allow government agencies to implement new projects more quickly,” Lin said.
He said the new digital twins program would bring about NT$4.5 billion of economic benefits via 14 infrastructure projects across the nation.
Twenty-six specially designated digital 3D model sites would be used, and 56 firms are estimated to invest, he said, adding that more than 40 new digital applications are expected to be produced.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS