Hsinchu, Taiwan, Feb. 18 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Wednesday that Taiwan will become a medical education and research hub in Asia and a major medical technology and services exporting country with the inauguration of a new biomedical industry park.
Chen made the remarks at a ceremony marking the start of preparations for construction of the biomedical industry park in the northern Taiwan county of Hsinchu, which hosts Taiwan's high-tech center -- the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park.
The new Hsinchu biomedical industry park will pool the resources of the public and private sectors to boost development in biomedicine and relevant medical technologies, Chen said. "With concerted efforts of the government, academia and the business community, I'm convinced that Taiwan will emerge as a regional medical education and research center, as well as a major exporter of medical technology and services, " Chen said.
Noting that biomedical industry as become a new focus of development in many advanced countries in recent years, Chen said Taiwan cannot afford to lag behind in this field.
He added that his administration has listed the new biomedical industry park as one of the "Ten New Major Construction Projects" aimed at upgrading Taiwan's overall national competitiveness.