President Chen Shui-bian attended the presentation ceremony of the "2005 National Awards for Excellence" this afternoon. Before delivering his speech, the president conferred the awards to the manufacturers on behalf of the organizer. After the ceremony, the president visited an exhibition of the products from the manufacturers.
In his speech, the president emphasized that Taiwan's development has been witnessed by all and is of considerable importance to the world; therefore, we must have confidence in ourselves and must trust in Taiwan. Only by holding the key to our country's competitiveness may we strengthen our industrial potential so that Taiwanese firms will prevail in the world.
The president strongly believes that it is the country's "innovation" that drives the momentum for economic development. It is also a key factor for success in the new era of knowledge-economy. And the National Award for Excellence was established to encourage Taiwanese enterprises to be innovative in research and development as well as marketing in order to strengthen the sustainable development of Taiwanese industries.
The president's speech is as follows:
I am very happy to be here again at the awards ceremony of the "2005 National Awards for Excellence." Witnessing the outstanding results of our country's industrial progress makes me so proud and happy. Let me first start by congratulating all of the winners. Each of you passed rigorous standards in order to obtain the "Taiwan Innovalue" mark and beat out the 700 other competitors as a result of great innovation in your product's quality and design to receive the "National Award for Excellence", the highest honor bestowed on our nation's manufacturers. On behalf of the government and all the people of the country, let me express again my deepest respect and gratitude for the contributions that you have made in enhancing our country's image and competitiveness.
For ten years, Taiwan's entrepreneurs have worked conscientiously in support of the government's plan of "Overall Enhancement of Product Image." That plan acted as a catalyst to substantially raise the quality of Taiwan industries and products.
Based on the concept of Innovalue and the National Awards of Excellence, five categories have been established as benchmarks for the excellence and development of our enterprises: Innovative R&D, Design Creativity, Quality Structure, Markets and Brand Recognition. Year after year, under such a promotion plan, the island's industrial products are now able to declare to the world its quality guaranty and at the same time entrepreneurs are stepping out from the realm of being manufacturers of fine quality products to producers of international brand names.
According to the 2004 Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum (WEF), out of 104 countries, Taiwan's overall competitiveness rating had risen from fifth to fourth place, far surpassing other Asian countries and is being known as a "Strong Innovator." Moreover, in the field of technology, Taiwan's performance is even more worthy of mention. The May 16 issue of BusinessWeek reported the strong strength of Taiwan's computer and information technology industries, which reflected Taiwan's importance in the international community and showed the reason why the cross-strait issue called for world concern. That article said that Taiwan is a major supplier of wafers, accounting for 70 percent of the market share and with a production value of US$8.9 billion. It also said that Taiwan is a key supplier of notebook computers, making up 72 percent of the market share and with a production value of US$22 billion. We are also the top producer of liquid crystal displays, PDAs and modems. Within a period of about ten years, the international community has accepted the fact that Taiwan's information industry is just as vital as Middle East oil.
Taiwan's industrial development is conspicuous to all - we play an important role in the international arena. Because of this, we must have confidence in ourselves and have faith in Taiwan. We just need to have a good grasp of our core competitiveness and allow the roots of our industries to grow deep and stable. In this way, Taiwan's enterprises will bear abundant fruits in the world.
It is difficult to reconcile the arduous path of Taiwan's industrial development in the past with the present-day vitality of our industries. For thirteen years, the National Awards for Excellence has encouraged and promoted our enterprises to bring their full potential into play, urging them to embark on a new era of technological and industrial development.
In this way, Innovalue has become a symbol of consistent service and product quality. I would like to express my sincerest appreciation and gratitude to all our friends in the industries that form the bedrock of Taiwan's economic development.
I deeply believe that "innovation" is the motor that drives economic development. It is also the key to success in this era of the knowledge economy. The National Awards for Excellence honors and encourages Taiwan's enterprises to show their creativity in their research and development and marketing. In this way, they strengthen our sustainable development and competitiveness. This calls for tireless effort on the part of the government and the people. Together, we can enable Taiwan to possess innovative R&D, profitable investments and creative value. Hand in hand, we may face the constant challenge of having high standards and work from being No. 1 in Taiwan to No. 1 in the world.
Finally, I hope that the rest of the ceremony goes smoothly and wish all the winners continued improvement and push forward to reach new heights. Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests and friends, I wish you all good health and success in all your endeavors!