President Chen's Remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the 2007 Taipei International Invention Show and Techomart
Good morning to you all!
It is a great honor to have been invited to attend the opening ceremony of the 2007 Taipei International Invention Show and Techomart and share with you the wonder of invention and new technology. First of all, I would like to express my warmest welcome to every participant from home and abroad and wish this show all success.
This year's show sees many more participants than the fairs of previous years. More countries, exhibitors, and visitors are taking part in this show, where Taiwan's superb creativity and vibrant economy are vividly felt. I believe that you are as excited and touched as I am to witness all of these.
This show is co-hosted by various agencies of the Executive Yuan, including the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Education, National Science Council, and the Council of Agriculture. The fair integrates invention, innovation, and investment, and provides a platform for the exchange and trade of domestic and foreign technology. We hope that through this platform, the world may "learn about Taiwan, come to Taiwan, and invest in Taiwan," thereby invigorating Taiwan's economy.
Invention and innovation are the fruit of human intelligence. Apart from bringing wealth to individuals, they boost economic growth and symbolize a nation's competitiveness. In the past, we were able to create a place for Taiwan in the global economy through physical labor and manual skills. However, the international economy has gone through great changes in recent years. Taiwan, particularly after its accession to the World Trade Organization, has faced severe challenges caused by globalization. It is clear that the main playing field of global competition now lies in intelligence rather than physical labor; in quality, creativity, and intelligence, rather than quantity, price, and labor. Talent and intellectual property have become the industries' primary weapons for differentiation.
In a report on global innovation and competitiveness published by the Economist Intelligence Unit in May, Taiwan ranked sixth globally and second in Asia for 2007 to 2011. Taiwan remains one of the world's top ten most innovative countries and its ranking is even two spots higher than that for 2002 to 2006. Moreover, Taiwan has maintained a brilliant record in successful applications for international patents for 2001 to 2005. In terms of the number of US patents granted during this time, Taiwan ranked third globally with 242 US patents issued per million population, second only to the US (288) and Japan (265). Clearly, our remarkable capacity for innovation, research and development, in addition to our efforts to build a creative society, have earned the commendation of the international community and turned Taiwan into a global model of an innovative nation.
To meet the economic challenges of globalization, our government has been actively promoting cultural creative industries. In the "Challenge 2008: National Development Plan" proposed by the Executive Yuan, creative industries are listed as top priority projects for development. Plans to grow this sector include the promotion of intellectual property rights; amended regulations on the development of cultural creative industries; increased budgets for high-tech R&D to three percent of the national GDP; the implementation of measures to boost telecommunications, digital, and nanotechnology industries; the cultivation of top-end R&D talent; and the establishment of a national innovation park. It is our earnest hope that these projects will accelerate Taiwan's economic transformation, generate new industrial values, and create more ways to boost our economy.
Innovation is both the foundation of competition for knowledge-based economies and a driving force of national development. Given Taiwan's solid R&D infrastructure as well as our high-quality, innovative talent, I believe that firm resolution and confidence will lead to an "innovative Taiwan." It is also my hope that this show will continue its expansion toward world-class standards and will lead the world toward a new era of creativity and innovation.
In closing, I would like to thank you for your enthusiastic participation, and once again wish this show great success and all of you health and happiness. Thank you!