President Ma Ying-jeou met with Alexandre F. Jetzer, member of the Novartis Board of Directors, at the Presidential Office on the morning of June 11 and extended a warm welcome to him on his visit to Taiwan.
The president noted that Novartis is a globally renowned biomedical products and pharmaceuticals company, and is one of the world's 10 largest manufacturers of pharmaceuticals. The company employs over 96,000 people around the world. Novartis is involved in many cooperative projects with National Taiwan University Hospital and government agencies and ministries, he said. President Ma said that in addition to welcoming Mr. Jetzer to Taiwan, he also hopes that Novartis will continue to increase its investment here and expand its cooperation with local interests.
The president furthermore remarked that one thing that sets Novartis apart from others is that it devotes an amazing 17% of its revenues to research and development. This is likely the key reason that the company is a leader in biomedicine and pharmaceuticals manufacturing, he said, adding that local biotechnology companies should look at Novartis as an example to learn from. President Ma commented that healthcare and biotechnology have been designated as two of the six emerging flagship industries being promoted by the government. Given that Taiwan is emphasizing development of these sectors, this is a perfect time for Novartis to invest here, he said. In particular, Novartis has been extremely successful in the development and production of pharmaceuticals, providing great assistance to the people of Taiwan and the rest of the world, the president said.