President Tsai attends COMPUTEX 2019
President Tsai Ing-wen attended the opening ceremony for COMPUTEX 2019 on the morning of May 28. She stated that the government is continuing to help Taiwan dial into the future through our Asia Silicon Valley Development Plan and DIGI+ policy, and we will work closely with our international friends to give the global community a better understanding of Taiwan's strengths in cybersecurity and AI.
In remarks, President Tsai stated that it was a pleasure to take part in the opening ceremony for COMPUTEX 2019. Since its inception 39 years ago, COMPUTEX has become one of the most iconic events in ICT. She expressed her belief that the global ICT industry would definitely be watching to see what breakthroughs are revealed there over the next five days.
This year, the president pointed out, COMPUTEX is focusing on some of the most promising fields in ICT, such as AI, 5G, IoT, and XR. An entire area at the exhibition is dedicated to startups pushing the limits of technology, she said, and the recipients of this year's Design and Innovation Awards have developed products that would have sounded like science fiction only years ago.
President Tsai stated that she was delighted to hear that this year more than 5,500 booths had been organized by firms from around the world. She then offered them all a warm welcome. Taiwan is one of the most crucial links in the global tech ecosystem, she said, and the ICT industry has long been one of the major drivers of Taiwan's economic growth. It accounted for US$157 billion in exports last year, which is all thanks to the ingenuity and innovation of our ICT industry. And now, she added, overseas Taiwanese firms are coming home in record numbers, giving our ICT industry even more potential for growth. In fact, ICT firms are making the largest investments of all returning Taiwanese businesses, she said.
President Tsai pointed out that even global tech giants like Microsoft, Micron, and Supermicro are opening or expanding operations in Taiwan, and were also participating in COMPUTEX this year. Our excellent infrastructure, strong intellectual property rights, and deep talent pool all tell them that Taiwan is the best choice for future investments.
The president emphasized that we are continuing to help Taiwan dial into the future through our Asia Silicon Valley Development Plan and DIGI+ policy. These programs are giving innovators room to grow by providing them with easier access to resources, and helping them market their products to the rest of the world.
On the international front, President Tsai mentioned, we are working closely with our friends to foster innovation, and we hope to engage in further exchanges. That is why we chose to organize the Network Security and Emerging Technologies Workshop under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework during COMPUTEX 2019. This workshop was jointly organized by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association. She then offered a special welcome to the 33 participants from 20 countries attending this workshop.
The president said she trusts that this workshop will give participants many insights into Taiwan's strengths in cybersecurity and AI, and spark ideas on how we can work more closely together on these fronts. She also wished the workshop every success.
In closing, President Tsai thanked the organizers that worked to make this event possible, as well as all exhibition participants for taking part in this event. She wished everyone a productive COMPUTEX 2019, and said she looks forward to continued innovation and breakthroughs.
Among those present were Executive Yuan Minister without Portfolio Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫), Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-Chin (沈榮津), Chairman James C. F. Huang (黃志芳) of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, Chairman Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢) of the Taipei Computer Association, Eindhoven Mayor John Jorritsma, AIT Taipei Office Director William Brent Christensen, and members of the foreign diplomatic corps stationed in Taiwan.