Taiwan targets four rising strategic industries

Taipei, Nov. 1, 2004 (CENS)--The government here will set digital home, intelligent medication and care, portable green-power as well as next-generation mobile-phone productions as another strategic industries to boost Taiwan's industry structure over the next few years.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) will hold a meeting to hash out development strategies for the four industries with 400 representatives from industries, academic circles and government organizations today and tomorrow.

The ministry's senior officials pointed out that the four products are picked based on their huge market potentials, technology lading, high added values, environmental friendliness, low power consumption, and high interconnections. The ministry picked the four products after taking advice from its Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

Taiwan's industry watchers expected Taiwan to go head-to-head with South Korea and Japan again after severe competitions in semiconductor and flat-panel display arenas.

Japan has recently listed 10 major strategic industries including production of the green-power fuel battery while South Korea has vowed to boost 10 potential industries including digital televisions and digital broadcasting, which are part of digital home products.

The ministry estimated digital-home market to reach US$15 billion worldwide next year and US$40 billion in 2010. It noted that heavyweight multinationals including Sony have made aggressive involvement in developments of digital-home products including servers and digital televisions.

The ministry's officials pointed out that digital-home platform, which incorporates computing and home entertainment functions, will act as controllers of computers, communications equipment and household appliances at home.

Intelligent medication and care system, the ministry estimated, would see a huge demand totaling US$190 billion in 2010. The system, which includes home medication system, telemedicine system, care robots and beds, is for the aged and physical-challenging people.

The next-generation mobile-phone technology addresses fourth-generation phones, which are estimated to have a market size of US$10 billion this year and US$30 billion in 2010. South Korea has got involved in the development of the technology, which allows the phones to perform television, computer and credit card functions thanks to its huge bandwidth.

Green-power products, the ministry estimated, would have a market size of US$5 billion or so next year and US$11 billion in 2010. German, American and Japanese carmakers and electrical-engineering manufacturers have plunged into developments of fuel batteries. Toshiba vowed to introduce the batteries for mobile phones next year.