2005 Taiwan Business Alliance Forum and Nanotechnology Exhibition and Conference to convene on Sept. 22 and 23

September 21, 2005

The Ministry of Economic Affairs is holding the 2005 Taiwan Business Alliance Forum, which will be held Sept. 21 and 22 at the Taipei International Convention Center, conference room 101.

The purpose of this year's conference is to speed up the development of nanotechnology research in Taiwan and facilitate related investment opportunities. The conference coincides with international nanotechnology week, and over 400 people representing both Taiwan and foreign businesses are expected to attend the event. More than 700 business representatives have registered to participate, of which over 200 represent foreign businesses.

Co-organized by the Industrial Development and Investment Center and TAITRA, this year's conference places the spotlight on nanotechnology and industry applications, and will explore new developments in traditional industries, the electronics industry, biomedical industry, and the energy industry.

MOEA Vice-minister Shih Yen-shiang will preside over the opening ceremony, paving the way for meetings and discussions with 30 major industry and academic figures whose work is related to nanotechnology. The guests will be featured in conference activities, which include a press conference on international strategic cooperation, keynote speeches, and panel discussions. The conference will be conducted entirely in English, with simultaneous translation provided in Chinese and Japanese. Other activities for the forum include pre-arranged meetings to facilitate new business opportunities and one-day sightseeing trips to Yangming Mountain to the Northeastern part of Taiwan to promote Taiwan's tourism resources.

The MOEA is honored to present the following keynote speakers on the morning of Sept. 22:

- Dr. Kazunobu Tanaka, fellow at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. Dr. Tanaka's speech is entitled "Global Trends and Business Opportunities of NanoTech."
- Mr. Matthew M. Nordan of Lux Research Inc, USA, who will give a talk entitled "The Role of VC in NanoTech Funding and its Investment Strategy."

On the afternoon of Sept. 22, there will be four panel discussions moderated by Dr. Hsin-Sen Chu, Executive Vice President, Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI); Dr. Jong-Min Liu, General Director, Material Research Laboratories, ITRI; Dr. Wu-Hsun Cheng, General Director, Union Chemical Laboratories, and Vice President, ITRI; and Dr. Shin-San Michael Su, V. P. & General Director, Biomedical Engineering Center, ITRI.

For industry-focused panel discussions, the MOEA has invited representatives from major companies from Taiwan and abroad to participate in the discussions. The foreign participants include representatives from Degussa AG, Cunning and Associates, Kodak, BASF, Suntec, Nano Carrier, CSIRO, and CEA-LETI, while Taiwan representatives include Shinkong Spinning Co, Nan Ya Plastics, TECO Optronics, MoTech, Tatung System Technologies, Advanced International Pharmaceutical Nanotech, and Yuanyuan Biotechnology.

The MOEA hopes the conference will facilitate more cooperation among domestic and foreign companies and set a mechanism in place for negotiating investment opportunities. 13 Taiwan-based nanotechnology companies have offered to hold meetings with foreign companies, with 10 foreign companies currently scheduled to engage in negotiations.

After the conference concludes, MOEA and TAITRA offices abroad will contact foreign participants to gather feedback on the conference, as part of an initiative to provide customized services and to continue to encourage more foreign investment and strategic alliances with Taiwan companies.

Conference Background

The first Taiwan Business Alliance Conference was held in 2003 and received a very enthusiastic response. To follow through on the ROC government's determination to bring more foreign investment into Taiwan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) drafted a plan to hold yearly international investment conferences for three years, from 2004-06. Each conference is designed to feature 3 or 4 different emerging industries every year. After 2006, the Taiwan Business Alliance Conference will be held every three years. In addition to promoting the ROC's investment environment and competitive advantages, a major goal of the conference is to strengthen Taiwan's industrial clusters by bringing more foreign investment to Taiwan and facilitating more strategic partnerships with Taiwan companies.

Nanotechnology in Taiwan

Nanotechnology is a key technology that will influence industries for the next twenty years, and the ROC government continues to give high priority to nanotechnology policies. In June 2002, the government approved the formation of the National Science and Technology Program for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. The program aims to integrate resources from industry and academia to ensure excellence in development and learning in Taiwan while building the nanotechnology application platforms needed by industries. The program will also take faster action on providing the education for needed nanotechnology personnel, with the ultimate goal of establishing a solid foundation for Taiwan nanotechnology. According to data compiled by US-based Lux Research, the Taiwan government invested nearly USD 120 million in nanotechnology in 2004, and was ranked the world's 8th largest investor in nanotechnology. Lux Research predicted that in 2010 the value of Taiwan's nanotech related industry will break the NTD trillion mark and comprise 3% of the global market.

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