Gov't sets sights on southern Taiwan as AI innovation hub: Lai

Taipei, Jan. 3 (CNA) The government is aiming to turn the southern region of Taiwan into a hub for artificial intelligence (AI) development and expand its applications in various sectors, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said in Tainan on Friday.

Speaking about the newly approved "Southern Taiwan Silicon Valley Program," Lai said it will transform southern Taiwan into a hub for AI development and applications based on Taiwan's advantage in semiconductor and machinery manufacturing.

"We cannot just sell equipment. We must be capable of selling solutions and systems," Lai continued. "We must also be capable of applying [AI in] healthcare, infrastructure and academia, among various fields."

The president noted that the divide between democratic and non-democratic camps in the world has become increasingly clear and the global economy will also be affected by this geopolitical shift.

Taiwan must leverage its strength in the production of advanced semiconductors to build links with other democratic countries and to make the country's economy more resilient, he added.

Meanwhile, Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文), head of the National Science and Technology Council, said the program will cover all the science and industrial parks in southern Taiwan, including those in Tainan and Kaohsiung cities, as well as Chiayi and Pingtung counties.

Wu, who also serves as minister without portfolio, expressed optimism about the future development in the south, noting that Tainan has become an important semiconductor base, with AI chip designer Advanced Micro Devices, Inc (AMD) recently confirming plans to build an R&D center in the city.

The program, signed off on by the Executive Yuan on Thursday, aims to facilitate collaborations between research institutes and high-tech industries to help increase AI applications by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with the Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City serving as a central node of the program.

The Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City is a satellite town in Tainan encompassing several R&D facilities, an exhibition center, a shopping outlet and a residential area.

Under the program, proposed by the technology council, the region will see an upgrade to its infrastructure, as well as cultural, medical and education facilities, as part of efforts to attract high-tech talent.