Premier vows to upgrade biotech industry at BIO Asia-Taiwan opening

Taipei, July 24 (CNA) Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said Thursday during the opening ceremony of BIO Asia-Taiwan 2025 that the government will promote cross-disciplinary integration of chips and AI to upgrade the biotech sector and enhance global competitiveness, positioning Taiwan as a trustworthy international partner.

This year, the event features over 900 leading companies occupying 2,200 booths and participants from over 50 countries, Cho said in his remarks at the ceremony, adding that it showcases Taiwan's strengths in biotech and reflects the government's strong commitment to building a friendly investment environment.

Cho indicated that Taiwan's biotech sector has seen over a decade of steady growth, with last year's output value surpassing NT$775 billion (US$26.41 billion), the highest ever.

Taiwan now has 15 new drugs approved for international markets and the medical device industry sees dozens of devices receiving foreign certifications annually.

This further drives the industry's expansion, Cho said.

Cho noted that biomedicine and agriculture were a focus of a report presented by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) in the Executive Yuan's regular meeting on Thursday.

In biomedicine, chip, artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor technologies will be integrated -- from upstream prototyping, midstream pilot production, to downstream regulatory easing and infrastructure deployment -- to fully unleash the sector's R&D and production potential, he said.

The premier touted that Taiwan's robust ICT industry, outstanding healthcare system and comprehensive National Health Insurance database give it a strong foundation for industrial innovation.

He also said the government will implement concrete policies to optimize the biotech ecosystem through enhancing funding access, regulatory clarity, talent development and market expansion to boost economic resilience and position Taiwan as a reliable and collaborative global partner.

BIO Asia-Taiwan 2025, Asia's largest biotech event, is being held at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center from July 23 to 27.