National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen convenes the Cabinet-level body’s 12th meeting Nov. 27 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of NSTC)

The 12th meeting of the National Science and Technology Council was held Nov. 27 in Taipei City, with the Ministries of Education and Economic Affairs spotlighting progress of their projects on fostering cross-disciplinary talents and promoting precision medicine development.

Convened by NSTC Minister Wu Cheng-wen, the gathering saw MOE officials detail the results of a project to create an education ecosystem that links industry and academia in the fields of agriculture and medicine. Through various cross-disciplinary, cross-sector and intercollegiate approaches, the initiative has cultivated more than 45,000 students, post-doctoral researchers, clinical staffers and business personnel.

The MOE also coordinated public and private sector resources to provide consultation to more than 350 innovative teams on campus and help incubate 31 innovative startups. A shining example is a virtual reality mirror therapy system developed by a team from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at National Cheng Kung University in the southern city of Tainan. The software is the first of its kind from an institution of higher education in Taiwan to receive the class II medical device certification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The MOEA presented on the results of its exploration of global business opportunities for local firms in the precision medicine sector between 2022 and 2024. Through measures to enhance pharmaceutical technologies, improve regulations and coordinate cross-sector efforts, the ministry’s various programs have benefited nearly 70 cases, while products from 23 firms have registered to enter the market, with nine already approved.

Other achievements from the economic ministry include assisting with the establishment of eight clinical sites throughout the country, creating NT$1.78 billion (US$54.65 million) in sectoral output and organizing trade delegations for 159 local firms to overseas exhibitions to conclude 77 cooperative pacts and secure US$6 million in business orders. (SFC-E)