BioMed Taiwan

To encourage Taiwan’s ICT industry to participate in the Precision Health industry’s cross-disciplinary collaborations and international partnerships, on the noon of July 22, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has invited representatives with cross-disciplinary collaborative experiences from various industries, including manufacturing, government, universities, institutes, and medical professions, to join BIO Asia-Taiwan online conference “Public Private Partnership for Precision Health.” Minn-Tsong Lin, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, stated in his opening speech that Taiwan’s distinguished Information and Communications Technology and manufacturing capabilities, renowned clinical medical system as well as Taiwanese National Health Insurance Database, combined with the biomedical industry, have provided Taiwan with a good foundation for developing Precision Health and made Taiwan the best partner for international collaborations.

According to Director Hong-Chen Chen from the Department of Life Sciences of MOST, Taiwan has launched “Taiwan Precision Health Strategy Development Program” and promoted it through inter-ministerial collaborations. Based on the program, MOST has not only been promoting key projects but also establishing the Taiwan Bio-Medical Data Commons for domestic industry-university-institute applicants to obtain and utilize the complete health data much faster. Director Chii-Wann Lin, from Biomedical Technology and Device Research Laboratories of Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), illustrated the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration with the examples of breast cancer digital pharmaceuticals from Taiwan Integrated Biomedical Industrial Center (TIBIC). Chung-Hsiun Wu, President of Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB), introduced Taiwan’s latest industry developments, related capabilities and cases, including health and medicine management systems, AI-based medical imaging software, smart detection kits, etc., to attract potential partners in various fields to invest in the Precision Health industry. According to Director Shih-Feng Tsai, from Department of Research Planning and Development of National Health Research Institutes (NHRI), it is crucial to standardize and de-identify data and establish a sharing system to cross the barriers between medical institutions and effectively utilize clinical resources, which will accelerate the development of Taiwan’s precision medicine.

Chieh-Liang Wu, Chief of the Department of Critical Care Medicine of Taichung Veterans General Hospital, shared their cross-disciplinary collaboration case “AI+HI Smart Critical Care System”, which was developed collaboratively with Tunghai University and Advantech Co., Ltd. The AI+HI Smart Critical Care System has been developed and will complete the field verification of clinical assistance decision-making and clinical application. Cheng-Yu Chen, Vice President of Taipei Medical University, pointed out that the Taipei Medical University Research Team has developed an AI-assisted lung CT diagnostic model “Lung-Rad” through collaboration with aetherAI Co., Ltd. The system is able to screen the location of pulmonary nodules within 20 seconds, assists the detection of benign character and malignancy, and automatically produces clinical treatment reports under international standards. According to Division Director Hsin-Hsin Shen from Biomedical Technology and Device Research Laboratories of ITRI, the “High value-added biomaterial technologies for implantable tissue repair product development” has been jointly conducted by Shinkong Synthetic Fibers, Taiwan Paiho, Ingrowth Biotech, and Renax Biomedical Technology, as well as a cross-corporate R&D team under the leadership of Ossaware Biotech, to provide complete tissue material engineering solutions for tendon and ligament repair.

Taiwan already has an outstanding medical system, a comprehensive supply chain for the Information and Communications Technology industry, and well-prepared biomedical and technological R&D professionals. Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology Tsung-Tsong Wu expressed his expectation about the development direction of the biomedical industry, foreseeing that the digital transformation of industries will be accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and under the continuous promotion of the “Taiwan Precision Health Strategy Development Program.” The development of Taiwan’s digital health and smart hospitals will be promoted through regulations such as tax incentives and smart medical regulatory sandbox. Digital technologies such as ICT, IoT, 5G, AI, and the application of the big database will be introduced to the biomedical industry, triggering the cross-disciplinary innovation of BIO*ICT. By applying the innovative products to the clinical field, the public will be able to enjoy the benefits of precision health. Furthermore, with Taiwan’s industrial niche advantages and international collaborations, Taiwan’s Precise Health Brand will be established to join the international market.

Date: 2021-07-22
Source: Ministry of Science and Technology