“Wealth Magazine / Reporter He Meiru reported” – The “2019 Taipei Biotech Award” was announced today (26th), with Action Gene winning the New Technology Award and receiving the highest prize of NT$1 million, and Bio-Gene Technology winning the International Leap Award and receiving a prize of NT$600,000. Taipei Mayor Wen-je Ko stated in his speech that the next industry with the greatest potential for growth and success is biotechnology. Taipei has formed a biotechnology cluster, and currently, 60% of the revenue of listed and OTC companies is in Taipei. The government should play the role of a supporter, and what it should do is to establish a platform to enable companies to operate efficiently. In addition to focusing on Nangang, which has sufficient industrial energy, the city has also designated Shilin and Beitou as strategic parks to promote the development of Taiwan’s biotechnology.

Wen-Je Ko believes that ICT is Taiwan’s most important industry, but the next industry with the greatest potential for growth and success should be biotechnology. The Taipei Biotech Award has been held for 16 years since 2004. To develop the biotechnology industry, the government should provide a platform to enable companies to operate efficiently and play the role of a supporter to support industry development.

If the Taipei City includes the Asia University Hospital and the Taipei Hospital, it has a total of ten medical centers, and 20 colleges and universities have departments in biotechnology. The number of biotech firms in Taipei has reached 482, accounting for about a quarter of the total biotech firms in Taiwan. The revenue of listed and OTC companies in Taipei accounts for about 60% of the total revenue. Taipei City’s share of finance is about 85%, and venture capital accounts for about 90%. Taipei City has already accumulated sufficient energy.

Wen-Je Ko believes that there should be a strategy for developing biotechnology. Previously, Nangang has been targeted as a key development area because the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Food and Drug Administration, Academia Sinica, and the National Biotechnology Park are all located there, which has sufficient industrial energy. Many BOT projects in the future can also provide enough floor space. Taipei MRT has 117 MRT stations, which can monitor the flow of people and funds. The flow of people in Nangang has increased by 89% in the past two years, and now the Northern Pop Music Center has been completed, and the Nangang Exhibition Hall Phase 2 has also been opened. In addition to the opening and construction of land development projects such as Nangang and Taifei in the next three to four years, there will be sufficient industrial energy, and the future growth should also be the largest. The next strategic parks are Shilin and Beitou, which will promote the development of Taiwan’s biotechnology through investment attraction.

The “2019 Taipei Biotech Award” is divided into three categories: Startup Technology Award, International Advancement Award, and Technology Transfer and Collaboration Award. There were a total of 15 finalists, with ActionGene taking the gold award for the Startup Technology Award and receiving a top prize of 1 million NTD. TaiKang Biotech (6589) and Everfront Biotech Inc. received honorable mentions, while QuanSheng Biotech, HaoYu Biomedical, GuoXi Stem Cell, TiSun Biotech, and Aibixi also received awards. In the International Advancement Award category, LifeTech won the silver award and received a prize of 600,000 NTD, while Mindray Medical International received an honorable mention. The Technology Transfer and Collaboration Award was won by Chang Gung University, Biotechnology Center, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Animal Vaccine Development Center of the Council of Agriculture, and National Chung Hsing University.

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