Naming of factor IV: Table 7 shows that card No. 19 scores the highest (7 points), followed by Nos. 15 and 24 (5 points). The statements of both the plus and minus points indicate that factor IV emphasizes “key technology” and “R&D system.”
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Therefore, factor IV is called ICT research and development.
Table7: Accumulative total table of Q coding card in trend IV Cumulated
score
No. of Q card
The official statement of Q card
+7 19 Accelerate the upgrading of the traditional industries and assist the new and leading industries by
developing critical technology and components.
+5 15 Improve the environment and system for research and development.
24 Encourage the information/semi-conductor business, logistics flow business, and bank business to
introduce electronic services for the logistics flow.
+4 9 Increase the level of sharing and integration of government information through a comprehensive electronic government system.
+3 21 Increasing the competitiveness of the entire industry by setting up an integration electronic system for the information flow and the payment flow between banks, central factories, and suppliers.
22 Assist the information business in Taiwan,
international purchase office, and electronic service provider by forming a good supply system.
+2 6 Encourage multinational enterprises to establish local R&D centres in Taiwan, which will influence and help local industries.
10 Actualize the goal of broadband internet for every household by accelerating the construction of the broadband network (wireless, high-speed and multiple networks).
16 Upgrade and innovate the technology of the small and medium-sized business through the collaboration and techniques transfer between industry and
academia.
28 Accelerate the u-Taiwan program by promoting electronic tags and object networking.
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29 Encourage system business and upstream
components suppliers to use the internet to create a B2B electronic operation for the information industry.
-2 2 Increase our production value and international competitiveness through international cooperation, planning, and integration.
3 Develop a new business pattern for further opportunities through encouraging businesses to develop applications and services focusing on innovation, demonstration, integration and technology.
-3 12 Use convergence technology to increase the adoption rate of mobile applications, networks and wireless internet.
18 Increase the quality of learning and entertainment by constructing a knowledge operation platform and integrating the digital learning resources in the country through a web service.
-6 26
Promote Taiwan in the international supplying chain through a standardization of the digital catalogue for different industries and products.
-7 20 Increase the capacity of information application for the public through training enough UNS
professionals.
23 Increase the credibility of the examination for information technology in Taiwan through
international cooperation and exchange, and through establishing a comprehensive examination system for information application professionals.
Source: this study
This study found that some specialists in industry, government, academia, and research think that the current ICT policy of Taiwan should focus on research and development. In both the “Challenging 2008 Project” or in the “2015 Economic
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Development Expectation,” the importance of research and development is mentioned.
Although the government has recognized the importance of the ICT research and development policy, there has been no significant performance yet. Hsin-wu Lin, in his interview, suggests that the government should emphasize more on the policy of the supply dimension and on research and development for small and medium-sized businesses. Lin thinks that the R&D departments from large corporations do not lack financial support. Yet, Taiwan has more small and medium-sized businesses, whose R&D departments deserve more resources. This study shows that the key for a R&D department is innovation. Therefore, in making ICT research and development policies, the government should also include environmental policies to encourage more innovation.
5.Conclusions and Suggestions 5.1 Conclusions
The previous sections show that there are four trends in ICT industrial innovation policy in Taiwan. Although they are discussed separately, they actually connect to each other closely from a macro point of view. （refer to Figure 5）。
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The priority of an ICT policy is the plan and construction of the infrastructure, for only a solid ICT infrastructure is able to lead to the development of ICT service applications and create more profit for the industry. Although Taiwan has
accomplished the integration platform for payment flow and logistics flow, ICT needs to be integrated with other fields to develop more platforms in order to create a high value-added technology industry.
5.2 Suggestions
The innovation of an integration platform and related technology depends on the improvement of technology research and development. Following the improvement of technology research and development, the infrastructure for mechanization must be planned and installed. Under this circulation, policy making for the ICT industry must follow and consider these four trends to bring the most benefit to the entire ICT industry.
Based on this analysis, this study proposes the following suggestions to current ICT industry policy:
1. Reinforce ICT application and service:
The ICT infrastructure of Taiwan and other developed countries is already saturated.
Therefore, the next profitable market is ICT application facilities or services for the general public. In order to achieve this goal, the government should focus more on the policies for the supply dimension like the skill training for business and design. For the policy of the environmental dimension, applications for new patents should be awarded in order to encourage the application of ICT. For the policy of the demand dimension, export policy should be encouraged to promote ICT products from Taiwan through business experts, so that the products can be franchised abroad.
To sum up, ICT application and service belong to the latter half of the ICT industry
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value chain, which covers marketing, retail and service. It requires the skilled professionals in marketing and service and their tacit knowledge. The foundation of their tacit knowledge depends on the deployment of human resources. Hence, the content of ICT application and service should emphasize more on the employees for the latter half of the ICT industry value chain.
2. Encourage the establishment of ICT integration platforms:
Although the basic integration platform for payment flow and logistics flow is
completed, further integration is expected to maintain the profits for the ICT industry.
This depends much on the government’s policy regarding the supply dimension. For example, financial support, loans, human resources from the academia, and the technological support that requires a research and development organization to work with the industry to integrate the ICT with other fields. This integration platform is to connect every link of the industrial value chain together and to integrate different services from different industries to multiply the profits of the ICT industry in Taiwan.
3. Reinforce R&D financial support and supplementary measures:
In such a competitive international market, innovation is the only way to lead the industry to a new level of success. Yet, investment in money and time is a great risk and challenge for corporations (especially the corporations of Taiwan). Instead of praising the achievements of the past, the government should focus on helping industries now. For the supply dimension, the government should increase financial and technology support; for the environmental dimension, applications for new patents should be awarded to encourage more innovation. These are all for Taiwan’s future success. Yet, support from the government should not spoil the industry but assist it in becoming more competitive through different supplementary measures.
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