from the World-Watch dept.
An article in the Taipei Times ("Taiwan hoping for giant steps in a minute world", by Chiu Yu-tzu, 5 January 2002) provides useful background on the efforts of the Taiwan government, through its National Science Council (NSC) to coordinate nanotech-related research and development. The efforts include a new Nanotechnology Research Center in the city of Hsinchu, operated by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), which will be formally opened on 16 January 2002, and the formulation of a coordinated nanotechnology program to be finalized by the end of the year. The proposed budget for the program is about NT$19.1 billion (about US$547 million) over the next five years (until 2007), of which NT$1.5 billion (US$40 million) has been allocated for this year. The article also briefly reviews various nanotech research activities in Taiwan.
Update: Additional coverage can be found in another article from the Taipei Times ("Funding for nanotech to aid industry", by Dan Nystedt, 8 January 2002) which focuses on comments by Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian: "Nanotechnology is the new century's rising star and will bring about a massive shift in the development of new materials, information-technology products and biomedicine," Chen said during an inspection tour of the Nanotechnology Research Center in Hsinchu.
