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| Confirmation by the European Union that Taiwan will have the status of “Associate Member State” for the purpose of collaboration with the European Union on implementation of the 6th Framework Programme for Research (FP6) and the 7th Framework Programme for Research (FP7); Dr. Joseph Hsu arranges for the signing of an agreement between Taiwan and the European Commission, and for a visit to Taiwan by a European Union delegation |
| Author：Dr. Joseph Hsu Position：Director, Science and Technology Division, Taipei Representative Office in Belgium |
| Article Source：Science and Technology Division, Taipei Representative Office in Belgium |
| Publish Date：2005.04.22 |
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Dr. Joseph Hsu (first on the right) arranged for the signing of agreement between National Chiao Tung University and Belgium’s Interuniversity MicroElectronics Center (IMEC). The agreement was signed by National Chiao Tung University President Chang Chun-yen (second from the left) on behalf of National Chiao Tung University and by Professor G. Declerck, President and CEO of IMEC (third from the right). Also present at the signing ceremony were Dr. Huang Wei, Director of the National System-on-Chip (NSoC) project (first on the left), Dr. Chou Ching-yang, Director of the National Chip Implementation Center (CIC) (third from the left), and the Senior Vice President of IMEC (second from the right).
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By Dr. Joseph Hsu,
Director, Science and Technology Division, Taipei Representative Office in Belgium
March 28, 2005
I Guiding Principles and Promotion Strategy
1. Guiding Principles
The 2005 Euro-Taiwan IT Cooperation Event, forming part of the GAPFILL Project under the European Union’s 6th Framework Programme for Research (FP6) is scheduled to take place in Taiwan on April 28 – 29, 2005. This is the first time that the European Commission will have sent a delegation to Taiwan to explain the EU’s FP6 and FP7 programmes to an audience that will include representatives of industry, government and academia; the Event will focus particularly on the research that is taking place in Taiwan in the areas of eHealth, optoelectronics, optical components, communications technology, micro/nano systems, embedded systems, open-source software and service architecture, business information networks etc. The European Commission’s decision to send a delegation to Taiwan can partly be explained by the EU’s recognition of Taiwan’s achievements and capabilities in the area of scientific research, but the most important factor behind the decision is the efforts made by Dr. Joseph Hsu since taking over as Director of the Science and Technology Division of the Taipei Representative Office in Belgium in 2002, based on his determination to bring scientific research in Taiwan up to world-class standards, and his awareness that the European Commission occupies roughly the same status within the EU as the Executive Yuan does in Taiwan, with responsibility for the formulation and implementation of relevant policies in the EU’s 25 member states.
Building on his experience in Canada, where he set up the Science and Technology Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Canada, and successfully promoted collaboration between Taiwan and Canada in the area of scientific research, Dr. Hsu began by seeking to gain an in-depth understanding of the overall EU framework, before going on to formulate plans relating specifically to scientific research and innovation. Dr. Hsu gave carefully tailored presentations regarding Taiwan’s scientific research capabilities and the “Nine Major National Research Plans” to EU officials, communicating actively and efficiently with relevant EU agencies with responsibility for scientific research, including the DG (Directorate General) Research, the DG Information Society and Media, the DG Joint Research Center, and the DG Transportation and Energy. At the same time, Dr. Hsu arranged for Taiwanese experts and academics visiting Europe to really “get inside” the EU, having face-to-face exchange and dialog with EU officials and representatives of European research institutes. Thanks to this intensive, systematic promotion and efforts to build mutual understanding, the EU finally realized the importance, indeed the necessity, of involving Taiwan in FP6. Under the new framework that has been created, Taiwanese joint research teams will no longer be restricted to collaboration with individual European nations; they will be able to participate as full members of the international scientific community on behalf of Taiwan.
2. Promotion Strategy
(1) Promoting Taiwan’s “Nine Major National Research Plans” in the EU
While achieving impressive results in his promotion of interaction with the agencies responsible for the EU’s scientific research policy, Dr. Hsu has also worked to build contacts with the agencies and groups responsible for the implementation of scientific research. Working on the basis of the seven key priority research fields outlined in the EU’s FP6, and after identifying the major EU-level research institutes and teams with responsibility for these priority research fields, Dr. Hsu proceeded to match them up, in a practical and efficient manner, with Taiwan’s “Nine Major National Research Plans”. Aware that delegations from Taiwan are usually only able to visit Europe for limited periods of time, Dr. Hsu worked vigorously to arrange visits to EU administrative agencies and leading EU research institutes. By helping to build an advantageous environment in the administrative sphere (in terms of collaboration agreements) and by arranging contacts with the appropriate research institutes (partnership activities), Dr. Hsu has sought to bring about participation by Taiwanese joint research teams in the EU’s FP6 and FP7.
In August 2003, Dr. Hsu arranged for a delegation of participants in Taiwan’s National Digital Collection Plan to visit the Netherlands Museum of Natural History and Royal Library. In October 2004, he arranged for a delegation representing Taiwan’s National Agricultural Biotech Plan to visit the EU’s DG Agriculture and Rural Development to discuss standards for genetically modified foods, with the aim of providing a reference for the development of GMO foods in Taiwan; he also arranged for the delegation to visit the Flemish Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), an EU-level research institute. Also in October, Dr. Hsu arranged for a delegation representing Taiwan’s National Digital Learning Plan to visit the EU’s DG Information Society and Media to discuss possibilities for bilateral collaboration.
In November 2004, after the necessary arrangements had been made by Dr. Hsu, Dr. Chang Chun-yen (Science and Technology Advisor to the President’s Office and President of National Chiao Tung University) led a delegation that included Dr. Huang Wei, Director of Taiwan’s National System-on-Chip (NSoC) project, and Dr. Chou Ching-yang, Director of the National Chip Implementation Center (CIC), to study System-on-Chip (SoC) R&D in Europe. The high-points of this trip were the visits to SOCWARE in Sweden and IMEC in Belgium, the two most important SoC software and hardware research facilities in Europe. In addition, an agreement for technology collaboration between National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) and IMEC was signed by NCTU President Chang Chun-yen and IMEC President and CEO Professor G. Declerck, establishing a foundation for closer collaboration between Taiwan and IMEC in the future.
In March 2005, following several in-depth discussions with IMEC’s Senior Vice President and after undertaking detailed strategic analysis, Dr. Hsu arranged for a Taiwan delegation that included Dr. Chang Chun-yen, Dr. Huang Wei, Dr. Chou Ching-yang and Dr. Ni Wei-hsin (Director of the National Nano Device Laboratories) to sign a technology collaboration agreement between IMEC, NSoC, CIC, the National Nano Device Laboratories (NDL) and NCTU. Under this agreement IMEC will play the role of R&D center while also functioning as a liaison office for Taiwan’s participation in the EU’s FP6 and FP7. By leveraging Taiwan’s experience in nano device and chip design and its mechanisms for sci-tech manpower cultivation, supplemented by the wealth of talent that NCTU and NSoC already possess and the vertical and horizontal networks formed by their close relationships with Taiwan’s hi-tech industries, it should be possible to create a win-win situation for all parties involved in the agreement.
(2) Promoting Collaboration Between Taiwan’s National Laboratories and the EU
Besides arranging visits to the EU by representatives of Taiwan’s national research plans, including CIC and NDL, in March 2005, Dr. Hsu also arranged for Dr. Chen Liang-chi, Director of the Electronics Research and Service Organization (ERSO) of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to visit the EU’s DG Information Society and Media and IMEC, to promote participation by ITRI in the EU’s FP6 and FP7, and to encourage the development of exchange and interaction between ITRI and IMEC, which is one of Europe’s leading microelectronics research centers.
(3) Promoting Collaboration in Specific Fields Between Leading Taiwanese Research Teams and EU Research Teams
In addition to his other efforts, Dr. Hsu has spared no pains in promoting participation in FP6 by Taiwan’s academic sector. Following the signing of the agreement with the EU in October 2003, in November Dr. Hsu arranged for representatives of the National Science Council’s Mechanical Engineering and Automation Branch to visit the EU’s DG Information Society and Media (an administrative agency) and also the prestigious department of mechanical engineering at the University of Leuven (PMA K.U. Leuven). In September 2004, arrangements were made for representatives of the National Science Council’s Telecommunications Branch and Heat Transmission and Energy Branch to visit Europe for academic exchange. In line with the same overall strategy, Dr. Hsu also arranged for representatives of the EU’s DG Information Society and Media, DG Transportation and Energy and leading research institutes to visit Taiwan.
In February 2004, Dr. Hsu arranged for a delegation led by Dr. Hsu Shih-ming (Chairman of the President’s Office Science and Technology Advisory Committee) and Dr. Li Shih-kuang (Director of the Engineering and Applied Science Division of the National Science Council) to visit the DG Research’s Department of Technology Competitiveness, Economic Analysis and Technology Indicators and the DG Information Society and Media’s Department of Framework Programme Appraisal and Review to discuss plans for collaboration between Taiwan and the EU in the area of eHealth.
In April 2004, Dr. Hsu arranged for Dr. Yang Hung-tun, Director of the Nature Science and Mathematics Division, National Science Council to visit the EU. In March 2005, when Dr. Chu Ming-hsiang (Vice Dean of the College of Engineering, National Cheng Kung University) visited Poland to read a paper at a conference there, Dr. Hsu arranged for Dr. Chu to visit the European Commission and IMEC on behalf of National Cheng Kung University. Dr. Chu gave a speech at PMA K.U. Leuven, and visited the University of Leuven’s international collaboration office to discuss plans for technology collaboration and postdoctoral researcher exchange between the two universities in the future.
II The EU’s Designation of Taiwan as an Associate Member State with Respect to Collaboration on FP6
1. The Signing of a Bilateral Technology Collaboration Agreement Between Taiwan and the EU in October 2003
On October 7, 2003, the first official science and technology collaboration agreement between Taiwan and the EU was signed between the European Commission’s DG Information Society and Media and Taiwan’s National Science Council. The decision by the EU to allow Taiwan to participate in FP6 as an Associate Member State represents a major turning point, given the “One China Policy” that the EU has consistently held to in the past. The signing of this science and technology collaboration agreement was thus a significant achievement, and an important milestone in the development of cooperation between Taiwan and the EU in the area of scientific research. Clearly, Taiwan’s efforts to develop its scientific research capabilities have not only contributed to the growth of the Taiwanese economy, but have also provided a boost to Taiwan’s diplomatic strength.
2. The Holding of a Taiwan-EU Vice Ministerial Science and Technology Meetings
As a result of planning implemented by Dr. Hsu, in October 2003 Dr. Shieh Ching-jyh (Vice Chairman of the National Science Council) met with representatives of the EU’s DG Information Society and Media, followed by a meeting in September 2004 between Dr. Liao Chun-chen (Vice Chairman of the National Science Council) and representatives of the EU’s DG Joint Research Center. These meetings provided a forum for discussion of how best to build up a platform for collaboration on scientific research between Taiwan and the 25 member nations of the EU. The EU agencies concerned agreed to support Taiwan’s participation in FP6, and it was further agreed that a bilateral Taiwan-EU hi-tech R&D forum would be held. Meetings were arranged between the Taiwanese delegation and senior DG Research officials.
3. Arranging for a Taiwanese Delegation to Participate in the EU’s 2004 EU-IST Event
The EU’s 2004 EU-IST Event (a global information society exhibition and conference) was held in The Hague in November 2004. Realizing the importance of the event in terms of helping Taiwan to publicize (and strengthen) its scientific research capability, and to build contacts with international research teams, in May 2004 Dr. Hsu began devising strategies to facilitate Taiwanese participation in the event. While continuing to communicate with EU officials, Dr. Hsu also submitted plans for Taiwanese participation in the EU-IST Event in the areas of eHealth, telecommunications etc. Following a two-stage review process, the EU agreed that Taiwan could set up a booth at the Event under the name “Taiwan”. Subsequently, arrangements were made for participation by a Taiwanese delegation including representatives of the national biochip, eHealth and telecommunications plans, as well as the Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park, to be headed by Professors Chang Tao-chih, Lu Hsueh-shih and Li Shih-yuan. The Taiwan booth was thus able to display Taiwan’s scientific research capabilities and prospects for future achievements in this area under the name “Taiwan”. A total of 167 government officials, experts and academics from 39 countries visited the booth to discuss possibilities for collaboration with Taiwan.
4. Dr. Hsu meets with Dr. Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission
In February 2005, after returning to Belgium from Taiwan (where he had been attending the Seventh National Science and Technology Conference), Dr. Hsu met with Dr. Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media (a Commissioner is one of the most senior officials in the European Commission). During the meeting, Dr. Hsu gave a presentation on Taiwan’s scientific research capabilities and the plans for collaboration with the EU in this area, focusing particularly on the global importance of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park, and on the model that Taiwan can provide for the development of developing nations in Eastern Europe. Dr. Hsu also explained that Taiwan would be arranging for national research institutes and research teams to participate in the 2005 Euro-Taiwan IT Cooperation Event being held by the EU in Taiwan, and that Taiwan was looking forward to undertaking further collaboration with EU research teams.
5. Promotion of Six Major Taiwan-EU Joint Research Projects with Respect to FP6
So far, Taiwanese joint research teams are participating in six major research plans under the FP6 framework:
(1) Application has been successfully made for inclusion within FP6 of the MOSAICS joint research project (focusing on management and integration of technology transfer systems with respect to the sustainable utilization of microorganisms) that Taiwan’s Food Industry Research and Development Institute has been implementing in collaboration with the department of biology at Belgium’s University of Leuven and with Belgium’s BCCM bacteriology research center.
(2) Taiwan’s SARS Joint Research Team is participating in the work of a six-nation EU research team headed by Prof. Dr. W. Spaan (Director of the Department of Microbiology at Leyden University in the Netherlands, and Director of Leyden University’s Communicable Diseases Research Center) that is implementing a SARS special research project under FP6.
(3) A research team from the Academia Sinica’s Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences is participating in the Reactor Kinetics II four-year plan being implemented by the Marie Curie Training Site alliance for the EU.
(4) Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute is participating in the InnovaTive Right & Access Management Inter-platform SolUtion project under FP6.
(5) National Taiwan Ocean University is participating in the HaeModel project being directed for the EU by the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (ERCIM).
(6) A Taiwanese joint research team is participating in the EU’s eLearning project.
6. Promoting the Development of a Taiwan-EU Mechanism for the Cultivation of Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers
Recognizing how important the cultivation of human talent is to Taiwan’s future development, Dr. Hsu proposed (both to the government in Taiwan and to the European Commission) the establishment of a “Taiwan-EU Pre-doctoral and Post-doctoral Researcher Institute”. Incorporating the StudyAbroad program that Taiwan introduced in 2005, this new scheme would focus on the exchange and cultivation of talent at the pre-doctoral and post-doctoral level, with the aim of encouraging communication and exchange between Taiwan and the EU member nations. The response to this idea has been very enthusiastic.
7. Dr. Hsu Works With the European Commission to Plan the Historic 2005 Euro-Taiwan FP6/FP7 Conference
Following a series of meetings between Dr. Hsu and Mr. Jean-Yves Roger, Director of the DG Information Society and Media’s International Relations Office regarding the establishment of an R&D platform by Taiwan and the EU and the promotion of participation by Taiwanese joint research teams in the EU’s FP6 and FP7 programs, it was agreed that the European Commission would provide funding to facilitate participation by a Taiwanese joint research team in GAPFILL (which stands for “Getting more Asian Participants Involved in IST Calls”) projects, one of the categories of FP6/FP7 research plans. The European Commission has commissioned French consulting firm Sigma to implement this project. On May 4, 2004, a GAPFILL agreement was signed between Dr. Hsu and Sigma CEO Mr. Roger Torrenti.
On September 10, 2004, Mr. Torrenti and the Sigma project team traveled to Brussels, where the GAPFILL Kickoff Meeting was held in the conference room of the Taipei Representative Office in Belgium. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Hsu, who began by explaining the results that had been achieved in the past in science and technology collaboration between Taiwan and the EU, and giving an overview of the prospects for future collaboration. Mr. Torrenti then gave an one-hour presentation on the contents of the plan and the implementation methods. After the meeting, Dr. Hsu took the visitors to lunch at the Ta Fang Ke Restaurant, Brussels’ best-known Taiwanese restaurant.
The 2005 Euro-Taiwan IT Cooperation Event, forming part of the FP6 GAPFILL project, is scheduled to be held in Taiwan on April 28 – 29, 2005. This will be the first time that the European Commission has funded the sending of a delegation to Taiwan the FP6 and FP7 framework programmes, focusing particularly on the areas of eHealth, optoelectronics, optical components, communications technology, micro/nano systems, embedded systems, open-source software and service architecture, business information networks etc.
Appreciating the important role that Dr. Hsu has played in promoting collaboration between Taiwan and the EU in the area of science and technology research, his in-depth understanding of the EU’s science and technology organization and the detailed planning that he has undertaken to further Taiwanese participation in the EU’s framework programmes for scientific research, the EU has invited Dr. Hsu to give a joint presentation with Mr. Jean-Yves Roger, Director of the DG Information Society and Media’s International Relations Office, on April 28. The presentation will provide a detailed, in-depth introduction to the EU’s FP6 and FP7 framework programmes, and will explain the mechanisms and methods whereby Taiwanese joint research teams will be participating in the programmes.
On the European side, the DG Information Society and Media, DG Research and IMEC will all be sending representatives to participate in the Event, which will also be attended by representatives of European industry and universities. The Event will constitute a grand “festival” of Taiwan-EU science and technology collaboration, and is sure to mark the beginning of a new era in the development of collaboration between Taiwan and the EU in this field.
III Prospects and Opportunities for Future Collaboration Between Taiwan and the EU in the Area of Science and Technology
1. The EU Vision for 2030
In 2000, a summit meeting of EU leaders was held in Lisbon to discuss the ten-year (2001 – 2010) plan to bring about the transformation of Europe. At the meeting, it was agreed that Europe would work to strengthen its competitive advantage in the area of scientific research, encourage innovation and development, and raise the broadband penetration rate. The overall aim was to draw up a basic strategy to lead the EU into the new era of the knowledge economy. At the Barcelona summit in 2002, more concrete goals were set: all EU member nations would be expected to bring spending on science and technology up to a level equivalent to 3% of GDP by 2010.
Following on from these decisions, on November 18, 2003, the European Parliament approved a proposal by German Member of the European Parliament Mr. Rolf Linkohr calling for the overall EU budget for FP7 (to be implemented over the period 2006 – 2010) to be increased to 30 billion Euros. This would represent a 70% increase compared to the budget of 17.5 billion Euros allocated for FP6 (2002 – 2006). Clearly, this measure was intended to help EU member nations achieve the goal of raising science and technology spending to 3% of GDP by 2010.
On February 10, 2004, the European Commission drew up its budget for the period 2007 – 2013. The Commission expressed the hope that EU member nations would increase their spending on research and innovation, and that they would designate research and innovation as key priorities. The specific measures adopted were to formulate long-term, consistent policies, leveraging the hardware and software resources of the EU’s various agencies, taking effective action to improve the research environment, boost innovation among business enterprises, and establish an EU-level talent and knowledge network, thereby helping to realize the EU’s goal of making Europe a world leader in science and technology.
In May 2004, the EU added ten new member nations. With the increase in the number of member nations to 25, the total land area of the EU increased to 3.92 million square kilometers, and the total population rose to 456 million. The addition of these new member states marks the beginning of a new era in scientific research in the EU.
The European Commission has been actively formulating plans and strategies to help the EU become the world’s most competitive knowledge-based economy within 10 years. While continuing to fulfill their own individual functions, the DG Research, DG Information Society and Media and DG Joint Research Centre have been working together to devise forward-looking strategies, objectives and action plans for the EU in every scientific field, with the goal of helping the EU to achieve the goals that were agreed upon at the Lisbon Summit.
The strategies and action plans being adopted by the EU as it marches into this new era can be outlined as follows:
(1) Formulation of new strategies to drive the growth of innovative new technologies: To strengthen the EU’s future performance in terms of sci-tech innovation and the knowledge economy, the EU is currently focusing on integrating sci-tech innovation with other fields such as the social and the economic, encouraging interaction between them to improve the overall innovation environment, formulate policies to stimulate market growth, publicize key concepts and promote innovation in the public sector, while at the same time working to the integration of scientific research manpower and material resources, etc.
(2) Implementation of the relevant action plans to build the EU into a true knowledge economy: The EU has been concentrating large amounts of financial and manpower resources in key areas that include biotechnology, nanotechnology, broadband networks etc. These technologies all have a vital role to play in stimulating economic growth. The feature that all of these technologies have in common is the ability to stimulate the development of technology in other fields. By impacting on multiple different industries, they can boost growth in the economy as a whole. They have the potential to spark a “new industrial revolution” and to exercise a significant impact on society.
(3) Promoting the development of biotechnology: Between them, the EU member nations invested a total of 9,670 million Euros in biotechnology over the period 1994 – 1998. In the last few years, the amount invested by European governments in this sector has increased still further. Many countries have seen dramatic growth in the funding being provided for biotech R&D, along with the provision of substantial loan guarantees for larger biotech firms to stimulate their development. Biotechnology accounts for the largest share of New and Emerging Science and Technology (NEST) programs under the EU’s FP6 programme. Many European nations have made biotechnology a key area within their overall national science and technology strategy.
(4) Promoting the development of nanotechnology: It is widely accepted that nanotechnology will be one of the key technologies of the 21st century. To achieve competitive advantage in this field, many of the industrialized nations have incorporated large-scale nanotechnology R&D projects within their national science and technology strategy. FP6 incorporates a nanotechnology element, focusing on multi-functional materials and innovative production processes and equipment for use in nanotechnology and nanoscience. Under the framework for the integration and strengthening of the European Research Area, the European Commission is providing 245 million Euros in funding. The first-stage results of nanotechnology R&D are already being exploited in industry; it seems certain that, in the future, nanotechnology will come to exert more and more influence on the global economy.
(5) Establishment of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control: Having seen how medical systems in many countries were unable to cope during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic that occurred in Asia in 2003, on July 3, 2003 the EU announced that it would be allocated 9 million Euros in funding for SARS-related research, and that a special project would be set up under FP6 to promote research on SARS and other serious communicable diseases. Dr. Hsu held several in-depth discussions with senior EU officials, stressing Taiwan’s willingness to collaborate with international medical research teams and emphasizing Taiwan’s significance within the global medical system. As a result of these efforts, the participation of a Taiwanese joint research team in the EU’s SARS research project was secured. The SARS epidemic also encouraged the EU to set up the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), due to be formally established in 2005, to build an effective early warning system for communicable diseases and devise the necessary strategies.
(6) Promotion of R&D work relating to the GNSS/GALILEO global satellite positioning system: The EU’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) integrates the USA’s GPS, Russia’s GLONASS and the EU’s own GALILEO system. Unlike GPS and GLONASS, which are basically oriented towards military applications, GNSS has been decided to meet the needs of everyday life, and features bi-directional data communication capability. GALILEO is a European Space Agency (ESA) project. Collaborative agreements have already been signed with the US, Israel and China; implementation of the GALILEO project began in May 2003, and the formal commencement of system operation is scheduled for 2008.
Once GALILEO is operational, the system will provide a wide range of services on a global basis. The system will comprise 30 satellites in medium earth orbits, and will operate in collaboration with the US GPS system to provide users with high-precision timing and positioning services. The messages that GALILEO sends back from space will have applications in a variety of different fields, including transportation, energy, finance, insurance, fisheries, agriculture, the environment, geology, other sciences, public construction etc. It will even be able to provide personalized services. For example, GALILEO’s navigation facilities could be of use to the visually handicapped and those suffering from senile dementia. Overall, the market potential is very considerable; it is anticipated that demand for related products and services will grow at an annual rate of 25%, rising to 275 billion Euros by 2020. The system development process will also lead to the creation of numerous hi-tech jobs. The EU’s new member nations will also be able to participate in the GALILEO project.
(7) Establishment of the European Research Council (ERC): The European Research Council (ERC) is currently still in the process of being established. Once the ERC is up and running, it will be responsible for overseeing basic scientific research within the EU. It will promote collaboration between research councils in individual member nations, encourage national research councils to give due emphasis to training and flexibility, provide access to the EU’s key scientific research facilities, and handle planning and coordination for the setting up of specialist research teams. It is anticipated that the political negotiation needed to bring about the formal establishment of the ERC will be underway by 2004, and that the ERC will begin regular operation by 2007, in line with the implementation of FP7.
(8) Planning the 7th Framework Programme: The EU’s four-year Framework Programmes currently constitute the main model for research activity in Europe. The Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) is already underway, and the European Commission is now planning the funding and operations for the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), to be implemented over the period 2006 – 2010. FP7 will carry on with many of the important research results achieved in FP6, and will seek to bring about improvements in the various problems affecting the European Research Area (ERA), such as lack of funding, lack of stimulus for the commercialization of research results, failure to coordinate research activity properly and excessive dispersal of resources. The overall goal is to create an "internal market" for research, create new opportunities for collaboration, stimulate competition, ensure that resources are distributed in an appropriate manner, and improve coordination of research activity and research policy between EU member nations to rebuild the overall structure of scientific research in Europe and develop a unified research policy. Other EU and national policies and strategies will be taken into consideration where necessary.
(9) The EU's "e-Europe 2005" action plan: At the Barcelona Summit, the EU's Council of Ministers appealed to the European Commission to draw up an action plan to drive the process of e-enablement in Europe. The action plan was to focus on increasing the broadband penetration rate, the development of new network communication protocols, Internet and information security, e-Government, e-Learning, e-Health and e-Business. The e-Europe 2005 action plan would continue the work begun by the e-Europe 2002 action plan. Having been endorsed by the Council of Ministers meeting held at Feira in June 2000, e-Europe 2002 had achieved impressive results, thanks to a coordinated effort by all of the parties concerned. For example, Internet usage (in terms of both the number of people using the Internet and the volume of traffic) in Europe has increased substantially, a new regulatory and legal environment has been created for communications networks and services and for e-business, and a new era has begun for mobile services and multimedia services. The main emphasis in the e-Europe 2005 action plan will be on continuing to provide opportunities to invest in society, helping workers to acquire the skills that are needed in the knowledge economy, ensuring widespread use of computer and network technology in the EU's schools, putting the functions of government online, and creating a more secure online environment.
(10) Future development of e-Health in the EU: e-Health has already been designated as one of the key foci of the e-Europe 2005 action plan. It seems clear that, in the future, as the aging of European society continues, e-Health will become even more important. To bring about the provision of modern e-Health services, besides emphasizing the need for political action at the highest level, the e-Europe 2005 action plan also specifies policies and objectives for both the European Commission and the national governments of individual EU member states. The overall objective is to get the EU's new e-Health medical system up and running by 2005. The specific policies and objectives that have been formulated include the following:
A. The e-Health electronic health insurance card: It is anticipated that the new European e-Health electronic health insurance card will come into use by 2008. Currently, the citizens of EU member states have to fill out multiple forms to secure medical treatment in another EU member nation. To overcome this problem, e-Europe 2005 adopts the proposal put forward by the European Commission – an electronic recording system that would facilitate the identification of patients on a Europe-wide basis, giving every citizen of the EU their own electronic health insurance card.
B. e-Health online services: Another objective of the e-Europe 2005 action plan is to ensure that all EU citizens can access online e-Health services by 2005. These services will include access to information on healthy lifestyles and disease prevention, electronic medical records, online diagnosis, online payment etc. The European Commission has drawn up a set of quality standards for health-related websites, and will be monitoring the implementation of these standards by EU member nations. Besides making it easier to secure access to health information, the EU will also be emphasizing the maintenance of quality standards, and working to develop new online health-related services, such as the provision of information regarding air and water quality. Implementation will be coordinated with the EU's eTrans-European Telecommunication Networks Programme (eTEN Programme).
C. The e-Health health information network: New healthcare systems will be used to speed up the flow of health resources. The scope of the system will extend from doctor and patient networks at the level of regional hospitals up to Europe-wide health threats, making this new network an extremely important facility.
(11) New developments in SoC technology: Of the seven key thematic areas addressed by FP6, it is anticipated that 3.6 billion Euros will be allocated for investment in information society technologies to bring about the integration of information processing, communications and media technologies. The main emphasis will be on future generations of technology, achieving effective integration of computer and network technology within people's daily living environment, so that EU citizens can enjoy convenient access to e-enabled services and applications; the ultimate goal is to build an environment based on "ambient intelligence". System-on-Chip (SoC) and system integration and packaging technologies will constitute one of the most important elements in the building of this new environment. Under the strategic plan "Pushing the Limits of CMOS, Preparing for Post-CMOS", the EU will be investing a total of 75 million Euros with the aim of developing 5-nm semiconductor production process technology along with post-CMOS substitute products.
In addition, under the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductor (ITRS) plan, efforts are being made to design (within a reasonable timeframe and at an acceptable cost) reliable SoC and system integration and packaging technology. It is anticipated that by 2010 SoC production volume will have been increased tenfold. The objective of the Micro and Nano Systems project, in which the EU is investing 85 million Euros, is to improve the functionality and cost-benefit performance of micro and nano systems, while also achieving effective integration between these systems, the environmental interface and the broadband network interface. The results of this project will have a wide range of applications in medical and knowledge-type products. FP6 is also allocating 25 million Euros for the development of advanced display technology, and 45 million Euros for the development of optoelectronic components. Under FP6, the more technologically advanced EU member states are being asked to form elite research teams to undertake research in various fields, and to provide substantial amounts of funding over the long term. The ultimate goal is to create a new Europe with a new science and technology "climate" by 2010.
(12) Development of truly world-class universities: On April 26, 2004, representatives of the European Commission's DG Research and DG Education and Culture, along with professors from and the chancellors of leading European universities, met in Liege, Belgium to discuss the role that Europe's universities would play in R&D and manpower cultivation in the EU in the future, and to consider the funding and recruitment strategies that universities should adopt, with the goal of making the EU's universities truly world-class by 2025. It was agreed that the key factor for universities striving for excellence was the ability to attract first-rate academic talent, although access to adequate funding is also important. However, Dr. Basquin of the DG Research emphasized that, given Europe's unique political, economic, social and cultural background, the process of building world-class universities in Europe must given due weight to the issues of democracy, prosperity, competitiveness, cohesion, concern for the disadvantaged and funding sources.
Nikolaus van der Pas, director of the DG Education and Culture, pointed out that excellence is in reality a very simple concept, and that flexibility and maintenance of quality are the two main preconditions for excellence. He noted that, in the search for excellence by European universities as they strive to establish themselves as world-class institutions, the European Research Council (ERC) will have an important role to play. The meeting isolated four key issues – collaboration, funding, partnership between the public and private sector, and flexibility – that were felt to be the key factors for making universities successful and keeping them successful. In the future, the European Commission and Europe's universities will be working to develop a forum so that they can continue to discuss and promote the search for innovation and excellence among European universities.
(13) EU energy planning for 2030: Currently, the EU relies on imports to meet 50% of its energy needs. According to EU forecasts, by 2030 this figure may have increased to 90%; such dependence on imported energy would inevitably have a negative impact on the EU's development. While adjusting to the new global energy environment that has developed in the aftermath of the conflict in the Middle East, the EU is working to build collaboration with Iran and with Russia both in the area of energy and in other fields. In the future, the EU will be tackling the root of the problem by promoting energy diversification and developing new-generation energy sources. By 2007, the European Investment Bank will have doubled the amount of funding that it provides for research into clean and renewable energy, focusing particularly on wind power and solar energy. Over the period 2008 – 2010, 30 to 35% of this investment will go on research into electricity generation using renewable energy sources, such as biomass energy. The EU hopes that its member nations will increase their renewable energy utilization rate at a rate of 1% per year, so that by 2010 renewable energy accounts for 12% of total energy expenditure.
Europe's scientists are also working to develop new, safer forms of energy that can serve as alternatives to petrochemical energy. It is anticipated that hydrogen energy will constitute one important solution to the shortage of energy and the problems of environmental pollution etc. that will affect Europe in the 21st century. The European Commission has already recognized the importance of hydrogen energy and the enormous economic benefits that could derive from it. In October 2002, the European Commission set up a High Level Group to focus on hydrogen and fuel cell energy; the Group will canvass the views of experts regarding hydrogen energy and fuel cells. FP6 has already allocated nearly 100 million Euros in funding to support 16 research plans relating to hydrogen energy and fuel cells.
62 million Euros of funding has already been allocated for first-stage research on hydrogen energy, with another 30 million Euros to be allocated for fuel cell research. Initially, the research will focus on the development of engines that can run on hydrogen, innovative fuel cell systems, advanced transportation vehicles etc. The second stage will focus on strengthening existing research into new energy sources; it is anticipated that nearly 150 million Euros will be allocated for this purpose. The EU will be working with government agencies, research institutes, investment banks and industry organizations to bring about the new era of the "hydrogen economy". These partnership relationships will be developed over two 10-year periods. The first 10-year stage will see the investment of 1.3 billion Euros to explore the potential uses of hydrogen energy; it is anticipated that hydrogen can be used to replace petrochemical energy. The second 10-year stage will involve the implementation of the "Lighthouse Plan", with funding of 1.5 billion Euros being allocated to achieve practical utilization of hydrogen energy in daily life, with the goal of creating "hydrogen homes".
(14) Concern over climate change prompts the EU to emphasize research on the polar regions: The Arctic covers one-sixth of the world's surface, and extends over 24 time zones; it is a huge area of great natural importance. With its unique climate and geographical environment, the absence of over-development by humanity, special natural resources and a unique ecosystem, the Arctic is a treasure house for environmental research. The ancient ice sheets in the Arctic carry the marks of climate change; ocean currents in the Arctic region continue to affect climate change throughout the world. At the same time, the Arctic's geographical location gives it special importance within the global transportation network. Europe's climate is particularly closely tied up with climate change in the Arctic, and the relevant EU directorates general all have policies in place with respect to the Arctic. In its research on the Arctic, the EU will be focusing on the environment, climate change, ecology and transportation, with the environmental and climate change issues being of global concern.
The last few years have seen a rapid process of global climate change. The collection and analysis of data relating to the ocean currents and ice sheets in the Arctic region can help humanity to understand the role the humans are playing in climate change, and can facilitate the establishment of models for forecasting future climatic trends. Ecological research is an ongoing, comprehensive process of investigation that should help humanity to acquire a better understanding of the flora and fauna of the polar regions. Transportation research will focus on the development of shipping and other transportation routes in the Arctic; the key issue here is how to overcome the extreme weather conditions in the region, so as to build a convenient Arctic transportation network. Future EU research in the Arctic will fall into two main categories: long-term, systematic data collection, and integrated multinational research projects.
In its planning for new strategies and action plans, the EU takes the Lisbon strategy as its underlying philosophy, with "innovation" as the framework, giving priority to the promotion of hi-tech sectors with the aim of furthering the sustainable development of the EU, while at the same time emphasizing flexible strategies and immediate action in response to rapidly changing circumstances. Due allowance is given for the interaction between the objectives and the process of achieving them, while giving the implementing parties sufficient freedom of action to allow them to make practical, efficient decisions. The EU is currently the second largest political and economic alliance in the world. It possesses a strong foundation in both science and the humanities, and a strong tradition of innovation and R&D. Given the aggressive, long-term planning and promotion that is being implemented in the EU today, the prospects for the EU's future development appear bright, and this success will not be accidental.
2. The Future
Based on his experience in promoting sci-tech collaboration with the EU and his study of the EU's planning and recent development, Dr. Hsu offers the following opinions regarding the current state of science and technology in Taiwan and the prospects for their future development:
(1) Taiwan should follow the example of the EU's science and technology integration strategy by reorganizing its national research projects and seeking to achieve more effective integration of overseas technology resources: Currently, the integration of science and technology resources in Taiwan continues to be hindered by unsatisfactory interdepartmental coordination and the lack of effective integration between national research projects. By contrast, scientific research policy in the EU emphasizes the careful selection of priority areas, the effective concentration of resources, and comprehensive planning, with the aim of using the limited resources available to achieve the desired results without duplication or waste. If Taiwan could adopt the European model, while at the same time making effective use of its own advantages and overcoming the unwillingness of individual actors in the scientific research sector to collaborate with one another, so as to achieve effective integration of the limited manpower, material and funding resources available under the National Science and Technology Development Plan framework (which might involve the sharing of expensive instruments and equipment between different projects), and focusing on strengthening the international competitiveness of Taiwan's scientific research. For example, if the EU model was adopted, Taiwan's national digital collection and e-learning projects could be integrated within a unified "information society" framework, with the aim of developing a new information society that can make effective use of digital technology.
(2) Taiwan should be working aggressively to develop strategic alliances with the EU's scientific research system: In the past, Taiwan has focused heavily on the US and Japan in its efforts to develop international collaboration in the area of scientific research. Over the next two to three years, Taiwan should be reorienting its efforts in this area to focus on developing collaboration with the EU, whose influence is rapidly expanding. To achieve this goal, Taiwan must work actively to secure opportunities for participation in joint research projects with the EU, developing bilateral collaboration on the development of new technologies, manpower cultivation and exchange etc. Not only will focusing on the EU as a collaborative partner help Taiwan to maintain its freedom of action on the global stage, it will also boost the international competitiveness of Taiwan's scientific research sector. Dr. Hsu feels that there are four key areas on which Taiwan should concentrate its efforts: (1) Taiwan should be making a concerted effort to secure participation in EU joint research projects. (2) Taiwan should seek to integrate its national research projects with the EU joint research projects. (3) Taiwan should plan the establishment of a "Taiwan-EU Scientific Research Foundation" for the implementation of large-scale research projects. (4) Taiwan should undertake planning for the establishment of an effective Taiwan-EU Scientific Research Platform.
(3) Taiwan needs to overhaul its manpower cultivation and application systems and seek to integrate them into global manpower resource mechanisms: In its planning for sci-tech integration, the EU aims to achieve effective integration of research mechanisms and researchers in key areas, going on from this to implement planning at the level of the regional system, and then moving on to the final stage of integration with the global scientific research community. Through the free flow of sci-tech talent and an ongoing process of intensive manpower exchange, the EU works towards an ultimate goal of building a global sci-tech community in which national boundaries are no longer an obstacle to collaboration, and in which scientific researchers can concentrate on working for the benefit of humanity and the maintenance of world peace. Before the EU completes this process of integration, Taiwan needs to achieve effective integration of sci-tech talent cultivation and application within Taiwan, and then identify opportunities to participate in EU manpower exchange and collaboration programs, so as to create the potential for meaningful Taiwanese involvement in the global sci-tech community that the EU is seeking to build. At the same time, a "Taiwan-EU Pre-doctoral and Post-doctoral Researcher Institute" should be established to facilitate effective promotion of manpower cultivation and bilateral exchange, thereby helping Taiwan to meet its future manpower needs and furthering the process of internationalization.
(4) Taiwan should be working to build mechanisms for the formation of international alliances in the field of scientific research: Today, countries all over the world are adopting new strategies to ensure efficient use of limited resources and to prevent duplication and waste. There are significant similarities between the EU's FP6 and FP7 and the National Science and Technology Development Plan (focusing on nine key areas) formulated by Taiwan's National Science Council for implementation over the period from 1998 to 2008. Leveraging these similarities to establish a new model for international alliances in the area of scientific research would have a significant positive impact on the international status of Taiwanese science.
(5) Taiwan should establish joint research teams and work actively to secure their participation in the EU's FP7: Given the need for Taiwan to adapt to a new environment of globalized competition, Taiwan should concentrate its scientific research capabilities through the establishment of joint research teams that could undertake international collaboration with the EU in the following fields:
- Nano-materials and nanotechnology
- Broadband networks
- SoC
- e-Health and biomedicine
- Genomics research
- Clean energy
- Climate change
- GNSS satellite navigation technology
- Science park development
(6) Taiwan should be encouraging its hi-tech industries and traditional precision industries to locate factories in Eastern Europe.
References:
CORDIS (EU science and technology data) – http://www.cordis.lu/ist/directorate_c/ehealth/index.html
Dr. Joseph Hsu, "The Mechanisms and Prospects for Participation by Taiwanese Joint Research Teams in the EU's 6th Framework Programme", EU Scientific Research Newsletter, October 2003
Dr. Joseph Hsu, "The Establishment of a Science and Technology Collaboration Agreement Between Taiwan and the EU – the Significance of this Milestone and the Outlook for Further Developments", EU Scientific Research Newsletter, October 2003
Dr. Joseph Hsu, "The New 25-nation EU – Prospects and Statistical Abstract", NCS International Cooperation Sci-Tech Newsbrief, May 2004
Dr. Joseph Hsu, "The New Blueprint for Science and Technology Innovation in the EU and its Significance for the Formulation of Scientific Research Policy in Taiwan", NCS International Cooperation Sci-Tech Newsbrief, August 2004
Dr. Joseph Hsu, "Taiwan Should Participate Actively in the Fourth and Fifth Stages of the EU's 6th Framework Programme", NCS International Cooperation Sci-Tech Newsbrief, February 2005
Dr. Joseph Hsu, "Problems and Opportunities for Collaboration Following the Signing of an Agreement for Collaboration Between Taiwan and the EU in the Area of Science and Technology", EU Scientific Research Newsletter March 2005
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