Holding ‘ITRI Forum 2009 and Career Fair’ and ‘Country Seminar on Taiwan’s Biotech’ in the United States this May, ITRI delightedly invited significant representatives in technology-oriented industries to look for more business opportunities.
Led by Dr. Johnsee Lee, President of Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), ITRI Forum 2009 and Career Fair was held at Silicon Valley Crowne Plaza, CA, on 16th May; meanwhile, Country Seminar on Taiwan’s Biotech was held at Hilton Atlanta on 18th May. Through opinion exchanges and technology exhibitions, ITRI is looking forward to searching for cooperative partners in order to create win-win opportunities for international cooperation.
The ITRI Forum 2009 and Career Fair explored the theme of Technology Innovations after the Storm. ITRI’s President, Dr. Johnsee Lee, commented that the world economy this year has suffered from the financial tsunami. As a result, governments throughout the world are increasing expenditures on public infrastructure projects to not only generate jobs, but also create the pillars for a better lifestyle that is characterized by sustainable development, social stability and health. The Taiwan government has recently been aggressively promoting the opportunities of six emerging industries. ITRI is working in tandem with the government to hasten the takeoff of the green energy and biotech industries. ITRI has moved forward the project calling for 160,000 Electric Vehicles (EV), the Rapid Prototyping Center (RPC) for medical devices, and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Dr. Lee added that Taiwan’s strengths in electronics and information, coupled with its manufacturing prowess in automobile electronics, components and batteries provide the optimal conditions to develop Electronic Vehicles. The project to produce 160,000 electronic vehicles is of a scale rarely seen throughout the world. Operations and regulatory experience from overseas will be needed to promote the growth of this industry.
The main objective of creating the Rapid Prototyping Center for medical devices is to provide a platform to integrate clinical research and engineering technology, and offer a comprehensive mechanism to develop and test prototypes, protect intellectual property and commercialize products. Dr. Lee furthermore explained that ITRI will help to bridge commercial enterprises and intellectual property teams, thereby transferring technology to manufacturers, enabling them to have access to internationally advanced technologies and having the ability to engage in technology exchange. Meanwhile, ITRI has also proposed to develop Advanced Metering Infrastructure. Distributed energy management software will provide the means to distribute and use energy sources in the most efficient manner. The system can be linked up with Smart Appliances used in the household and will be also to provide energy consumption data on a real-time basis, creating a win-win situation for environmental protection and the economy.
Besides, a 60-member strong delegation comprised of representatives from Taiwan’s industrial, academic, research and government sectors is taking part in the 2009 BIO International Convention, the annual global biotech event that this year is being held in Atlanta, Georgia. A number of the latest biomedical technologies and products developed in Taiwan are on display at the Taiwan Pavilion. It is hoped that participation in this international event will help generate greater international cooperation and business opportunities for Taiwan’s biotech industry. The Taiwan delegation and local experts on May 18 jointly held the 2009 Country Seminar on Taiwan’s Biotech, which is another initiative aimed at fostering interaction and collaboration between Taiwan’s biotech industry with the world’s. ITRI’s President Dr. Johnsee Lee hosted the seminar, which was attended by distinguished guests including Representative Charlice Byrd of the Georgia State House of Representatives.
Key experts from Taiwan’s biotechnology field were invited to take part, including Director of the Office of Public Affairs and Technology Transfer at the Academia Sinica Dr. Chi-Ming Liang, the National Health Research Institute’s Dr. Yu-Sheng Chao, and Director of the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries Program Office of the MOEA Dr. Chei-Hsiang Chen. They discussed opportunities and challenges in the development of Taiwan’s biotechnology industry and also offered suggestions. In addition, the Co-Founder and Exec. VP of R&D in Exactech Inc. Dr. Gary Miller shared his company’s successful experience in cooperation with Taiwan’s biotechnology industry. Meanwhile, venture capitalists, biotech companies, and representatives from the academic sector engaged in discussions and propose strategies to foster international cooperation and develop business opportunities.
Representative Byrd has over the past several years been an active proponent of the biotechnology industry, and in 2007 she was named ”National Bio Legislator of the year”. She noted in her welcome remarks that biotechnology and biofuels have become a hot global topic, and Georgia has 24 million acres of pine trees which could form the foundation for a thriving biofuel industry.
One of the research achievements, ITRI features at BIO International is its development of collagen scaffold antibodies. The scaffold antibody is highly stable and displays a more optimal antibody and affinity of antibodies. It also reduces the side-effects of immunity associated with traditional antibodies. In the area of redesigned drugs, ITRI exhibits the benefits of its Kinase-based drug design research in treating acute myeloid leukemia. Meanwhile, ITRI’s diagnostic biomarker research focuses on liver, renal and oncology diseases, all of which are common in Taiwan and Asia. The objective of this research is to provide earlier and more accurate diagnosis of these diseases.
Biotechnology experts from about 70 countries participate in the 2009 BIO International Convention and over 20,000 are expected to attend the event. The theme of this year’s convention is Heal, Fuel, Feed the World. A wide range of keynotes and sessions are being held, with some of the most prominent speakers including Biotechnology Industry Organization President and CEO James C. Greenwood, Eli Lily President John Lechleiter, and Ernst & Young’s Global Biotechnology Leader Glen Giovannetti. BIO International Convention is the largest convention for biotech industry in the globe.