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Protect technology,
forum warns
WORRISOME EXODUS: Sensitive technology and the
retention of high-tech professionals must be protected by law, academics say, or
the brain drain will intensify
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Closer cross-strait economic ties have made protection of sensitive technology a
forgotten issue in Taiwanese politics, academics said yesterday in a forum.
While the lack of talent has become a hot topic after government officials
issued warnings, the real crisis for Taiwan is the exodus of talent and the
outflow of sensitive technology, in particular to China, said Wu Rong-i (§dºa¸q),
chairman of the Taiwan Brain Trust, the organizer of the forum.
All major economies in the world value the protection of their technology and
high-tech professionals, Wu said, adding that regulation and monitoring have
been lacking in Taiwan, especially after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)
returned to power in 2008.
The pro-China KMT adopted loose regulation to the high-tech companies¡¦
investment in China, making the talent exodus and leaking of sensitive
technology points for concern, Wu said.
Lo Cheng-chung (ù©Ó©v), a professor at the Chungyu Institute of Technology, said
that the outflow of Taiwan¡¦s agricultural expertise, including professionals,
seeds and technology to China, could be disastrous and jeopardize development
and global competitiveness of Taiwan¡¦s agriculture in the foreseeable future.
China has established cross-strait agricultural experimental zones since 2006 to
attract Taiwanese professionals and investment, he said, adding that while the
government did introduce regulations on the bilateral exchange, the regulations
stipulate no punishments.
A draft of a sensitive technology protection act was proposed during the
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration in 2008, but it has been
forgotten in the past four years, Lo said.
¡§Talent and technology are the backbone of Taiwan¡¦s status and the protection of
these assets would reassure our global competitiveness,¡¨ said Max Lo (ù¥¿¤è),
former general manager of Aerospace Industrial Development Corp.
In terms of the talent exodus, Lo said it was not a legitimate concern because
technology will always be moving forward and, with Taiwanese people¡¦s emphasis
on education, talent shortage would not be a concern.
The concerns lie in Taiwan¡¦s job market and industrial environment, he said,
adding that a relaxed immigration policy and industrial upgrade are important
factors to resolve the short-term problems.
Former Council of Economic Planning and Development minister Chen Po-chih (³¯³Õ§Ó)
also brushed off the perception that Taiwan lacks professionals and talent,
which he said was a vague and short-sighted opinion originating in a column
published by Watchinese magazine.
¡§A country would never say it has enough talent because it always needs more.
Therefore the real questions to ask are: First, do we offer reasonable
compensation but still could not find talent? Second, which kind of talent can¡¦t
we find?¡¨ he said.
The real problem for Taiwan, Chen said, was not talent shortage but the
inability to keep Taiwanese professionals in Taiwan.
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