An international forum examining cutting-edge procedures and technologies in minimally invasive surgery was staged Feb. 5 in Taipei City, showcasing Taiwan’s world-leading expertise in the field.
 
Co-organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Future of Surgery Symposium drew some 200 academics, industry experts and medical professionals from home and abroad to discuss locally developed smart innovations in areas spanning artificial intelligence, endoscopic visualization and surgical navigation. Attendees included representatives from such sector heavyweights as Germany-headquartered Siemens Healthineers and U.S.-based robotics-maker Intuitive Surgical Inc.
 
Speaking at the symposium, MOST Minister Chen Liang-gee said that Taiwan is working to strengthen its R&D capabilities in minimally invasive surgery and medical device technology through expanding international supply chain partnerships. Promoting innovation as well as Taiwan brands and products in this sector is a top ministry priority, he added.
 
At the heart of these efforts is the MOST-administrated Central Taiwan Science Park in Taichung City, Chen said. By fostering collaboration between resident AI, precision machinery and medical device manufacturers, the park is emerging as a global hub of minimally invasive surgery technologies.
 
Support for R&D is complemented by a commitment to human resources development. In 2008, Taiwan became the first country to establish a local branch of the France-headquartered Institute for Research on Cancers of the Digestive Tract, with some 10,000 medical professionals receiving training in minimally invasive surgical procedures and technologies at the facility in the central county of Changhua to date, the MOST said.
 
According to ministry statistics, biomedical industry revenues in Taiwan reached an estimated NT$488.4 billion (US$16.52 billion) in 2017, up 4.5 percent year on year. Medical devices and supplies were the second-largest contributor to this amount at NT$146.3 billion, trailing health and welfare-related products and services, NT$162.5 billion; and ahead of biotech applications, NT$97.7 billion; and pharmaceuticals, NT$81.9 billion. (KWS-E)