At the 2023 Healthcare Expo Taiwan, President Wong Chi-Huey of the Institute for Biotechnology and Medicine Industry (IBMI) emphasized Taiwan's vital role in the evolving global health landscape. As declining birth rates and an aging population reshape societies worldwide, nations are crafting new healthcare models. Armed with cutting-edge technology, Taiwan stands at the forefront of this global medical revolution.
Quanta Chairman Barry Lam sees Taiwan's abundant semiconductor resources, especially amid the surge of AI-integrated healthcare, attracting hospitals worldwide. Lam believes these latest trends position the island as a global hub for developing the AI healthcare industry.
During the expo's opening ceremony, IBMI officially announced a digital medical channel alliance with Microsoft. IBMI Vice President Yang Pan-Chyr noted that 90% of the world's key AI technologies and manufacturing capacity are provided by Taiwan. "In an era where AI computing demands surpass Moore's Law, Taiwan's crucial role in global AI development and digitizing medical care cements its position as the epicenter of innovation in global healthcare", Yang says.
Furthermore, as both Vice President of IBMI and Chairman of Quanta Group, Barry Lam underscored Taiwan's development in AI healthcare hinges on three key factors the island possesses: mastery of AI chip design and system integration, the production of GPU chips driving massive computing power, and the manufacturing of over 90% of the world's AI servers.
Lam states that with medical health as its core, the platforms created by IBMI and the Healthcare Expo unite various technological sectors that Taiwan excels at. A collaboration, he claims will provide robust support to healthcare personnel and institutions in optimizing their service efficiency, likening the initiative to the process of supplying formidable computing power for training models.
Microsoft and IBMI: putting Taiwan's medical industry on the map
Yang Pan-Chyr reflects on his call three years ago to establish a digital medical ecosystem through global partnerships. In a significant move this year, IBMI, during the opening ceremony, announced its digital medical channel alliance with Microsoft through the signing of an MOU, signifying a positive stride for Taiwan's digital medical industry on the global stage. Through strategic alliances, they plan to progress in three key directions: assisting in developing and positioning digital medical products globally, accelerating products aligned with the global medical industry, and promoting adopting Taiwan's local digital medical solutions worldwide.
Microsoft's representative, David Rhew, Global Chief Medical Officer & VP of Healthcare, expressed the company's commitment to further collaborate with Taiwan's medical institutions. This collaboration will leverage cloud platforms, Azure data, and artificial intelligence capabilities. Rhew aims to develop innovative smart medical solutions within Microsoft's partner ecosystem, intending to promote these solutions to global markets.
Recruited by Microsoft in 2019 from Samsung, Rhew, also a professor at the University of Denver School of Medicine, praised Taiwan's medical innovation and quality as world-class. Recognizing Taiwan's global leadership in AI solutions, smart healthcare, and pandemic prevention, the Microsoft Healthcare VP eagerly anticipates sharing Taiwan's experiences globally through collaboration with IBMI, creating new opportunities for Taiwan's medical industry.
