ITRI...The Taiwan Experience

I had the privilege of being invited to a special forum of the Congressional Committee of Science,Technology and Engineering (COMSTE). This is a special committee of the Philippine Congress. Today's forum featured Dr. Cayetano Paderanga, one of our foremost economists, who gave a very good update of the country's economic performance. The main speaker was Dr. Johnsee Lee of the Industry Technology Research Institue.

ITRI is credited for playing a key role in Taiwan's transition to a High Tech economy. Dr Lee highlighted the activities of ITRI in the past decades like birthing companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Universal Microelectronics Company. Today ITRI works to bring frontier technologies such as Photovoltaics, Nanotech and Biotech.

Overall the talk was inspiring, bittersweet and alarming. Inspiring because Taiwan was able to overcome scarce resources and international marginalization. Bittersweet because decades ago we were training Taiwanese engineers now its the reverse. Threatening because they are now positioning themselves in areas like Photovoltaics , which is a key focus area for the Philippines.

Industry reps in COMSTE proposed an ITRI-like entity. I'm not so sure what strategy they intend to take, but I think industry can start something unilaterally. They can establish a non-profit entity (just like ITRI), pool funds and establish technical capability. After this, they can lobby for projects and be a contractor for the DOST or DOE. Dr Lee kept on repeating that ITRI is a contractor of the Taiwanese government.

The concept of a non-profit doing work for the government is not new in the energy sector. The defunct UNDP-GEF-DOE CBRED project attempted to establish a non-profit Market Service Center for renewable energy development. CBRED was shutdown because of project management issues. Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes keeps on saying that social mobilization is essential to meet development goals. An industry initiated/led institute would be essential to Sustainable Energy advancement.



EE times interview of Johnsee Lee talking about the latest activities of ITRI