Maker Movement takes root at Taiwan universities

2016/04/29

National Yunlin University of Science and Technology and National Formosa University in central Taiwan are embracing the global Maker Movement as part of a Ministry of Education-backed program fostering a climate of youth innovation and entrepreneurship in Taiwan.

NYUST and NFU joined April 20 National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology in southern Taiwan and National Taipei University of Technology in northern Taiwan as one of the three regional centers for the Maker Movement of small businesses creating and selling self-made products.

Under the MOE initiative launched last May at NKUST and November at NTUT, workspace, equipment and mentoring are provided on campus for participants. It is envisaged that each university will develop a concentration area capitalizing on its academic strengths. In addition, they will act as models for other schools in the regions seeking to spur grass-roots business incubation activity.

According to an official from the MOE Department of Technological and Vocational Education, many young people have commercially viable ideas, but cannot access resources or guidance from academics, experts and industry professionals.

“Without support, it is almost impossible for them to give it a go and develop ideas with their own hands,” the official said, adding that the program is a stepping stone for tapping an even larger pool of government funding on the road to realizing a product’s full market potential.

The MOE initiative is in line with Taiwan’s transformation into an innovation-oriented economy, as the government restructures the industrial sector and encourages traditional industries to pursue value-added strategies. This is expected to assist the country in retaining its competitive edge while laying the foundations for renewed growth.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=244191&ctNode=2194&mp=9)