International Symposium on Medical Technology and Biotechnology Industry Collaboration Held at NCKU — Health Data Governance and Japan’s PFI Hospital Operations in Focus
Written by Lin Yun-Mao. Image credit to NCKU News Center.
On June 21, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) hosted the International Symposium on Medical Technology and Biotechnology Industry Collaboration at Macronix Hall. The event brought together experts from Taiwan and Japan across the medical, technology, and industrial sectors. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on cutting-edge topics such as smart healthcare, data governance, biotechnology innovation, and international collaboration. The symposium aimed to draw lessons from the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (KBIC) in Japan, with the goal of further internationalizing NCKU Shalun Healthcare and Innovation Park.More than 100 students, faculty members, and industry representatives took part in the event.
On June 21, NCKU hosted the International Symposium on Medical Technology and Biotechnology Industry Collaboration at Macronix Hall.
NCKU Shalun Healthcare and Innovation Park is scheduled for completion in 2031. To promote the international development of Taiwan’s smart healthcare and biotechnology sectors, NCKU led a delegation to KBIC in collaboration with ITOCHU Corporation in March. The visit focused on exploring industrial cluster development, smart healthcare applications, and AI-driven innovation. Building on that exchange, NCKU hosted a symposium this June, inviting Kobe Medical Care Partners, Kobe City Eye Hospital, and other Japanese institutions to share insights and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Tainan Deputy Mayor Chao Ching-Hui expressed hope that Taiwan’s biotechnology and medical industries could draw valuable insights from the experience of Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital.
In her opening remarks, Tainan City Deputy Mayor Chao Ching-Hui noted that Tainan is one of the first cities in Taiwan to actively engage in smart city development. She emphasized that the city has not only provided practical grounds for implementing local policies but also laid a strong foundation for industrial upgrading, digital transformation, and the integration of AI technologies in various industries. Chao expressed her hope that this collaboration would introduce new technologies as a key driver of medical innovation, ultimately enhancing the quality and comprehensiveness of healthcare services for Tainan residents. She also mentioned the upcoming Long-term Care Plan 3.0, which aims to support aging in place according to individuals’ varying health conditions. Since home healthcare will serve as the frontline of this initiative, and ensuring continuity of care remains a major challenge, the integration of advanced technologies will be essential. In conclusion, she looked forward to Taiwan’s biotechnology and medical industries gaining valuable insights from the operational experience of Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital.
NCKU Hospital Superintendent Ching-Wei Lee anticipated that the symposium would inspire new ideas to further enhance the NCKU Shalun Healthcare and Innovation Park.
NCKU Hospital Superintendent Ching-Wei Lee stated that the symposium—organized by the NCKU Health Service and Digital Innovation Promotion Office along with other affiliated units—served two main purposes: first, to deepen medical technology exchange between Taiwan and Japan; and second, to demonstrate the practical applications of data governance, AI, and the private finance initiative(PFI) model in healthcare, thereby laying a solid foundation for the advancement of smart healthcare and industry innovation.
Superintendent Lee shared that he had previously led a delegation to Kobe to study its post-development model, with the hope of applying similar principles to the development of NCKU Shalun Healthcare and Innovation Park. He remarked that the globalization of healthcare and the many variables associated with aging societies both present significant challenges. Lee also reflected on a visit to Singapore, where he observed that hospitals were designed to feel like home, allowing aging patients to remain in a familiar environment even while receiving care. After visiting Kobe, he was deeply impressed by the coordinated planning of equipment and infrastructure integrated with digital systems. He also expressed his pleasure in welcoming the Japanese team to share their insights at the forum. Looking ahead, Lee emphasized that the future holds limitless possibilities. He believed that this opportunity for exchange and collaboration will further strengthen and enhance the development of NCKU Shalun Healthcare and Innovation Park.
Via video, NCKU Vice President Yao-Huang Kuo expressed his sincere gratitude to Kobe Medical Care Partners, Kobe City Eye Hospital, and other medical teams from Japan for traveling such a long distance to participate in the forum.
Via video, NCKU Vice President Yao-Huang Kuo expressed his sincere gratitude to Kobe Medical Care Partners, Kobe City Eye Hospital, and other medical teams from Japan for traveling such a long distance to share their insights on advancing international medical collaboration and driving digital transformation in healthcare. He stated that this was not only an exchange of technology and strategy, but also a collaborative effort to explore the future of healthcare. NCKU and NCKU Hospital possess strong interdisciplinary research capacity in smart healthcare, along with robust clinical expertise. By learning from the successful model of KBIC, the university aims to develop the NCKU Shalun Healthcare and Innovation Park into an internationally competitive smart healthcare industrial cluster—driven by digital innovation, precision medicine applications, and by attracting biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to base their operations in the park. "It is hoped that digital health technologies will improve public health and well-being, while driving industrial transformation and economic upgrading in southern Taiwan. Through this exchange, you can gain a deeper understanding of medical innovation practices under different healthcare systems and cultural contexts, and be inspired to explore further opportunities for collaboration."
Li, Chung-Yi, Distinguished Professor at NCKU’s Institute of Public Health, delivered the opening keynote titled “Data Governance and Population Health.”
In his lecture titled “Data Governance and Population Health,” Distinguished Professor Li, Chung-Yi of NCKU’s Institute of Public Health explained how Taiwan integrates diverse datasets—including National Health Insurance, birth registration , cause-of-death statistics, and the cancer registry-to advance evidence-based medicine and public health policymaking. He cited case studies such as the driver’s license renewal policy for the elderly and disparities in children’s health resources, emphasizing the importance of data-driven policymaking in reducing health inequalities.
The second presentation, titled “AWS and GenAI accelerate the innovation” was delivered by Bryan Chu, Senior Business Development Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS) Taiwan. He was followed by Karen Chiang, Manager of Healthcare Informatics at Philips Taiwan, who introduced smart healthcare innovation strategies and shared the outcomes of Philips’ collaboration with NCKU. Christie Lin, Director of the Chairman Office, Smart City Platform at Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. also presented how the company has enhanced in-hospital logistics efficiency and reduced manpower demands, contributing to the development and breakthroughs of a smart healthcare environment under digital transformation.
The symposium brought together experts from Taiwan and Japan across the medical, technology, and industrial sectors to explore key topics such as smart healthcare, data governance, biotech innovation, and international collaboration.
In the afternoon session, the focus shifted to Japan’s advanced healthcare models and its experience with PFI implementation. Takano Kazuhiro, Managing Director of Kobe Medical Care Partners, introduced the PFI operational model of Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital. Serving as a flagship hospital in Kobe, it has 768 beds and is renowned for its 24/7 emergency services and advanced surgical capabilities. By incorporating private capital and management, the hospital has become a model case in Japan—enhancing medical efficiency and patient experience, while also featuring disaster resilience and eco-design.
In the next lecture, Dr. Maeda Tadao of Kobe City Eye Hospital shared the latest developments in retinal regeneration and gene therapy, highlighting the clinical application potential of precision medicine. Mori Shigeki, General Manager of Sinfonia Engineering Co., introduced Tray-Liner , a hospital logistics system used in Japan, highlighting the efficient management and system integration that underpin smart healthcare.
The final panel session was co-hosted by Kuo, Chao-Chung, Director General of the Department of Industrial Technology at the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), and Hsu, I-Lin, CEO of NCKU Health Service and Digital Innovation Promotion Office. Panelists from both Taiwan and Japan discussed opportunities for international collaboration in smart healthcare and the biotechnology industry. They emphasized that cross-industry resource integration will be critical to future industrial upgrading and global health governance.
Provider:
NCKU News Center
Date:
2025-07-09
Click Num:
Share