Monte Jade Science and Technology Association Executive Secretary Herb Lin: How to get the world to invest in Taiwan 玉山科技協會秘書長林和源 如何讓世界投資台灣
The years since 2000 have been a period of adjustment for Taiwan’s venture capital industry, with a significant fall in the number of new businesses receiving venture capital funding. Herb Lin (Lin Ho-Yuan), the Executive Secretary of the Monte Jade Science and Technology Association (and also President of the Industrial Technology Investment Corporation), is concerned about this situation. Lin points out that “Although the production value of the venture capital sector is small, the impact which this sector has is enormous, since it is the source of all start-up activity and innovation. If other people aren’t doing it, then we need to take the lead and do it ourselves.”
自2000年後，台灣創投產業進入調整期，新的創業投資事業家數大幅減少。玉山科技協會秘書長、也是工研院創新工業技術移轉公司（ITIC）總經理林和源林和源對此憂心，但他表示：「創投產業產值很小，但影響很大，是所有創新創業的來源，別人不做，我們就要帶頭來做。」
“When the global financial crisis struck, the whole world was swept by panic, and venture capital funding dried up. And this was at a time when firms really needed funding support, and when the cost of investment was relatively low.” During this period, ITIC chose to invest NT$100 million in Sentien Printing, the world’s second largest notebook PC casing transfer film company, with the potential for a 5- or 6-fold return on investment.
「金融海嘯發生時，全球一陣恐慌，創投全面縮手，企業最需要資金解燃眉之急，此時投資成本也較低，」當時，創新公司選擇全球排名第二的筆記型電腦機殼轉印膜公司——森田印刷廠投資新台幣1億元，潛在獲利高達5、6倍。
In the medical sector, over the next two years the scope of coverage of China’s national health insurance system will be expanded to cover an additional 200 million people. Demand for medical care is very high in other emerging economies, too, creating significant market opportunities for Taiwanese firms in the areas of optoelectronics, scanners, medical software etc. As a result of China’s One-child Policy, demand for the provision of medical care for the elderly is growing rapidly. The kinds of services that are needed are services that combine reasonable quality with low price, or “good enough” services; Taiwan is well-placed to help provide these types of services.
在醫療領域，未來2年中國有2億人將進入健保體系，新興國家的醫療照護需求也很大，包括光電、掃瞄器、軟體等醫材，台灣都有機會。大陸一胎化後，如今老年人的醫療照護需求大增，但要的是有相當品質、但價格不高的服務，「只要夠用就好」，這正是台灣具有優勢的部分。
“Taiwan lacks human talent; it is not just money that has dried up, the supply of human talent has dried up as well.” Herb Lin notes that, in the past, the normal practice was to provide funding assistance for overseas start-ups, and then encourage them to invest in Taiwan and transfer technology to Taiwan, but that this strategy has clearly been ineffective in bringing about a significant increase in investment in Taiwan. The new strategy is to encourage investment in biomaterials and green energy funds. Once the money starts to flow in, the human talent will come with it. As Herb Lin sees it, the opportunities for Taiwan are enormous.
「台灣人才不夠多，不僅錢枯竭了，人也枯竭了，」林和源說，以前的作法是將資金交給國外創投，鼓勵他們將資金及技術帶進來，但顯然不能達到投資台灣的效果；經過調整，改為要創投把資金投到生材綠能基金，錢進來，人自然就會進來，對台灣而言，機會就很大。
自2000年後，台灣創投產業進入調整期，新的創業投資事業家數大幅減少。玉山科技協會秘書長、也是工研院創新工業技術移轉公司（ITIC）總經理林和源林和源對此憂心，但他表示：「創投產業產值很小，但影響很大，是所有創新創業的來源，別人不做，我們就要帶頭來做。」
“When the global financial crisis struck, the whole world was swept by panic, and venture capital funding dried up. And this was at a time when firms really needed funding support, and when the cost of investment was relatively low.” During this period, ITIC chose to invest NT$100 million in Sentien Printing, the world’s second largest notebook PC casing transfer film company, with the potential for a 5- or 6-fold return on investment.
「金融海嘯發生時，全球一陣恐慌，創投全面縮手，企業最需要資金解燃眉之急，此時投資成本也較低，」當時，創新公司選擇全球排名第二的筆記型電腦機殼轉印膜公司——森田印刷廠投資新台幣1億元，潛在獲利高達5、6倍。
In the medical sector, over the next two years the scope of coverage of China’s national health insurance system will be expanded to cover an additional 200 million people. Demand for medical care is very high in other emerging economies, too, creating significant market opportunities for Taiwanese firms in the areas of optoelectronics, scanners, medical software etc. As a result of China’s One-child Policy, demand for the provision of medical care for the elderly is growing rapidly. The kinds of services that are needed are services that combine reasonable quality with low price, or “good enough” services; Taiwan is well-placed to help provide these types of services.
在醫療領域，未來2年中國有2億人將進入健保體系，新興國家的醫療照護需求也很大，包括光電、掃瞄器、軟體等醫材，台灣都有機會。大陸一胎化後，如今老年人的醫療照護需求大增，但要的是有相當品質、但價格不高的服務，「只要夠用就好」，這正是台灣具有優勢的部分。
“Taiwan lacks human talent; it is not just money that has dried up, the supply of human talent has dried up as well.” Herb Lin notes that, in the past, the normal practice was to provide funding assistance for overseas start-ups, and then encourage them to invest in Taiwan and transfer technology to Taiwan, but that this strategy has clearly been ineffective in bringing about a significant increase in investment in Taiwan. The new strategy is to encourage investment in biomaterials and green energy funds. Once the money starts to flow in, the human talent will come with it. As Herb Lin sees it, the opportunities for Taiwan are enormous.
「台灣人才不夠多，不僅錢枯竭了，人也枯竭了，」林和源說，以前的作法是將資金交給國外創投，鼓勵他們將資金及技術帶進來，但顯然不能達到投資台灣的效果；經過調整，改為要創投把資金投到生材綠能基金，錢進來，人自然就會進來，對台灣而言，機會就很大。
