TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) attended the Presidential Hackathon on Monday (Oct. 28), encouraging participants to use technology creatively to help Taiwan’s government move towards an age-friendly, sustainable future.
Since its inception in 2018, the Presidential Hackathon has become an anticipated event, receiving more than 1,100 proposals over the past six years. During this time, the event has selected 30 outstanding teams whose work and ideas have guided national policy, per RTI.
Hsiao said Taiwan will soon become a “super-aged society” with long-term care needs demanding more resources from the government. In response to these future challenges, she hoped innovators and hackers could harness the spirit of open data and AI to develop innovative solutions.
Hsiao said hackers have been called to help improve government efficiency in areas such as healthcare and governance. She said the event is consistent with President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) vision of future governance.
“President Lai expressed his hope to work with people from all walks of life to build a healthy Taiwan, promoting the three principles of cooperation, technology, and broadening horizons,” Hsiao said. "These elements are also consistent with the Presidential Hackathon.”
The event promotes public-private collaboration in a cross-border and cross-domain manner, combining open data and technology to propose creative solutions and expand the scope of application, according to Hsiao.
Taiwan Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) said innovation and sustainability are two sides of the same coin, which is also an important concept in promoting Smart Taiwan 2.0. In the future, Taiwan will seek to enhance its strategic position in the supply chain through R&D and innovation, while encouraging software and data-driven innovation that respects human rights.
Cheng also thanked the Ministry of Digital Affairs for promoting science and technology. It will continue to leverage Taiwan's soft power in science, technology, and democracy to exchange and cooperate with countries that share similar ideals.
According to Cheng, Taiwan is a country that already enjoys many global manufacturing advantages. Cheng believes Taiwan can become a net exporter of innovative solutions and make future contributions to the world through digital democracy.
