TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The government plans to spend NT$10 billion (US$330.66 million) on a four-year plan to develop a smart robot brand, reports said Wednesday.

National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) will submit the plan to Thursday’s regular weekly Cabinet meeting, where it is expected to receive a green light, Radio Taiwan International reported. The National Development Council has prepared a separate NT$10 billion project spread over 10 years to establish an AI robot supply chain.

Apart from creating a new brand, the government plans will also help address the problem of labor shortages in several industries, Wu said. The idea is to produce more sophisticated robots than just mechanical arms piecing parts together in a factory, he added.

It is suggested that the company will also attract private funding and support for research and development, according to Wu. The government wants a smart robot manufacturing center for the Liuying industrial zone, and an R&D center for Liujia, both in Tainan.

As a result, even the manufacturers of robotic arms are interested in adapting AI for the production of service robots, Wu said. The minister predicted the first products would see the light in two years, with early applications in the health and hospitality sectors due to their problems finding enough staff.