TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — BIO Asia–Taiwan said Tuesday that advances in AI are helping accelerate drug development and strengthen Taiwan’s push for greater self-sufficiency in biotechnology.
Organizers made the remarks at a press event in Taipei, highlighting how AI is contributing to new drug development and enabling scientific breakthroughs that shorten the path from clinical trials to market.
The press event was a precursor to the BIO Asia–Taiwan exhibition, scheduled for July 15–19 at the Nangang Exhibition Center, featuring about 2,200 booths and participants from more than 20 countries. It was billed as one of Asia’s leading biotechnology industry gatherings, per a press release.
Johnsee Lee (李鍾熙), honorary chair of the Taiwan Bio Industry Organization, said the conference will focus on three main themes: new opportunities for rapid commercialization in the AI era, expanding international engagement to showcase Asia’s biomedical strengths, and increasing participation from academia and research institutions.
Accelerating drug development
Lee said AI is accelerating drug development “from bench to bedside.” He noted Taiwan’s information technology sector has already benefited significantly from AI, creating opportunities for similar advances in healthcare and life sciences.
“Taiwan has been strong in hardware, but now we need to strengthen our software capabilities and integrate AI,” Lee said, adding that the technology can shorten clinical trial timelines and extend the effective use of patent lifecycles.
Lee also highlighted the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative, led by Academia Sinica, which he described as one of the world’s largest databases for disease research focusing on the genetic characteristics of Han Chinese populations. He said the project represents a major step forward in preventive medicine and public health.
The journal "Nature" has featured the initiative, attracting international attention. Organizers said such projects will be highlighted at this year’s conference to showcase innovation across Asia’s biotechnology sector.
AI assists in data analysis
Wallace Lin (林治華), secretary-general of the Taiwan Bio Industry Organization, said one of the biggest challenges in clinical trials is not research itself, but patient recruitment and management. AI can help match and screen patients more efficiently, improving recruitment and trial outcomes.
He added that AI is also being used to analyze large volumes of clinical data, significantly reducing time-consuming processes. More AI tools are being introduced across the development pipeline, from data preparation and algorithm design to regulatory review, he said.
Lin said this year’s event will feature expanded international participation and increased opportunities for regional cooperation, positioning Taiwan as a key partner for biotech development in Europe and the US.
He added that Taiwan gained greater visibility during the COVID pandemic through advances in treatments, vaccine development, and gene therapy, strengthening its role in global collaboration.
Supply chain resilience
Taiwan Bio Industry Organization Chair Liu Lee-cheng (劉理成) said the conference will also address supply chain resilience and geopolitical challenges. He said Taiwan continues to present opportunities in areas such as single-use technologies, protein-based drugs, and localized production.
Liu said that by using AI, leveraging Asia's networks for contract development and manufacturing organizations and contract research organizations, and speeding up regulatory reviews, the time to get new drugs approved could be cut by five to seven years.
AI applications span drug design, preclinical testing, clinical trials, manufacturing, supply chains, and data-driven decision-making, he said, improving success rates and enhancing Asia’s competitiveness in global biotech innovation.
Highlights of the conference
Featured speakers at the forum will include former Academia Sinica President Wong Chi-hui (翁啟惠), Nobel laureate Randy Schekman, and biotechnology entrepreneur Rudi Pauwels.
Organizers said the event will also include a regional collaboration forum and national pavilions from countries including the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, India, Poland, the Netherlands, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.
Liu said Taiwan’s role in the global biotechnology industry continues to grow through collaboration across industry, government, academia, and the medical sector, as reflected in the expanding scale of the BIO Asia–Taiwan conference each year.
