TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) underscored the importance of science and technology education and talent development Monday while meeting members of the Vis Mars Robotics Club, which participated in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) World Championship in June.
Lai said the government launched the AI Talent Ark Project this year to meet the demands of the AI era and nurture talent that cannot be replaced by AI, according to the Presidential Office. The project involves infrastructure development, talent training, and data-driven strategies.
Taiwan is also promoting 10 major AI infrastructure projects, with more than NT$40 billion (US$1.26 billion) allocated in next year’s central government budget. The government aims to train at least 500,000 AI application professionals by 2040 to promote smart applications across industries, increase Taiwan’s competitiveness, and meet the challenges of a new era.
Lai said he believed every member of the Vis Mars Robotics Club would become an important part of Taiwan’s AI workforce.
The club was forced to assemble a new robot using discarded parts from other teams after its original robot and equipment were held by Turkish customs. The replacement robot went on to win four consecutive qualifying matches and record the highest score of the day.
Lai said the students’ performance under pressure demonstrated their adaptability, resilience, and determination. He congratulated them and encouraged them to retain their enthusiasm and curiosity for learning.
