LAUNCHPAD: TASA has reviewed applications from 16 organizations seeking to open operations in its space start-up accelerator, it said in a report to lawmakers
- By Jonathan Chin / Staff writer, with CNA
The government is in talks with leaders in Taiwan’s tech industry to create a national space investment fund by next year, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday.
As the science and technology budget could only support the construction of a limited number of satellites, the council is seeking private investors to fund a meaningful number of satellites, Wu said at a meeting of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee.
“The future of the aerospace industry cannot depend solely on the government. Private-sector investment is needed to achieve the necessary scale, which is crucial for Taiwan to compete in space,” he said.
The Taiwan Space Agency shows off a rocket during the Double Ten National Day parade in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei on Oct. 10.Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
The proposed space fund would also seek foreign partnerships to bolster collaboration between Taiwan’s space program and those of international partners, Wu said.
The space industry is critical to national defense and security, but also represents considerable commercial potential, offering an attractive emerging market for private-sector partners, he said.
Wu said he expects an enthusiastic response from the private sector.
Regarding Taiwan’s possible role in NASA’s lunar exploration efforts, Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) Director-General Wu Jong-shinn (吳宗信) said that the US agency had identified 32 technological gaps for its Artemis program.
TASA on Wednesday held its first working meeting on the requirements, after seeking feedback from nearly 300 businesses, academic institutions and research organizations, he said.
The agency expects to issue a formal report assessing Taiwan’s industrial capabilities relevant to the Artemis program within the next three months, Wu Jong-shinn said.
TASA iSPARK, the agency’s space start-up accelerator, has finished its review of 16 companies applying for residency at the hub, an NSTC report submitted to legislators said, adding that TASA would next need to sign agreements with the selected groups and make arrangements for them to move into the facility.
The project would continue to help Taiwanese enterprises improve their commercialization capabilities and integrate into international space supply chains, with the aim of developing a Taiwanese space industry cluster, it said.