Taipei, Dec. 1 (CNA) Taiwan needs to step up efforts to develop its creative industry as its output in the field pales in comparison with leading countries, a representative of the Institute for Information Industry (III) said Friday.
Taiwan's 2004 output in the creative industry was US$17 billion, only slightly more thanone-tenth of the U.K.'s output of US$160 billion. The numbers indicate Taiwan has a long way to go in developing the industry, said Ho Wen-hsiung, director of III's Industry Support Division.
China's creative industry output is US$220 billion annually, while Japan checks in at US$130 billion, only slightly less than its well-known auto industry, Ho added.
With its reputation in creative industries throughout Asia, Taiwan should do better than that, he said.
Taiwan is capable of turning the tide in the sector of the digital creative industry, given its advantage in information and communication technology and rich cultural assets, Ho said.
It's never too late to start developing the creative industry, which makes up an integral part of a knowledge-based economy. And it is a route that Taiwan has to take because its output in the computer hardware industry went from US$20 billion in 2001 to US$10 billion in 2004, Ho noted.
"In fact, the creative industry is not a new industry. It is just a new integration of value chains," Ho pointed out.
III was established in 1979 as a non-profit organization, jointly sponsored by Taiwan's government and dozens of prominent private enterprises, for the purpose of growing and strengthening Taiwan's information industry development.