When the Executive Yuan was promoting ‘Taiwan Biotechnology Take-off Diamond Action Plan’ in the past, it mainly focused on reinforcing gaps in the value chain of pharmaceuticals and medical devices within the country. However, confronted with the high technical level in these two fields, complicated regulatory thresholds, long supply chains, an under-sized domestic market, and a relatively slow momentum to enter the global market, the Executive Yuan was keen to find out how to advance the industries more efficiently to the rest of the world. The Bio Taiwan Committee (BTC) last year concluded that the focus should be placed on the integration of three major areas, with medical management as the forerunner, pharmaceuticals and medical devices as the rearguard. As long as the forerunner fights to consolidate a new path, the rearguard can strive to develop new technologies and products for continuous overseas export. The interaction of these three pillars allows a more solid and rapid development of the biomedical industry. For example, the development of global aging brings with it considerable business opportunities in long-term care. Domestic capacities in information and communication technology, cloud data integration, and the advantage in medical management know-how are sharp weapons to gain access to international or emerging markets, and will stimulate even more substantial purchase demands for pharmaceuticals and medical devices. 

This year MHW subsidized the Taiwan Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation (TJCHA) to carry out the ‘Strategic Plan of Development of the Overall Biomedical and Health Care Industry Driven by Medical Management Services,’ and formed Medical Management Project Office (MMPO). Through medical management service export, MMPO plays the role of actual mediator as well as distributor for the health care related industries, effectively driving the development of the overall biomedical and health care industry in Taiwan and increasing white-collar job opportunities. This move has enabled Taiwan’s high-quality medical services to develop internationally, which is the so-called ‘Medical Management Industry Whole Project Export’ (MMIWPE). 

How does MMIWPE work? Through key knowledge system and core technology, medical management know-how, technology and products are modularized with their procedures integrated, and are transferred to overseas targets in the form of ‘total solutions’, so that the whole exported project can be reproduced and then operate effectively. In the form of whole project export, the essential software and hardware components that construct medical management services will be packaged and marketed as a single project, extending the output capacity of medical management services on one hand, and increasing the intangible value of knowledge that accompanies tangible export products on the other hand. However, whole project exports must link with key elements such as business models, intellectual property rights of the service, brand management, etc. to assure sustainable stability for development. The government can also make use of existing resources in the diplomatic system to build advanced bases for the export of our health care, medical management and medical service. At the same time, the advantage in health care and medical service industry can be used as the backup of our diplomatic system, thus unfolding a new era of ‘medical care diplomacy.’ 

MMPO is planning its work items for the coming year, providing counseling and support to model innovation of medical management service products, industrial module innovation, and market pattern innovation. The Executive Yuan also endeavors to enact timely laws, providing backup for the industry and improving necessary conditions such as a sound legal system, resources, and personnel to create a worry-free environment in which the transforming and fast-expanding industries of medical management service, pharmaceuticals and medical devices can sprint forward and develop!