President Tsai Ing-wen attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a national ship model test laboratory May 16 in Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan, reiterating the government’s commitment to promoting indigenous shipbuilding for a more secure and prosperous nation.
According to the president, the project began in 2022 as part of the government’s indigenous shipbuilding endeavor and involves the country’s academic, public and private sectors. Designed by the Ocean Affairs Council and National Academy of Marine Research, the lab will also conduct testing for the local shipbuilding sector, as well as the ROC (Taiwan) Navy and the OAC’s Coast Guard Administration, she added.
Tsai said while there are ship model test tanks at four universities in Taiwan, none can conduct the seakeeping, maneuverability and rotating arm tests required of new ships. When the national lab is inaugurated in 2027, the president added it will be able to provide these key services, thus cutting delivery time for new ships and avoiding data breaches.
Equally important, Tsai said infrastructure development related to indigenous shipbuilding has also prompted development of local supply chains. The government will sign cooperative pacts with the four universities that currently conduct testing, and integrate all available resources to further enhance Taiwan’s shipbuilding capacities, she added.
The president concluded her speech by thanking all those involved in bringing the project to fruition, adding that the government will continue to engage with the world to safeguard Taiwan’s freedom and democracy. (SFC-E)
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from Taiwan Today – Top News