Evolution of science and technology policy of Taiwan's government in the 1970-2000s: interest groups

Dynamic science and technology development of Taiwan since 1970-s was entailed by the number of internal and external factors, the main of them, however, was the government policy. Till 1987, while the state of emergency remained valid and under the conditions of authoritarian political regime of Kuomintang, it was Taiwanese technocrats who worked out science and technology policy. The technocrats being loyal to presidents Chiang Kai-Shek and Chiang Ching-Kuo, to some extent were under the ideological influence of the Western science schools, had extensive personal and business relations with the Western, mostly American, businessmen and officials. The technocrats faced little influence from local interest groups as the latter were weak and discrete. Taiwanese technocratic government set up a strong science and technology base, promoted the establishment of state-funded research institutes (ITRI, III) and Hsinchu Science Park, which became the basement for the rapid S&T development of Taiwan. Political and social changes started in the second half of 1980-s resulted in democratic transition, emergence of legal opposition in 1986 (Democratic Progressive Party) and the transformations of how political decisions were taken. Democratization of Kuomintang regime has led to complication of science and technology policy: on one hand, the competition between various governmental agencies has started, on the other hand, different interested groups gained enough power to put pressure on the government. Taking biotechnology as an example, in 2000-s, under the democratic conditions Taiwan's S&T policy has been a compromise of the following political powers: 1) executive agencies (National Science Council, Council of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Academia Sinica, etc.); 2) political parties (green coalition under DPP, blue coalition under Kuomintang); 3) business groups: small and medium-sized enterprises as they are the most wide business layer, 4) academics, scientists and experts. Each power strives for promotion of its interests, allocation of resources and subsidies, carries out independent researches in its own realm. The power of the technocrats has eroded in the 2000-s, and this term is now seldom used to describe politicians in Taiwan. Although democratic transition has undermined the power of technocrats who created science and technology system of Taiwan in 1970-1990-s, by the 2000 the private sector has become mature enough to sustain S&T development. The quantitative S&T indicators show that Taiwan S&T system remained its growth pace and become more private-funded and independent.

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