Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC) held the inaugural meeting of the Alliance of the Digital Pathology Imaging Industry in Kaohsiung's Garden Villa on July 11, 2017. By linking industry, academia and research institutes through interdisciplinary integration, MIRDC hopes to establish the technological breakthroughs in digital pathology imaging in Taiwan, so as to enhance the domestic digital pathology imaging industry's capabilities.
MIRDC integrated resources of E-DA Hospital, Cathay General Hospital, and National Chung Hsing University for the Alliance of the Digital Pathology Imaging Industry. With the capabilities of domestic industry, academia, research institutes and hospitals, the alliance is led by Easy Field Corporation and brings together hardware and software companies, including Farpo Enterprise Co., Ltd., and Weihon Precision Technology Co., Ltd.,.
Dr. Chih-Lung Lin, Vice President of the MIRDC, stated that the global market for digital pathology products is roughly US$2.5 billion and is expected to reach US$5.7 billion by 2020 with CAGR 14.3%. This is a blue ocean that companies in highly industrialized economies are actively trying to enter. With the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT)'s support, the MIRDC began developing pathological image scanning/ cell characteristics analysis and recognition technologies in 2015, an endeavor under the policy to develop the medical imaging equipment industry. The MIRDC hopes to assist AOI (automated optical inspection) companies with transitioning to the development of digital pathology systems, and establish a domestic industrial chain for digital pathology imaging, providing an opportunity for transforming the ICT industry.
Mr. Wen-I Luo, Vice Chairman of Easy Field Corporation, which is the leading company of the alliance, indicated that the domestic AOI industry has already been equipped with the basic capabilities required for developing pathological scanning equipment, such as electronic devices, precision positioning & control, and optical imaging. With members of the alliance using their specialized knowledge to provide guidance, as well as support from advanced technologies provided by academia, the risk of transformation can be reduced for enterprises in a different industry. All of these will accelerate the development of digital pathology imaging systems and shorten the time before they launch into market.