“Southern Taiwan Alliance of Researchers & Scholars (STARS)” governed by Ministry of Economic Affairs, Department of Industrial Technology, identifies industries that need to be transformed and upgraded in Southern Taiwan through industry research and technique identification. Research institutes provide help with skills in industrial core technique development, the forming of industrial R&D alliance and industry clusters, industrial upgrade and transformation, and products innovation.
Executed by MIRDC, STARS has shown its great achievements in the past 2 years, which has urged 12 southern Taiwan local industries to form R&D alliances, including yatch hardware, aluminum extruder, steel equipment, padlock, automobile parts, paintball guns and spectacle industries, etc. From this year on, it is planned to reach out to industry clusters in middle and northern Taiwan, which relies on synergy among research institutes, such as MIRDC, Plastic Industry Development Center, Taiwan Bicycle R&D Center, Printing Technology Research Institute, Footwear and Recreation Technology Research Institute, United Ship Design and Development Center and so on.
This year (2009) STARS targets at another 15 southern Taiwan industries, including clock and watch, metal mould, food processing appliances, paper containers, leather, helmets, plastic medical supplies, metal cabinets, plastic injection molding, plastic pipe, mobile assistive devices, marine maintenance and repair, steel factory hydraulic system, heat treatment of aeronautical fasteners and pressure vessel industries. In the middle and northern Taiwan, a pilot project will work with hand tools, industrial valves, flowers materials, waste recycling and treatment, and bathroom accessories industries.