台灣生物晶片產業競爭力分析

Biochip industry is characterized as being technology intensive, capital intensive, high risk, long time before reaching break-even point, and high return if technology breakthrough exists. It requires inter-disciplinary knowledge in life science, chemistry, semiconductor, micro electrical and mechanical systems, computer science, statistics, and bio-informatics. Biochip employs the characteristics of semiconductor integrated circuit technology, which allows millions of samples of DNA or RNA to be stored in the tiny cells of silicon or glass substrate. Each of the cells can perform biochemical analysis or test simultaneously. Therefore, the biochip has advantages of high throughput, simplicity, convenience, integration and parallel processing etc. It can reduce significant time and cost in application areas such as new drug development, personal identification, criminal scene investigation, medical diagnosis, etc. Biochip companies focus their R&D in gene expression, genotyping, high-speed screening test, DNA sequencing, etc. However, most biochip companies are still at a loss because of difficulty in technology breakthrough. This research applied the industry analysis model to analyze the global biochip industry, and the strategies and the competitiveness of the top three biochip companies in the United States. Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of Taiwan's biochip industry and the market demand, this research proposed possible developing strategies and opportunities for Taiwan’s biochip companies.