Turning Data into Business Opportunities: People's Livelihood Service Industries Must Understand How to Leverage Resources and Build Momentum
Gaining insights from consumer data and transforming them into business opportunities has become a fundamental capability that modern livelihood service industries must master after undergoing digital transformation.
As data application accelerates, improving data privacy protection and security regulations will become a necessary task to promote the upgrading of Taiwan's livelihood service industries. This is because ensuring the legality and transparency of data use can not only enhance user trust but also bring long-term stable development momentum to the industry.
Data Privacy and Security Regulations Rely on Government Legislation
But how can data privacy and security regulations be improved? The EU's experience reveals three inspirations. In 2024, the EU passed the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) to strengthen the regulation of AI technology, establishing an advanced protection framework based on GDPR, setting a benchmark for global data privacy and security management.
Among them, the EU specifically formulated strict regulations for high-risk AI applications (such as medical diagnosis, autonomous driving, and smart surveillance), including data transparency, risk assessment, and compliance certification. The implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Act has significantly enhanced the trustworthiness and competitiveness of European enterprises in the field of data applications, including 95% of EU enterprises believing that transparent data use regulations enhance customer trust; in the first quarter of 2024, the compliance service market for AI-related industries in the EU grew by 22%, demonstrating the positive market benefits brought by regulations; several major tech companies, including Europe's largest software provider SAP and engineering giant Siemens, have passed compliance certification and successfully entered the high-risk AI application market.
Taiwan can refer to the successful experience of the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act to improve local data privacy and security regulations, especially in sensitive areas of AI technology application (such as healthcare and smart cities), formulating corresponding risk assessment and compliance procedures. The government should prioritize establishing third-party data governance agencies in the smart healthcare and smart retail sectors to ensure data security and transparency of use. At the same time, technologies such as "post-quantum cryptography" should be adopted to ensure the security of data transmission and storage.
Government and Enterprises Collaborate to Foster Talent and International Cooperation
To compete globally, Taiwan must accelerate the cultivation of data science and AI talent and establish international cooperation platforms to attract cutting-edge technology and expertise to the local market.
Estonia, also a small country like Taiwan, understands the principle of leveraging strengths and cooperates with the EU through the "Digital Europe Program" to establish digital skills training centers, focusing on cultivating high-end talent in AI, data analysis, and digital security. It has successfully trained over 1,200 AI and data professionals, 70% of whom found employment in local or international technology companies after completing the courses.
Later, Estonia further teamed up with Finland to launch the "AI Arctic Circle Alliance," focusing on smart healthcare and smart city applications. The alliance attracted companies such as Google DeepMind and Nokia to participate, jointly promoting data sharing and standardization of AI application technologies, including bilateral cooperation on smart healthcare to develop AI models for health monitoring of chronic diseases, improving the efficiency of remote health management for patients; in the smart city sector, a jointly developed smart traffic management system was deployed in major cities in Estonia and Finland, reducing traffic congestion by 25%.
As a result, in 2024, Estonia attracted over 200 million euros in international investment in AI and smart applications. According to an EU evaluation report, the country's brain drain rate for data and AI talent decreased by 15%, contributing to the long-term development of the local technology ecosystem.
In fact, the Taiwanese government can also collaborate with international enterprises such as Google AI Center to establish innovation centers in Hsinchu Science Park, attracting international researchers and local experts to jointly develop technology and promote AI applications in retail, healthcare, and transportation; at the same time, relevant academic courses and corporate internship opportunities should be added to further expand the AI talent pool.
By drawing on international experience, Taiwan can establish comprehensive data security regulations and international technical cooperation, which will not only enhance consumer trust but also attract more foreign investment and cutting-edge technology companies to Taiwan. Looking ahead, only through collaboration between the government and enterprises, actively promoting data-driven smart transformation, can Taiwan continue to leverage its unique competitive advantages on the international stage and aspire to become a significant participant and leader in the global livelihood service industry.