Background and Goals
- Currently, the global enzyme market is dominated by European and American companies, with three major players (Novozymes, DuPont, and DSM) controlling over 75% of the market share. Taiwan heavily relies on enzyme imports, leaving the specifications, characteristics, and pricing of these products at the mercy of a few companies. This results in several industry challenges for Taiwan, including unreliable supply chains, price monopolies, and an inability to provide timely solutions. Furthermore, the low level of domestic autonomy in high-end enzyme raw materials hinders the development of a complete enzyme industry chain in Taiwan and impedes the advancement of innovative production processes and technologies.
- The goal is for Taiwan Sugar Corporation (TSC) to establish a joint-venture enzyme company. This company will collaborate closely with external strategic partners in areas such as technology development, production, marketing, and technical support services. It will aim to integrate domestic and international enzyme-related technologies and resources, leveraging the strengths of its strategic partners to capitalize on market opportunities. This initiative will simultaneously contribute to the development of upstream, midstream, and downstream biotechnology industries in Taiwan, providing crucial elements for bio-cycles within the circular economy and enhancing Taiwan's global competitiveness.
- The newly established enzyme company will be positioned as an R&D and design-oriented company with an estimated capital of NT$2.5 billion. It will build upon TSC's existing expertise in bacterial strain development and fermentation technologies, utilizing the Livestock Business Division as an application platform. The initial goal is to develop feed enzymes to replace imports, with a gradual expansion to develop enzyme products that can support Taiwan's industrial upgrading and transition to green manufacturing processes.
Implementation Progress
- Taiwan Enzyme Corporation was officially established on July 15, 2022.
- TSC's Research Institute has completed the production processes for composite xylanase, feather-hydrolyzing enzymes, and phytase feed enzymes, as well as multiple feeding trials. These technologies have been transferred to Taiwan Enzyme Corporation.
- TSC provides ongoing consultation services and technical support for the transferred technologies.
Future Development
- Composite xylanase was launched and commercially available in 2022. Feather hydrolyzing enzymes and phytase are expected to enter full-scale production and be commercially available at Taiwan Enzyme Corporation in the first or second quarter of 2024.
- The company will provide guidance to Taiwanese industries to establish green manufacturing processes and green products, contributing to environmental benefits and supporting industrial upgrading.
Expected Benefits
- Replace imported feed enzymes.
- Offer food-grade, industrial-grade, and biomedical enzymes. The development will focus on innovative and customized products, assisting Taiwanese manufacturers in product and process innovation and fostering new business ventures.
- Industrialize technologies developed in academia and research institutions, increasing the value of these technologies and creating employment opportunities.
Collaboration Partners and Opportunities
- Collaborate with petrochemical or traditional industry companies to jointly develop green manufacturing processes or transformation projects.
- Partner with universities or research institutions to commercialize research and development projects with commercial potential.
