To explore global trends in marine industry development and human resource cultivation, the National Academy of Marine Research (NAMR) held the 2025 National Maritime Talent Development Forum today (Sep 1) at the City Suites – Kaohsiung Chenai. The event attracted more than 100 participants from across Taiwan’s public, private, and academic sectors, uniting professionals to share best practices in talent development and to outline a clear blueprint for the future of Taiwan’s blue economy workforce.
Under the theme “From Industry to Competency: Developing Talent for a New Ocean Future,” the forum featured 10 distinguished speakers from both within and outside NAMR. Among them were Director Keng-Hua Kuo of the Workforce Development Agency’s Kaohsiung-Pingtung-Penghu-Taitung Regional Branch, Director Kuo-Ting Chou of the Environmental Education Certification Center, Researcher Emma Chu from the Metal Industries Research & Development Centre, Professor Fu-Man Hsieh of Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, Chairman Chung-Min Wu of the Coatings Technology Committee of the Corrosion Engineering Association of RC, and COO Chia-I Lu of the Association for the Promotion of Leisure Activities for People with Disabilities, among others. Each expert shared insights from their respective fields, highlighting Taiwan’s achievements in nurturing marine professionals and developing specialized ocean-related competencies.
NAMR President Chung-Ling Chen emphasized that as the marine industry undergoes transformation and faces the challenges of sustainability and global competition, Taiwan must establish localized competency frameworks and training systems to equip marine professionals with the skills needed to navigate the international stage. She noted that marine talent cultivation should not be confined to classrooms or laboratories; it must engage directly with markets and industry settings to align with real-world needs.
NAMR further stated that the forum not only promoted policy dialogue among government, academia, and industry but also gathered cross-sectoral perspectives from the private sector to inform future planning for talent development and industry training mechanisms. Looking ahead, NAMR will continue strengthening multi-sector collaboration to advance marine competency mapping and curriculum design, gradually building a comprehensive ecosystem for marine talent cultivation and enhancing the competitive edge of Taiwan’s blue industries.
