Biomedtech island project and risk governance. Paradigm conflicts within a hidden and delayed high-tech risk society

Abstract

Among global fierce competitions of biotechnological R&D, as a newly industrialized country and a burgeoning IT power in East Asia, the Taiwan government declared to boost the project - »Island of Bio-medical Technology« in 2005. It attempts to combine niches of local IT industry superiority to construct electronic bio-medical industry thus become the gene research center of global Chinese simultaneously. However, these beaming techno-industrial policy decisions are encountering highly suspicions in terms of human right, ethics, and society development. They not only rouse continuous paradigm war of risk but also bring challenges to the state's capacity on risk governance in its technological policy decision-making. The primary purpose of this article is to critically discuss decision-making problems in developmental states that deal with disputed and sensitive technological policy. Moreover, by reflecting the example of Taiwan, this article attempts to analyze the emergence of risk governance paradigm conflicts as well as assess the kinds of models and cultures that are created due to this confrontation between disputed technological policy decision-making and society. Secondly, the author tends to further illuminate the pull-push tension behind the special risk governance structures and risk cultures. Phenomena observed from discussions are further examined in depth only if they are problems common to other newly industrialized countries in terms of technological development; or, if they serve as stumbling blocks for a hidden, delayed high-tech risk society that is weaker than those of Western advanced industrial countries and with double risks that may influence global risk governance.