Due to the pandemic, we''re at a historic moment for the global economy. Economists agree that the lockdowns, the bankruptcies, and the working from home will all have an impact that lasts long after COVID comes to an end. What will the post-COVID world look like? Our reporter Stephany Yang asked some Taiwan experts about what to expect.

The pandemic is not only changing the way people work, but also their attitudes toward adopting new technology. Experts believe that in the post-COVID world, there will be emerging opportunities in areas such as smart senior health care, tele-surgery, smart living, and smart industry 4.0. One expert believes that the effects of COVID will accelerate digital transformation.

Dennis Hu
Foundation for Commerce & Culture Interchange
Scientists, industry people, they say because of COVID-19, maybe originally it’s 5-10 years for some applications to be realized or popular in application or in society, but now it be shortened to three to five years.

In response to COVID-19, Taiwan manufacturers managed to assemble 60 mask production lines in less than a month. It’s a feat that would normally take half a year. And with that, Taiwan’s mask output went from 1.8 million face masks per day in January to 17 million today. Professor Lin Chien-fu says that in the post-COVID world, the global production of certain medicines and PPE, or personal protective equipment, will likely be greater than before.

Lin Chien-fu
CTBC business school professor
In the future, you might see various countries producing their own medical supplies, such as masks, protective garments, antibiotics, and certain medicines. Our manufacturers must be ready to ride this trend. Industry 4.0 will be a great help as we work to build up the nation’s industry chain. The second thing is that Taiwan is a small and open economy. You can’t just rely on yourself.

COVID-19 has brought recreational travel to a halt, but now some cruise lines have announced plans to sail from August 2020. A scholar warns that it will be important to enforce proper health and hygiene protocols. He doesn''t see cruises as truly safe for another five to seven years.

Wang Kuan-hsiung
NTU East Asian studies professor
If we can pay attention or to enforce the sanitary regulations or other regulations to control the medical situation, I think that should be OK in the future. However, It still takes time. It might be another five to seven years to go.

Governments are seeing varying degrees of success in their fight against COVID-19. Scholars believe that there are many more challenges ahead, and that global teamwork will be key to defeating the pandemic.

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