跨鏈創新：臺灣防疫熔噴設備的國產化

Innovation through Cross-industry Links in Taiwan: Building Indigenous PPE Supply Chains for Meltblown Machines during the COVID-19 Pandemic

口罩成為COVID-19疫情的重要防疫物資，是因為中間層的熔噴不織布可以發揮阻絕病毒的效果。疫情爆發初期，各國都缺口罩原料，由於相關熔噴設備製造困難度高，過去仰賴德國、日本等工業大國進口。然而，臺灣廠商卻能在兩個月的時間內，從完全沒有經驗到完成整臺高精密度熔噴設備，自足生產關鍵部品熔噴布，進而達到從原料到設備的口罩供應鏈國產化的在地整合。
跨鏈創新指的是分散式生產網絡中的中間部門廠商，從原本的產業網絡連結到另一個產業網絡，進行技術探索與研發的過程。本文藉由兩個案例說明熔噴設備國產化的開發及技術突破，是臺灣分散式生產網絡中的專業製造商，為了解決其他產業的特定問題，透過技術互賴及技術趨同的機制，驅動群體學習與技術擴散的成果。在這個中小企業網絡實現跨鏈創新的過程中，公共研發機構及產業公會扮演跨產業鏈連結的關鍵角色，有別於既有模仿、代工，或是國家領導論述的技術能力建構機制，兼具實證與理論意涵。

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world faced a shortage of PPE materials and meltblown fabrics for face masks and respirators. Some Taiwanese plastic machinery manufacturers responded by building meltblown fabric machines in two months, despite having no prior experience. Their locally made machines supported increased production and ensured a steady supply of masks and PPE. This paper uses in-depth case studies to explain how the technological breakthroughs in meltblown machines came about. The term “cross-industry innovation” is introduced to illustrate the technological explorations and learning in Taiwan’s decentralized industrial setting. (1) Propelled by the need to solve problems for customers, specialized goods firms launched technology explorations by mobilizing resources from their own supply chain to network with other industries. (2) Public research institutes induced cross-industry fertilization by bridging production networks, disseminating knowledge, and shortening learning curves. The technological advancements by specialist firms generated knowledge diffusion, induced downstream entrepreneurship, and encouraged further explorations by upstream suppliers of materials. This cross-industry innovation demonstrated dynamic learning processes involving the labs of individual firms in tandem with inter-firm networks, the entire supply chain, and other industrial networks.