News | Taiwan Blood Services Foundation ESG

On June 4, southern Taiwan reached an important milestone in medical and public health development. The Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site, built by the Taiwan Blood Services Foundation with an investment of NT$1 billion, held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. On the eve of its opening, the site also obtained Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification approval from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare. This double milestone marks the beginning of a new era for Taiwan’s blood supply system—one defined by higher quality, greater efficiency, and stronger resilience.

Caption: The Taiwan Blood Services Foundation held the opening ceremony for the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site. The ribbon-cutting was jointly conducted by Foundation Chairman Sheng-Mou Hou (center), Vice Chairman Shan-Chwen Chang (fourth from right), Supervisor Hsu-Sung Kuo (third from right), CEO Tsung-Hsi Wang (second from right), Kaohsiung Blood Center Director Chi-Min Hung (first from right), Deputy Director-General Yu-Ching Liu of the Department of Medical Affairs, Ministry of Health and Welfare (fourth from left), Deputy Secretary-General Chien-Lin Hsu of the Tainan City Government (third from left), Tainan Municipal An-Nan Hospital Superintendent Sheng-Che Lin (second from left), and Chi Mei Hospital Vice Superintendent Chien-Ching Hsu (first from left).

The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Director-General Yu-Ching Liu of the Department of Medical Affairs, Ministry of Health and Welfare; Deputy Secretary-General Chien-Lin Hsu of the Tainan City Government; Deputy Director-General Wen-Cheng Huang of the Tainan City Government Department of Health; as well as superintendents from local medical centers and regional hospitals in Tainan. Together, they witnessed the official launch of this blood component manufacturing center, which integrates smart technologies, automation, and high resilience. The distinguished attendance not only demonstrated the strong emphasis placed by both the central and local governments on blood safety policy, but also highlighted the medical community’s firm commitment to working together to safeguard the lives and health of the people.

Caption: Taiwan Blood Services Foundation Chairman Sheng-Mou Hou stated in his remarks that the opening and launch of the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site symbolizes the beginning of a new chapter for Taiwan’s blood services.

Taiwan Blood Services Foundation Chairman Sheng-Mou Hou said in his remarks, “I have waited 17 years for the opening and launch of the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site.” He noted that in 2009, a former chairman of the Taiwan Blood Services Foundation had already purchased the land, and architect Chao-Yung Shih had completed the design blueprint. However, the project faced difficulties in raising funds at the time. After all, the Blood Services Foundation is not a profit-making institution; every dollar comes from National Health Insurance reimbursements, and the prices of blood components are fixed. Expanding operations at that time was indeed challenging. Since joining the Blood Services Foundation in 2017, Chairman Hou resolved to overcome the difficulties and integrate the resources of the Kaohsiung and Tainan blood centers. This made it possible to build the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site. During this period, all colleagues at the Kaohsiung Blood Center worked extremely hard, with each person taking on the workload of five or six people.

Obtaining TFDA GMP Certification on the Eve of Opening
Chairman Hou also announced good news at the ceremony. He stated that on June 2, the Foundation received an official document from the Ministry of Health and Welfare confirming that the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site had obtained GMP approval. This means that the plasma raw materials manufactured there can be sent overseas for further processing into plasma derivatives, and that the site has passed certification based on the highest international standards. This is truly a cause for celebration. In addition, the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site is equipped with advanced and automated systems, including an AGV unmanned transport system and automated refrigerated and frozen storage systems. After its launch, the site can serve as the blood supply base for central and southern Taiwan, meaning that the medical blood needs of half of Taiwan’s population will be supplied by the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site. He also encouraged the Taipei Blood Center to learn from the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site when it undertakes future expansion.

Deputy Director-General Yu-Ching Liu of the Department of Medical Affairs, Ministry of Health and Welfare, said that she attended the opening ceremony in two capacities. First, as a director of the Taiwan Blood Services Foundation, she had seen Chairman Hou closely monitor the construction progress of the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site at every board meeting. Second, she represented the Ministry of Health and Welfare to express recognition and gratitude to everyone involved. As Chairman Hou stated, through everyone’s efforts, the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site has been completed, launched, and granted GMP approval. This demonstrates that it is a benchmark facility. The building also incorporates green energy, environmental protection, energy conservation, carbon reduction, full automation, and smart functions, making it a model for others to learn from.

However, Liu also reminded everyone that Taiwan is facing an aging population and a declining birthrate, resulting in a decrease in the blood donation rate among younger people. This requires joint efforts from all sectors, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare will also work to promote blood donation. Second, in recent years the Ministry has actively promoted a resilient national medical preparedness plan, in which the resilience of the blood supply is extremely important. In the event of war or other major disasters in Taiwan, blood preparedness must be planned ahead of time, requiring everyone to work together in response.

Deputy Secretary-General Chien-Lin Hsu: The Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site Is a Home for Bodhisattvas
Deputy Secretary-General Chien-Lin Hsu of the Tainan City Government stated that Tainan Mayor Wei-Che Huang was unable to attend because he was at the city council. Mayor Huang had personally attended both the groundbreaking and beam-raising ceremonies for the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site and had always been deeply concerned about the construction process of the building. Hsu said that blood donation service personnel are bodhisattvas among us, and the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site is like a home for these bodhisattvas. He also mentioned that since childhood he had often heard the saying, “One bag of donated blood saves one life,” but what truly made him feel the importance of blood was when a family member was hospitalized a few years ago and needed a blood transfusion late at night. For this reason, he said, Tainan citizens feel deeply honored that the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site has been established in Tainan.

Caption: On the opening day of the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site, Taiwan Blood Services Foundation Chairman Sheng-Mou Hou (third from right), Kaohsiung Blood Center Director Chi-Min Hung (second from right), Taichung Blood Center Director Ying-Sheng Hung (third from right), CEO Tsung-Hsi Wang (third from left), Taipei Blood Center Director Min-Chang Lin (second from left), and Hsinchu Blood Center Director Yun-Lung Wang (first from left) posed for a photo in front of the launch commemorative plaque.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests were given a guided tour of the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site, where they were introduced to the blood testing process, automated blood component testing equipment, and cold chain storage system. Many medical professionals expressed high praise for the scale of the equipment and the planning concept, noting that this is not only an important advancement in transfusion medicine in Taiwan, but also a major symbol of enhanced medical capacity in southern Taiwan.

Caption: Taiwan Blood Services Foundation Chairman Sheng-Mou Hou (center) expressed his hope that Annan Blood Component Manufacturing will greatly improve the quality of Taiwan’s blood component supply. After the opening ceremony, he posed for a photo with Kaohsiung Blood Center Director Chi-Min Hung (third from right), Liu Hsiu-Wen, Chair of the Board of Supervisors of the Taiwan Medical Association (third from left), and Foundation CEO Tsung-Hsi Wang (second from left).

The opening of the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site is the greatest joyful occasion in the past decade for the Taiwan Blood Services Foundation and the Chinese Blood Donation Association. Therefore, Foundation Vice Chairman Shan-Chwen Chang, Supervisor Hsu-Sung Kuo, Directors Sheng-Tang Wei and Han-Chuan Yang, CEO Tsung-Hsi Wang, Consultant Physicians Tung-Tsan Lin and Cheng-Sheng Hung, Association Executive Directors Kuan-Chou Lin, Kuo-Sen Chang, and Kuang-Chao Tsai, Executive Supervisor Yi-Tsuen Wu, as well as Liu Hsiu-Wen, Chair of the Board of Supervisors of the Taiwan Medical Association, all took time to attend the event and jointly witness the historic moment of the official launch of the Annan Blood Component Manufacturing Site.