日本政府介入數位內容產業的時機比韓國和台灣都晚，但何處長說，日本動畫產業的規模是台灣的五十倍，像皮卡丘等icon，都是超級吸金機。日本的動畫產業有現在這種規模和成就，何處長補充，「那是因為日本漫畫產業的根基相當深厚，整體產業更是高度講究產業效益，針對能賺的區塊都要賺夠。像是動畫人物的角色，日本動畫界會將這些角色人物，充分產出在包括電影、電視甚至是出版品等衍生商品上。」具有完整的產業鏈及經濟規模，這是日本動漫產業可以媲美好萊塢的重要原因。
然而，反觀台灣在動畫產業的作法，因為市場縱深不夠，何處長說「總是先做毛片、再做後製作，然後再看有沒有製作成衍生商品的可能，之後再找通路銷售發行，是走一步算一步的作法。但是日本和好萊塢的做法，都是在動漫產品產出之前，就先評估劇本的市場性，精算利潤及成本回收的可能性，當然，業者也會針對動漫產品可能的出版商、授權金、通路管道以及利益分配等的細節推敲，有了整體的概念以及考量實際的業務之後，才會回過頭來看看是否要正式推出這個動漫產品。」有了如此縝密的規劃，才不會錯失且誤判商機。
此外，何處長認為，「日本動畫產業之所以蓬勃發展，與其深厚的漫畫產業根基更是息息相關。因為必須要有足夠的漫畫產出量，才足支撐動畫產業的發展。且許多日本漫畫家更已具有品牌知名度，當其漫畫轉化為動畫之後，產品就會有品牌的延續作用。」
另英國、加拿大、紐西蘭也因應其國情分別發展屬於自己的數位內容產業，例如：英國的精品設計、加拿大的數位學習、紐西蘭幫好萊塢動畫代工並藉此發展觀光。
台灣產業結構忽視創意產業
而台灣要發展數位內容產業，仍然有相當大的空間。何處長針對各國娛樂多媒體消費市場的分析，指出真正的多媒體消費產業大國，每年成長率都達到6%以上，而這些國家包含美國、英國及日本等國，每年在娛樂多媒體消費市場的消費額，都超過一兆台幣。這個數字顯示這些國家都屬於知識經濟型的市場，也就是靠智慧和創意賺錢。然而，台灣在娛樂多媒體消費產業的總規模，則僅有三千億元，規模僅是其他知識經濟大國的1/3到1/10而已。分析台灣的現象，何處長說，台灣的主要消費金額，有很大的比例都是在政治(電視節目)以及宗教(活動)上，對於本土自製的電視和電影娛樂這一塊，消費嚴重不足。此外，台灣對藝文及創意產品的消費也無法形成市場規模。
何處長解釋，「台灣產業結構的發展歷程，是從農業開始，然後推進到小型的製造業代工，儘管到現在，許多製造業大廠因為成本上揚而出走到大陸及東南亞地區，其中雖然也有設計及研發留在台灣，但是在創意生產這個領域，卻始終未受到注意。」
簡單來說，就是台灣數位內容產業發展若還是以為國外大廠製造代工的角度為思考模式，並沒有如同韓日在數位內容產業上有著極豐富完整且成熟的產業鏈，也沒有企圖將原創產品放在各種不同的通路上進行行銷的思考觀念。欠缺這些中心思想，未來台灣數位內容產業的發展，將還是一條漫長且艱辛的道路。
擔負起推動數位內容產業的重責大任
但是，台灣E化程度高，在數位內容產業發展上有很大優勢，作為台灣資訊產業發展的智庫，何處長表示，「我們必須要承擔部份推動數位內容產業的責任，並且必須協助數位內容廠商提高產能。譬如，資策會現在成立數位內容學院，有好的數位內容人才，但是產業若不能相對提供好待遇以及工作機會，人才就容易流失。」
對此，何處長說，資策會也積極建議工業局，希望政府補助的對象由技術性產品、工廠試量產等實質性產品，擴增至美工設計、營運模式、網路及創新應用等非技術性的數位內容產品；期透過政府補助，對於數位內容產能的提昇及多元化，都有某種程度上的幫助。此外，資策會建議針對中南部業者，進行區域性的補助，並且協助帶領北部的創投業者到南部參訪數位內容業者，達到區域交流的目的。
資策會將協助業者突破現在各自打拼的現況，促成國家典藏和數位內容結合，媒合傳統通路和數位媒體通路，讓數位與實體相結合，數位的設計可以反應在科技製程，協助產業進行跨產業、跨媒介的聯盟。在國際行銷方面，帶領業者參加國外商品展示會及參訪大型商社，以促進資金交互投資，並深入開發困難度較高的歐洲市場，和推展肖像授權等精緻路線，提升台灣整體數位內容產業的質與量。
The digital content industry is a knowledge- and innovation-intensive industry. When we mention the digital content industry, we must first discuss development in the neighboring nations of Korea and Japan. The Institute for Information Industry's General Director of Industry Support Division, Institute of Information Industry, Ho, Wen-Hsiung states that in recent years Korea has been quite successful in the digital content industry development, and in addition, the strong leadership of national policy which has yielded substantive results, Taiwan's online game population has soared. After the Taiwan government legalized the internet café business, Korean online games gained a huge market in Taiwan. To some extent, Korea's online game industry has achieved its current scale because of Taiwan and the excellent operating methods that it brought.
The Japanese government entered the digital content industry later than Korea and Taiwan, but General Director Ho points that the scale of Japan's animation industry is 50 times larger than that in Taiwan. Icons such as Pikachiu, for example, declared as moneymaking machines. Japan's animation industry has attained its current scale and achievements, General Director Ho added, "Because of Japan's cartoon industry basis is quite substantial and the overall industry is very focused on industry effectiveness, and whether it can make money from each niche. For example, Japan's animation business makes broad use of animated figures in movies, television and even in publications and other derivative products." Because Japan's animation industry owns a complete industry chain and economic scale, this is one of the key reasons why it can compare with Hollywood.
However, when we look at Taiwan's approach in the animation industry, because the market is too limited, "We always first make a rough-cut presentation, then do the post production and afterward look at whether it can be used in derivative products.", said General Director Ho,." After that, we look for distribution and sales outlets for release in a rather piecemeal approach. But Japan and Hollywood evaluate a script for its marketability first before the cartoon animation products are composed. They carefully calculate profit and whether cost can be recovered. Of course, they consider also potential publishers for cartoon animation products, the money that can be obtained from selling distribution rights, the distribution channels, how profit will be distributed and other details and etc. With this overall concept and estimating the actual business, then, companies consider whether to launch cartoon animation products." With this detailed scheme, no business opportunity will be missed and no mistaken judgments will happen.
In addition, General Director Ho mentions "The reason why Japan's animation industry has prospered is very closely related to their solid basis in the cartoon industry. They must have enough production volume to support the animation industry's development. Moreover, many Japanese cartoon artists already have established brand recognition, and after their cartoons become animations, the products have the effect of extending the brand."
Also, the UK, Canada and New Zealand have developed along lines reflecting their national cultures and have their own digital content industries. For example, the UK's exquisite design capabilities, Canada's digital education and New Zealand's assistance to Hollywood in animation as a contract supplier have aided the development of tourism.
Taiwan industrial structure neglects the innovation industry
While Taiwan aims to develop its digital content industry, there is still quite a long way to go. General Director Ho analyzed the entertainment multimedia consumer markets in various nations and pointed out that the key nations with multimedia consumer industries have annual growth rates exceeding 6%. These nations include the U.S., the UK and Japan, and the annual consumption volumes in these entertainment and multimedia consumer markets all exceed one trillion NT dollars. Such number shows that these nations have markets that are part of the knowledge-based economy, which depends on intelligence and innovation to make money. Yet Taiwan's size in the entertainment multimedia consumer industry is only NT$300 billion or just 1/3 to 1/10th that of other key nations in the knowledge economy.
Analyzing the situation in Taiwan, General Director Ho said that a large proportion of Taiwan's key consumer revenue comes from politics (television programs) and religion (activities). With regard to the locally produced television and movie entertainment segment, consumers are seriously lacking. Moreover, Taiwan cannot possibly achieve market scale from consumption of artistic and innovative products.
General Director Ho explains, "In the historical development of Taiwan's industrial structure, agriculture was the beginning, followed by small-scale contract manufacturing and even now, many large manufacturers have had to move to mainland China and Southeast Asia because of rising costs. Of these companies, although they have kept design and R&D in Taiwan, the innovative production field has always been neglected." In simple terms, it seems Taiwan’s digital content industry development has followed the model of contract manufacturing for large foreign companies, and has differed from Korea and Japan with their rich, complete and mature industrial chains in the digital content industry. We have never aimed to market our original products through various distribution channels. Lacking these key concepts, the outlook for development of Taiwan's digital content industry in the future indicates that there is still a long and difficult road ahead.
Supporting the heavy responsibility of promoting the digital content industry
Still, Taiwan has a big advantage in development of the digital content industry because of its high level of IT expertise. Taiwan's development of the IT industry can be used as an information base. General Director Ho indicated "We must Support some of the responsibility for promoting the digital content industry and help digital content companies boost their production capacity. For example, the Institute for Information Industry has currently established a digital content institute with digital content experts, but if the industry cannot provide attractive pay and job opportunities, it's quite likely these experts will ebb away."
On this, General Director Ho said the Institute for Information Industry has vigorously recommended that the Industrial Development Bureau offer government assistance for items such as technical products, trial production at companies and other actual products, extending to graphic design, operating models, the internet, innovative applications and other non-technical digital content products. With government assistance, the growth and diversification of digital content production capacity should be helped to some extent. In addition, the Institute for Information Industry has recommended that regional assistance be provided to businesses in southern and central Taiwan, and moreover assistance with bringing venture capital businesses from northern Taiwan to the south to visit digital content businesses, achieving the goal of fostering greater exchange between these regions.
The Institute for Information Industry will help businesses break through the current status quo, urging the combination of national archives and digital content, matching traditional distribution channels and digital media distribution channels, enabling the combination of digital and traditional business, so that digital design can be reflected in the technology process, helping the industry proceed with inter-industry and inter-media alliances. From the aspect of international marketing, we will lead businesses to participate in overseas product exhibitions and visit large companies in this business to promote funding and investment, to enter European market, and promote the sale of character licensing and distribution of other refined products to raise the quality and quantity of Taiwan's overall digital content industry.
