TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan's Minister of Science and Technology Chen Liang-gee (陳良基) recommends the Japanese novel "Shitamachi Roketto" (下町火箭) because it reflects Taiwan's space program, reported the Central News Agency.

The novel, written by Ikeido Jun (池井戶潤), depicts how technicians in a small-town factory relentlessly pursue their dream of sending a rocket into space. This interesting novel presents the abstruse aerospace industry in a simple way that is readily accessible to the readers, explained Chen.

Chen added that the situations faced by the main characters in the novel reflect Taiwan's space program when it was still in its infancy 20 years ago. At the time, the small scale of the island's aerospace industry raised serious doubts despite its solid technical foundation.

Moreover, the business operations and management negotiations between companies, as well as labor relations portrayed in the novel, resemble their real-world counterparts. Chen encourages everyone to keep their dreams alive and to never give up trying, just like the main characters in the novel.

Although Taiwan's aerospace industry is limited in scope, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has spared no effort in nurturing young talent in the field. The third phase of the space program was launched this year, and its aims include developing ten satellites and fostering aerospace start-ups in Taiwan, according to the MOST.

The year 2019 marks the 60th anniversary of the MOST, and a celebratory event was held on Tuesday (Aug. 20). At the event, Chen announced that President Tsai had asked the Cabinet to raise the budget for next year's basic research by NT$4 billion (US$ 27.6 million), an increase of 4.7 percent, according to the Liberty Times.