After the total annual revenue of the Neihu Technology Park (內湖科技園區) and Nankang Software Park (南港軟體園區) exceeded NT$1 trillion (US$30.36 billion) for the first time in 2003, the science and technology strongholds in Taipei yesterday announced a collective revenue of NT$1.69 trillion for last year.
In the Neihu Technology Park alone, revenues reached NT$1.51 trillion last year, an increase of 30 percent over the previous year. According to a survey conducted by Taipei City's Department of Economic Development, the park is currently home to 2,005 companies, up from 1,700 last year.
About 80 percent of the companies in the park are in the service sector or the "3C industries" (computers, communications and consumer electronics), including internationally recognized firms like Lite-On Technology Corp (
Designed to incorporate a number of peripheral areas and form a 5.42km2 "Greater Neihu Technology Park" in the near future, the park is expected to contain 4,000 companies with annual revenues in excess of NT$2 trillion by next year, the department said.
The Nankang Software Park reported a total revenue of about NT$170 billion to NT$180 billion last year, up 22 percent from the previous year. This park currently houses 223 companies, including research and development units set up by multinational firms IBM Corp, Sony Corp, NEC Corp and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
At the announcement of the parks' financial figures yesterday, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) pledged to continue development of the "Taipei Technology Corridor," which would link up the Neihu and Nankang parks with the Beitou Shilin Technology Park (北投士林科技園區).
He also promised to improve traffic flow in the Neihu area.
"The development of the Neihu Technology Park and Nankang Software Park has been a successful experience," Ma said. "With expansion of the park sites and the completion of the MRT's Neihu line in 2008, we expect the parks to attract more companies and bring more revenue to the city."
Established in 2001, the Neihu Technology Park is the first municipal high-tech park in Taiwan.
While the park is only one-third the size of the Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區) -- dubbed the cradle of the nation's high-tech companies -- the city government has high hopes that the Neihu, Nankang and Beitou Shilin parks will become Taipei's "Silicon Valley," Ma said.
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