Southern science park expects 42% rise in production

Total production value at the Southern Taiwan Science Park (南部科學園區) has grown briskly over the last few years and is expected to rise 42 percent year-on-year to NT$500 billion (US$15.38 billion) this year, the deputy director general of the park's administration said on Wednesday.

Wu Meng-fen (吳盟分) made the remarks at a forum to attract more manufacturers to set up shop in the park located in Tainan County.

According to Wu, the science park reported a production value of NT$352.8 billion last year and a growth in production of 50.7 percent for the first six months of this year.

Wu said that the 1,000-hectare science park is the largest among all of the science parks in the country in terms of single land area.

He added that sitting right next to the science park is 3,299 hectares of land dedicated to the production of liquid-crystal-display TVs.

"The park and adjacent land are large enough to form a new community," he said.

Wu noted that the central and local governments have worked very closely in developing the park, adding that the park is the largest optoelectronic industrial park in the country.

Tainan County Commissioner Su Huan-chih (蘇煥智) also touted the advantages of investing in the park, which boasts of ample supply of water, electricity and land, as well as a large pool of workers.

There are also 12 colleges and universities and 15 research institutions nearby and a convenient traffic network that links the park with a nearby airport and high-speed rail station, Su said.