Buoyed by recovering world economy, revenues from companies located in the nation’s science parks are forecast to rise to a record NT$2.18 trillion (US$73.79 billion) this year after growing 5.2 percent last year, the National Science Council (NSC) said yesterday.
Last year, revenues from companies in the three parks — Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區), Central Taiwan Science Park (中部科學園區) and Southern Taiwan Science Park (南部科學園區) — rose to NT$2 trillion, hitting the second-highest level on record, aided by the global economic revival, council Deputy Director-General Hocheng Hong (賀陳弘) told a press conference.
“The robust performance is sending positive signs that the global economic recovery is taking shape,” Hocheng said.
As the economy is gradually recovering and global demand for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, increases, revenues from those firms are likely to surpass the record made in 2010, when they totaled NT$2.15 trillion, the council said.
Revenue from IC chips made at the parks accounted for the biggest portion, or 54.6 percent, of the total revenue last year, while optoelectronics products, such as touch sensors and flat panels, came next, contributing 35.7 percent, according to the council’s tallies.
Total exports from companies based in the parks also expanded 8.8 year-on-year to an all-time high of NT$1.25 trillion last year, but imports shrank 5.3 percent to NT$727 billion, the council said.
China was the largest buyer of products shipped from the parks, accounting for 45 percent, or NT$562.2 billion, of the parks’ total export value.
Companies in the three science parks created 244,920 new jobs last year, the council said, adding that it expected the parks to generate 96,000 new jobs in the next five years as major chipmakers Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) and United Microelectronics Corp (聯電) plan to invest NT$740 billion in building plants at the Southern Taiwan Science Park.
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