Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) yesterday extended an invitation to Facebook Inc for it to expand its operational presence in Taiwan and said that the government is mulling whether to offer it an incentive package.
The ministry’s Department of Industrial Technology would draw up detailed plans for the social network giant, Shen said.
The company announced early this month that it is to invest more than US$1 billion to build its first Asian data center in Singapore.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
While the decision is up to Facebook, the ministry is making a good case for Taiwan, as its business environment, infrastructure and the government’s openness are all positives, Shen said.
Facebook is an effective digital marketing platform for Taiwanese enterprises of all sizes, Shen said, adding that he sought to collaborate with the company following a visit to its headquarters last year.
Fei Yu (余怡慧), head of Facebook’s operations in Taiwan and Hong Kong, said that there are many considerations in selecting a site for data centers.
Facebook would continue to explore options that suit the varying developmental needs of each market, she said, adding that the company has donated 50 Occulus virtual-reality headsets to local libraries to stimulate innovation.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday commemorated a second year of collaborating with Facebook’s Made By Taiwan, an initiative to boost the brand power of Taiwanese businesses through improved digital marketing on the social media network.
“We will bring our resources and programs to train businesses and people in digital skills and technology innovation,” Facebook Asia-Pacific vice president Dan Neary said at a news conference in Taipei.
The programs are expected to train more than 50,000 digital marketing specialists to help broaden the global reach of 15,000 Taiwanese small and medium-sized enterprises, the ministry said.
Companies would be taught how to use Facebook’s resources to successfully market their brand’s stories through sharing.
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