The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on Saturday broke ground for a new industrial park in Kaohsiung, saying the project would create 2,400 jobs after its completion in 2026.
The Beigao Industrial Park (北高雄產業園區) in the city’s Gangshan District (岡山) would cover 42.87 hectares, the ministry said.
That includes 25.82 hectares for industrial use, with the rest being used for parks and detention basins, the ministry said.
Photo courtesy of Kaohsiung City Government via CNA
The operator would keep ownership of all industrial parcels and rent them out to manufacturers, it said.
Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said the project would be developed in phases and is expected to cost about NT$4.6 billion (US$150.22 million).
The first phase, covering 6.53 hectares, would focus on metal product suppliers, machinery makers and optoelectronics producers, she said, adding that companies could apply for plots as early as next month.
The operator seeks to find about 20 tenants, the Kaohsiung City Government said, adding that they could begin construction as early as September.
After all development phases are concluded, the park’s production value would be NT$12.8 billion a year, Wang said.
Northern Kaohsiung would benefit economically from the park, she said.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said that the park was designed to accommodate companies that are returning production to Taiwan from China amid increasing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.
The site offers convenient transportation links to other industrial zones in the city, such as the Ciaotou Science Park (橋頭科學園區) and the Lujhu Science Park (路竹科學園區), boosting Kaohsiung’s effort to set up a manufacturing cluster, Chen said.
Northern Kaohsiung is home to a large number of old-economy manufacturers, such as companies that produce screws and bolts, and the new industrial park would help them upgrade their operations, he said.
Even though electricity rates for industrial users increased this month and southern Taiwan is prone to water shortages, the Kaohsiung City Government would do its best to provide one-stop assistance to companies in the new industrial park, Chen said.
He said he did not expect any problems with power or water supplies.
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