The three major science parks are likely to see their revenue grow to surpass NT$4 trillion (US$132.3 billion) this year, unfazed by a recession in the global technology industry, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday.
Revenue from companies with operations at the 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) was estimated to have risen 10 percent year-on-year to a historical high of NT$4 trillion last year, Minister of Science and Technology Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) said.
There is a good chance of further growth in revenue this year, due to resilient demand for high-end semiconductors, he said, adding that the chances of a recession look slim.
Photo: CNA
That goes against a downtrend affecting the world’s major technology companies, he added.
“Semiconductor supply remains the focus of the world. I believe Taiwan’s semiconductor industry has the cutting-edge technologies to meet that demand,” Wu said. “It is still too early to make a revenue forecast. It’s just February, but I think there is a good chance [to see growth].”
Micron Technology Inc has made the case.
The US memorychip maker in December last year announced a plan to cut 10 percent of its headcount this year, to suspend the distribution of bonuses and cut executive pay due to flagging demand for its chips.
Micron yesterday confirmed that it is reducing global headcount through a combination of voluntary attrition, workforce reductions and reduced external hiring.
“Micron has now started meeting with some of the employees affected by Micron’s plans to reduce its workforce in the face of the severe downturn that is affecting the entire industry,” the company said in a statement.
Micron did not say how many people it aims to lay off, but the council expects less than 10 percent of Micron’s local employees to be affected, Wu said.
The science parks have not yet received notification of large-scale layoff plans, the council said.
Micron has about 10,000 local employees.
Despite the world technology industry entering period of correction, local corporate executives have been calling for more land to be made available to build new production lines to meet customers’ requests for more diversified and resilient supply-chain management, given escalating geopolitical tensions.
The Cabinet has approved seven new expansion projects in the three science parks and allocated 693 hectares of land in Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan, Chiayi, Kaohsiung and Pingtung, the council said.
Those new expansion plans would add NT$1.2 trillion in new revenue and create about 30,000 jobs, it said.
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