Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday touted Taipei’s strength in the information communication technology and biotechnology sectors as he elaborated on his previous remark that Taoyuan is only enjoying the “leftovers” of Taipei’s high-tech industry.
Ko on Friday night at a year-end banquet with firms in the Neihu Technology Park touted the district as the “Silicon Valley” of Mandarin-speaking communities, among which it is considered the most advanced area in the most liberal nation.
“Although the government has formed a plan to build an ‘Asian Silicon Valley’ in Taoyuan, I am clearly aware that Taoyuan can only get Neihu’s and Nangang’s (南港) leftovers,” he said at the time, apparently referring to the central government’s “Asian Silicon Valley” plan in Taoyuan.
The Asian Silicon Valley Plan Executive Center, unveiled last month, is in a financial building in front of the Taoyuan High Speed Rail Station in the city’s Jhongli District (中壢).
According to the central government, the center’s major tasks will be to promote the Internet of Things and innovation industries, boost Taiwan’s economic development by integrating relevant local and international sectors, and push Taiwan’s industrial transformation.
In response to media requests for comment on his Friday remark, Ko yesterday said that Neihu Technology Park still has a greater competitive edge over Taoyuan in terms of business development.
“However, when business development nears an area’s capacity, it begins to spread out to other places where the costs are lower,” Ko said.
The Taipei City Government is exploring ways to leverage the Neihu Technology Park 2.0 Initiative, he said, adding that Taipei officials would soon discuss a number of investment plans drafted for the initiative with Minister Without Portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳).
The initiative, which focuses on the development of Neihu’s and Nangang’s information communication technology and biotechnology sectors, will be the focus for the second half of his term after the Summer Universiade concludes in August, he said.
Asked if he was worried about his remark sparking protests among Taoyuan residents, the mayor said that a business-related issue should be resolved with a businesslike approach.
“Although companies calculate the cost-effectiveness of their investments, Neihu’s and Nangang’s industry clusters give them a competitive edge. They are still the most cost-effective places in Taiwan for investors,” he said.
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