A new artificial intelligence (AI) industrial park to be built in Tainan would be at the foundation of Taiwan’s development of AI as an industry and its application to other sectors, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said on Saturday.
During a visit to Tainan, Cho toured the site of the Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City project and said the first two parts of the project that are built — the CyberSecurity and Smart Technology R&D Building, and the Shalun Green Energy Technology Demonstration Site — represent the starting point for the science city’s AI development.
The new AI park is to extend out from those two areas, he said.
Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Taipei Times
The National Science Technology Council one of the agencies overseeing the park, said it would house data centers, and other sections are planned for zero-carbon technologies, quantum science, smart agriculture, smart transportation and smart medicine.
Cho said the park was being established to carry out President William Lai’s (賴清德) policy of supporting “Five Trusted Industry Sectors” — semiconductors, AI, defense, security and surveillance, and next-generation communications.
Major tech companies such as Nvidia and AMD have plans to further their bases in Taiwan, and the government has the responsibility to provide good infrastructure to facilitate their investment, he said.
The industrial park would be another base connecting with northern Kaohsiung to form a “southern smart corridor,” he said.
Northern Kaohsiung is emerging as a site for high-tech parks, including the Northern Kaohsiung Industrial Park project that broke ground last year, and the Ciaotou Science Park aimed at attracting semiconductor, smart machinery, and space-related companies.
Also sprouting up is the Nanzih Technology Industrial Park, where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co is building a fab that would produce advanced 2-nanometer wafers.
Council head Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said his agency would accelerate the building of data centers and work with top international enterprises to turn Shalun into an AI R&D stronghold in the Asia-Pacific region.
Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said the AI park could benefit from the presence of AI research institutes at National Cheng Kung University and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University’s Tainan Campus and would also eventually benefit other southern cities.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped