The government plans to invest NT$36 billion (US$1.13 billion) over five years to build the foundations for southern Taiwan to become the next big technological center, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday.
President William Lai (賴清德), as part of his election campaign platform, proposed to “balance” development in Taiwan and make the nation a bastion of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the council said.
The ministry’s proposed plan would start from next year to 2029, with NT$12 billion to be invested in increasing computation capacity, NT$17 billion building facilities and sites, and NT$7 billion in attracting talent and developing AI technology applications.
Photo: Wu Po-hsuan, Taipei Times
Wu said he hoped the project would grow relevant industries’ value 10-fold by the time of the project’s conclusion.
Wu emphasized that the government would provide stable power for the project, adding that the Ministry of Economic Affairs would be involved in the decisionmaking process.
NSTC Vice Minister Su Chen-kang (蘇振綱) said the project would focus on Tainan’s Shalun Township (沙崙), which already houses the Executive Yuan’s Cyber Security & Smart Technology Research & Development Building — a test site for innovative technology — Academia Sinica’s southern branch and the Green Energy Technology Demonstration Site.
Shalun would serve as the nation’s development center for the AI industry, and when combined with the S-shaped semiconductor corridor policy, and policies to build up infrastructure in the Chiayi, Ciaotou and Pingtung science parks, it would make southern Taiwan a technological center, he said.
Making southern Taiwan a technological center would help systemically integrate different industries while creating a nation with balanced development, he added.
The project would also encourage 5,400 teachers across 15 vocational schools in southern Taiwan to develop different specialties and help educate 160,000 students, increasing their competitive edge and motivation to work, Su said.
Talent-fostering platforms and centers would attract AI-related workers to Shalun, which would ultimately help feed the talent pool when industries in southern Taiwan digitize, he said.
This would help concentrate talent, information and energy in the south, allowing the region to develop key industries such as information and communications techonology, defense, metal processing, automotive components, clean energy, smart farming, and healthcare and medicine, he said.
An NSTC official commenting on condition of anonymity said that the government’s total computation capacity stands at about 19 petaflops, and the project, alongside the Taiwan Chip-based Industrial Innovation Program, is expected to grow governmental computation capacity to 480 petaflops by 2028.
The S-shaped corridor policy is centered in Kaohsiung’s Nanzih District (楠梓), serving to connect manufacturers in Lujhu (路竹) and Ciaotou (橋頭) districts to the Tainan Science Park and also extends southward to Dashe (大社), Renwu (仁武), Daliao (大寮), Linyuan (林園) and Siaogang (小港) districts, forming a concentration of semiconductor-related industries.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.