ROC science parks post record revenues

2015/08/21

Taiwan’s three science parks reported record revenues of NT$1.13 trillion (US$34.81 billion) for the first half of 2015, up 6.47 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology Aug. 19.

Hsinchu Science Park in northern Taiwan led the way at NT$547.1 billion, a rise of 2.79 percent; Southern Taiwan Science Park in Tainan City came second with NT$344.7 billion, up 17.64 percent; and Taichung City-based Central Taiwan Science Park finished third at NT$241.7 billion, an increase of 0.99 percent.

Among the leading revenue generators for the facilities, biotechnology, semiconductors, communications and precision machinery scored double-digit growth rates at 18.87 percent, 13.55 percent, 11.27 percent and 11.15 percent, respectively.

MOST Deputy Minister Lin Yi-bing said the strong earnings performance of the facilities was supported by a 1.15 percent uptick in exports to NT$666.5 billion, adding that mainland China, including Hong Kong, was the leading destination.

“Robust shipments of 20-nanometer integrated circuits and increasing demand in the fourth-generation mobile communications sector, in particular, bolstered the overall revenues.”

In addition, a total of 36 new firms from home and abroad set up shop in the parks during the first half, attracting new investment of NT$10.5 billion. This was on top of an additional NT$11.6 billion spent by 22 existing outfits.

As a result of increased business activity and a series of job promotion initiatives, the facilities reported an all-time high workforce of 264,647, up 998 from year-end 2014.

Lin is cautiously optimistic on park earnings in the second half of the year, citing considerations such as lackluster projections for the global economy.

“If all goes to plan, growth momentum is expected to continue on the back of an expanding semiconductor sector and a steady stream of business opportunities arising from big data and Internet of Things.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=234010&ctNode=413)