Kaohsiung is a maritime city with strong industrial roots. With the opening of Kaohsiung Port and the rise of heavy industry in the past, the city became a major national hub for petrochemical, metal, and related industries, supporting Taiwan’s economic development and shouldering a key role in the country’s heavy industrial growth. Building on its solid heavy industry foundation and the industrial cluster advantages of the Southern Taiwan Science and Technology Corridor, the Kaohsiung City Government has actively promoted a dual transformation strategy focusing on digital innovation and net-zero sustainability. At the same time, it has attracted key global enterprises to invest in Kaohsiung, accelerating close collaboration between local and central governments as well as industry, academia, and research institutions.
Image Source: Kaohsiung City Economic Development Bureau
Innovation Park Initiative
Since 2021, the city government has worked closely with the central government to advance the national “Asia New Bay Area 5G AIoT Innovation Park” initiative. Over a five-year period, central government ministries invested more than NT$10 billion to support park development, smart infrastructure, startup incubation, application demonstrations, talent cultivation, and industrial clustering.
Asia New Bay Area 2.0
On May 11, 2023, the Executive Yuan approved the “Asia New Bay Area 2.0 – Smart Technology Innovation Park Promotion Plan,” expanding the original five-year NT$10.6 billion investment to a seven-year NT$17 billion program. Guided by four key expansion directions—expanding land use, expanding industrial clusters, expanding innovation, and expanding global deployment—the plan aims to extend 5G AIoT applications into Kaohsiung’s distinctive industries, including semiconductors, smart petrochemicals, smart ports, and smart audiovisual industries. It also broadens commercial model validation, encouraging enterprises to establish R&D and training headquarters in the Asia New Bay Area and to export innovative solutions to New Southbound Policy countries.