On March 28, the export processing zones, which fall under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), will be renamed science and technology industrial park zones, in accordance with an amendment made late last year to the Statute for the Establishment and Administration of Export Processing Zone.
After the name change, the industrial park zones will prioritize smart upgrades, talent cultivation and business matchmaking on digital platforms, which will be funded by the government with an allocation of NT$100 million, according EPZA Deputy Director-General Liu Chi-chuan.
Intangible resources will also be poured into the industrial park zones to help companies transform and upgrade, Liu said.
On the question of the distinction between the MOEA's industrial park zones and the Ministry of Science and Technology's science park zones, Liu said the former are dedicated mainly to mass production, while the latter engage in both production and development and research.
To boost production value in the industrial parks by at least an annual 5 percent this year, the MOEA plans to expand the zones in Pingtung and Kaohsiung to attract more private business investments, he said.
Taiwan has 10 industrial park zones in Taichung, Kaohsiung and Pingtung, spread over 530.3 hectares.
The Taichung parks host mainly companies in the optical, electronics, flat panel display, software and digital content industries, while the Kaohsiung parks are home to semiconductor, opto-electronics, logistics, software and digital content companies.
Most of the businesses at the Pingtung park zone are water treatment plants and electric motor manufacturers.
