Taiwan Shipbuilding Industry in Kaohsiung: Driving Prosperity in the Asia's New Bay Area／台灣造船產業在高雄 共創亞洲新灣區榮景
Taiwan Shipbuilding Industry in Kaohsiung:
Driving Prosperity in the Asia's New Bay Area
◎English translation: Tan You-yi
◎Photo by Pao Chung-hui
Kaohsiung is the center of Taiwan's shipbuilding industry. Now in its 43rd year of operation, CSBC Corporation, Taiwan (CSBC) is the largest in the region. CSBC was once ranked fourth largest worldwide. Although its competitors in China and South Korea excel in mechanical standardization and mass production, CSBC has shifted its focus to more customized designs and further developing its R&D and innovative products. The company has now become renowned for its high end detail and excellent quality. Every part of its construction processes are carried out with great care.
CSBC takes special pride in its semi-submersible heavy lift. Vessels are designed for 23 meter waters, therefore making them perfect for oil transportation to offshore rigs. During the Persian Gulf War, the U.S. Navy mobilized these types of ships to assist destroyer USS Cole which had been damaged in an attack by suicide bombers in Aden port, Yemen. The destroyer, along with its sister motor vessels, the Blue Marlin and Black Marlin, were moved back to the United States. As featured in both Discovery and National Geographic Channel documentaries, the mission also transported marine engineering equipment and the U.S. Navy's Sea-Based X-Band Radar. The Blue and Black Marlins motor vessels were both built in Taiwan.
Maersk Alabama is a commercial vessel which was also built in Taiwan. It too became world famous during the 2009, hijacking by Somali pirates, while transporting aid to Kenya. The incident was later made into a Hollywood film entitled 'Captain Phillips.'
CSBC also continues to develop green energy initiatives and is always working to expand its opportunities. Nine out of twenty of the world's offshore wind farms are located in Taiwanese waters, which have produced greater opportunities for CSBC. It is Taiwan's only company that has its own state-of-the-art heavy loading and unloading pier. The company has also established a reputation for being a high quality manufacturer and vendor of wind turbine components. CSBC is the first company in Taiwan to have developed offshore meteorological masts. In 2015, CSBC's TEU Seaway Optimization Design and Operation Series made the cover of the Royal Institution of Naval Architect's publication 'Significant Ships.'
With the continuous development of Kaohsiung's ship building industry, CSBC has invested in greater HR development and collaboration projects with schools such as The Fortune Institute of Technology, National Kaohsiung Marine University and National Kaohsiung University of Applied Science. After completing an apprenticeship, students have the opportunity to work full-time for the company. It is also developing a variety of community development programs, and encourages charity work, public service and other corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Kaohsiung City Government's Asia's New Bay Area continues to develop nicely. Wang, Hai-taw, Executive Vice President of CSBC, hopes Kaohsiung will gain greater international recognition with its new Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, Kaohsiung Music Center, Kaohsiung Main Public Library, Kaohsiung Port Terminal and other new landmarks. These developments will not only enhance Kaohsiung's maritime image, but also give a huge boost to exhibitions, tourism, culture and other innovative industries. In 2016, CSBC will participate in Kaohsiung's International Maritime and Defense Technology Exhibition at Kaohsiung Exhibition Center. CSBC's long-term vision is to continue to locally develop middle and downstream shipbuilding industries and form a supply chain platform that will help create a more prosperous Asia's New Bay Area.
台灣造船產業在高雄 共創亞洲新灣區榮景
◎文／辛文守 ◎攝影／鮑忠暉
台灣造船產業基地在高雄，以今年邁入第43年的台灣國際造船公司為首，曾是世界第四大造船廠。相較於競爭對手中、韓兩國，標榜機械自動標準化量產規模，其差異在於台船從最初代工組裝到創立自有品牌，朝自主研發創新經營，強調客製化的設計能力與生產技術。在每一道施作環節上，工序過程嚴謹，品質把關絕不馬虎，深得客戶信賴，揚名國內、外。最近一次是實海域最佳化設計與操作船舶系列的1,800 箱20英尺標準貨櫃船，挾著新穎獨具的劍型船艏設計，登上了2015年英國皇家造船工程師學會年度名船錄封面。
讓台船引以為傲的建造實力，是一艘可載運鑽油平台的半潛式重載船，它擁有下潛海底23公尺水深的能力。當年波斯灣戰役中，就是出動它，在亞丁港遭受自殺快艇攻擊的美軍神盾驅逐艦科爾號，才能順利運抵美國建造船廠英格斯維修。另外，Discovery和國家地理頻道都曾報導過的藍馬林魚號及黑馬林魚號，則分別負起載運海洋工程設備與美國海軍海基X波段雷達任務，兩艘商船出生地都是台灣。「阿拉巴馬號」則是台船打造的商船中在國際間聲名大噪者，這艘貨櫃船2009年從阿曼載運援助物資要到肯亞，途中遭遇索馬利亞海盜劫持，事件後來被好萊塢翻拍成電影《怒海劫》。
順應環保節能發展趨勢，台船事業版圖也跨足新興綠能產業，尤其看好全球離岸風場前二十大觀測地，其中9處屬於台灣領海的利基，加上台船擁有全台唯一的重件碼頭及各式陸機重型吊車、運輸車配備，可做為風機組件結構生產、組合及儲放的合格基地，更以9天工期的超高效率，完成臺灣首座離岸海氣象觀測塔 。
談及造船產業在高雄長期發展所帶來的連結效益，台船表示在人才培育方面，陸續與和春技術學院、高雄海洋科技大學、高雄應用科技大學等多所大學系所進行產學合作，訓練實習期滿便聘用至公司服務。而且歷年來，更舉辦多場敦親睦鄰及社區關懷活動，積極投入社會公益與公共服務，實踐企業對在地的責任。
對於高雄市政府推動亞洲新灣區計畫，再造高雄港灣成為進出世界的門戶，台船發言人王副總經理海濤表示，該計畫內容不僅具有宏觀國際視野，也讓高雄的海洋意象更豐富。他說，台船將參加在國際展覽館登場的2016高雄國際海事船舶暨國防工業展，就是亞洲新灣區代表地標之一，高雄市立新圖書總館已正式啟用，可強化城市知識競爭力，海洋文化及流行音樂中心和高雄港埠旅運中心未來接續完工後，能更有效帶動周邊會展、觀光與文創產業實質發展，助益提升城市生活機能與整體居住環境。因此，台船長遠目標希望能夠串連高雄在地的中、下游造船產業，整合成為供應鏈的物聯網平台，共同創造亞洲新灣區的經貿榮景。