New Opportunities for Kaohsiung's Technology Industry / 打造高雄成為數位科技城
New Opportunities for Kaohsiung's Technology Industry
◎English text by Peng Hsin-yi
◎Photos courtesy of Kao Chia-tse, Ching Fu Enterprise Center, Kuo Cheng Construction Co., Ltd.
The world is becoming more and more technologically advanced. In order to give Southern Taiwan a competitive boost, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (Small and Medium Enterprise Administration Section) has established the Kaohsiung Software Incubation Center. The incubation center officially opened on February 3, 2010 and is already at 99% capacity. It is anticipated that it will assist software companies in achieving industrial upgrades and business transformations.
In late 2009, prominent Japanese publishing giant Shogakukan Inc. announced plans to also move to the Kaohsiung Software Park.The Software Incubation Center is located in Kaohsiung's Software Science Park. It is the only organization in Southern Taiwan completely dedicated to the development of the software industry. Twenty-six companies were involved in setting up the Incubator, including top technology and information software developers and service providers. It is hoped that this will form strong support networks and companies will move away from the old business model of single units, operating alone.
To futher assist Southern Taiwan's advancement in the technology sector, Sony Computer Entertainment Taiwan Limited (SCET), is expanding its operations in Southern Taiwan. The famous creater of PlayStation and several other popular games is presently located on Pier-2 Art District and has announced plans to establish a center for digital software research, development and testing. This will provide an unprecedented opportunity for the greater development and testing for Taiwan's gaming industry. It will also give rise to opportunities for technology exchange and the development of a new generation of gaming innovators and products. It is hoped the presence of such technology giants will give Southern Taiwan's technology sector a boost and greater opportunity for the technology advancement in the region.
The SME Entrepreneurship and Innovation Service Center was established and opened in Kaohsiung Software Park in April 2009. This service center was also developed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (Small and Medium Enterprise Administration Section) and is designed to operate alongside the Kaohsiung Software Incubation Center. This will provide support and assistance to software companies located in the Southern region and will include an area that encompasses Chiayi, Pingtung and Penghu counties.
At present, Kaohsiung's Software Park is occupied by 131 companies. With the addition of SCET, Mayor Chen Chu hopes to see many more companies follow. Her goal is to see at least 75 new businesses invest in Kaohsiung over the next 5 to 10 years. She also hopes that the SCET's center will serve as a beacon to other great companies, making Kaohsiung a city of digital development and technology and a cultural and entertainment capital.
打造高雄成為數位科技城
◎文／林秀麗
◎照片提供／高嘉澤、慶富集團、國城建設股份有限公司
科技讓南台灣產業更具競爭力！經濟部中小企業處設立「高雄軟體育成中心」於2月3日啟用，協助軟體業者升級轉型，廠商進駐率達99%。而以開發PS（PlayStation）遊戲機及遊戲軟體知名的台灣索尼電腦娛樂公司（SCET）宣布進駐高雄駁二藝術特區，將在高雄成立「數位內容軟體研發測試中心」，開啟南部數位科技產業新契機。
「高雄軟體育成中心」設在高雄軟體科學園區內，為南台灣唯一專門培育軟體產業機構，目前已有26家進駐廠商，包括數位內容、資訊軟體及科技化服務業，希望藉由育成中心提供更多協助，擺脫過去單打獨鬥模式，打造高雄成為數位科技城。
經濟部中小企業處去年四月成立的「南區中小企業創意創新中心」，也搬到軟體園區和「高雄軟體育成中心」一起營運，為嘉義以南到屏東、澎湖的整個南部地區相關軟體產業提供服務。
此外，日本歷史悠久的大型出版社「小學館」去年底宣布進駐高雄軟體科技園區後，知名的台灣索尼電腦娛樂公司（SCET）也宣布，將在高雄設置研發測試中心，將為台灣遊戲開發團隊打造完備的產品開發以及測試環境，並透過總社的相關技術支援，在台灣孕育國際級遊戲人才與團隊。
高雄軟體園區設置後已吸引進駐廠商131家，陳菊市長期許，在SCET進駐高雄後，能夠在５到10年內，再吸引75家以上的國內外相關業者進駐高雄；期待結合SCET研測中心發揮數位軟體的群聚效應，打造「高雄數位科技城」，使高雄成為文化娛樂的核心都市。