Yilan, with fascinating sceneries of mountains, rivers and hot springs, is not satisfied with just being a tourists' favorite destination; it is transforming itself, upgrading from the tourism-generated economy to a living economy that emphasizes the "sixth-industry (cross-industry cooperation), cultural and creative industries, and high-tech industries (VR and drones).
The northeastern county, which is just about an hour's drive from Taipei via the National Freeway No. 5, is building the country's third-generation science park. It has its own county-owned museum and is promoting experimental education.
Increasing investments from high-tech sectors
Yilan Science Park is located between Yilan County's government hall and Yilan Sports Park, along Zhongshan Road Sec.1, the artery across Yilan City (the main city of the county), making it easy to access the science park. Many corporations have set offices due to convenient transport connections, such as Innodisk Co and Omnio Calibration Lab Co.
In addition, in the park's neighborhood stands the Cheng-Nam campus of National Yilan University (NIU), which makes a geat drone-testing area without any no-flight zone. Recently, NIU has set up a drone office and received the greenlight to become a test center by Civil Aeronautics Administration of Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC). It will boost the park chances of bringing in more investments from drone-related industries.
Clusters of biomedical industries
Yilan has high environmental awareness, allowing it to maintain its natural sceneries and prevent its water resources from pulltion - conditions that are ideal for biomedical, healthcare and eldercare industries. Sinphar Group, Kingcar Biotech Co and Bioteque Medical Inc are the three major local biomedical companies that operate there. In fact, more than 40 biomedical companies have chosen Yilan as their base of their business, setting up respective operations at Yilan Science Park, Loung-Te Industrial Park and Le-Tzer Industrial Park.
Recently, the central government has allocated a NT$30 billion (US$1 billion) budget to build a Biomedical Science Park is near Yilan City's railway station. This big budget will accelerate the growth of the industrial clusters of biomedical industries in Yilan.
Freeway No. 5 links businesses in Yilan with Taipei
National Freeway No. 5 begins in Taipei City at Nangang Junction on National Freeway No. 3 and ends in Suao, Yilan. Traveling from Taipei's Nangang, Neihu and Xizhi districts to Yilan Plain takes only about an hour. Besides, the average land cost in Yilan is only a quarter of that in Nangang, Neihu and Xizhi.
Not only companies have selected Yilan as their business bases; many people have also chosen to live in Yilan and commute to work in Taipei. More and more companies and people will tend to make the same choices and the MOTC is planning to extend the Taiwan High Speed Rail system to Yilan.
The Yilan County Government is going to host "Invest In Yilan" event on Jun 15, 2020, at Taipei's Songshan Cultural and Creative Park. The details of investment information will be released at the event.
Yilan is transforming its economy
Photo: Yilan County Government