Planned economy, Taiwan style.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/taiwan/business/2016/12/26/487678/Asian-Silicon.htm
The Internet of Things is a horrible notion. It will die a slow death after everyone realizes what a bad idea it is. The death will likely be slow because societies only come to this sort of realization gradually.
Here’s hoping they hitch their wagon to a better star. Or, better yet, leave market forces to drive things.
Kind of scratching my head at this plan. All I got out of it was 1-2-3-4.
Lol
This is an odd and annoying plan. Why would start ups move to Taoyuan? Surely IoT and automation would mean that you dont have to live in places like Taoyuan.
It’s not completely barmy because they are aiming at gadget makers so they’d need some industrial space and cheaper rent. Taoyuan would not be a bad choice in that regard.
The robots can live in Taoyuan and be managed remotely from… how’s Internet connectivity in Hualien?
A budget of NT$11.3 billion (US$357.9 million).
Somebody’s making some money and it sure will not be any new silicon companies moving to Taiwan.
It seems to be a reworking of the discredited aerotropolis plan.
But people are attracted to startup hubs for the culture as well as the opportunities. Silicon Valley, Berlin etc. These places have attractive lifestyle opportunities and good networking opportunities. You can attract smart people willing to work on internships and live in hostels, just because of that. NOBODY wants to live in Taoyuan.
The silicon valley of hardware is Shenzhen. Loads of IoT startups are moving there and loads of smart overseas talent is following suit. There are accelerators, supply chain, Cash rich VC’s, talent. Shenzhen isnt Berlin, but its a big, fun city. Check out this documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGJ5cZnoodY
I can see how the Internet of Things That Are Probably Spying On You would have a certain appeal to Communist bureaucrats.
No doubt Shenzhen and Hangzhou are where it’s at in Asia at the moment. The amount of money and ambition there is not going to be matched by anything in Taiwan.
Shenzhen and Hangzhou are actually quite decent cities especially by Chinese standards.
A lot of money sloshing around just like in the real Silicon Valley, very unlike Taiwan where the family investors stand over your shoulder counting the pennies.
If they could have found a space in Taipei, would have been better. Closer to marketing/PR/ conferences/Meetups/Media etc. Maybe somewhere in Wanhua near the new train station or factory parts of Xindian.
Interestingly, we already have something of that sorts in Xindian, and i do not mean HTC/Gigabyte. There are several gaming companies, software developers, Internet marketing enterprises, etc. located in Xindian’s office space.
However, I too would love the old decrepit, half abandoned factory areas, starting from the ones in Zhongzhen road down to Minchuan road, to Baozhong and Baozhiao road -old furniture store complexes, etc.- to be reused for something more modern and safer, instead of cheap taofangs and dangerous old folks retirement homes/hospices. Heck, they are putting the after birth hotels there, for Scrooge’s sake!
Yeah and they also put kindergartens in those old industrial buildings as well!
Yes it would be a good idea but no farmers to grab the land off and make outsize profits from rezoning right?
I’m afraid this Asian Silicon Valley plan sadly looks very dated, with whiffs of local county corruption around it and IS NOT a good sign that the Tsai administration will change things much here.
In some ways Taiwan looks hopelessly isolated and not from outside influences.
That’s been a thing in New England forever. Renovate old 19th century mill buildings into office space with lots of high tech startups. There’s a certain rustic ambiance, like you’re immersed in history. You can almost sense the ghosts of child labor amidst the hum of hard drives and fans.
Taiwan’s need to be blasted with dynamite there seems nothing to renovate they are just cheap rotten concrete buildings crammmed together.
The old mill buildings are plenty ugly, too. Many things of historical importance are eyesores by design and never looked good even when new. This is an uncomfortable truth that preservationists gloss over.
Someday they’ll be agitating to preserve the classic, authentic slum-brutalist architecture of Taiwan, because history. And the rich hipsters will be buying it up and inflating the prices.
I don’t know there’s ugly then there’s Taiwan ugly. It’s hard to beat.
It’s artisan ugly. A regional specialty.
It’s like a cheese. You can get cheese anywhere, but if you want a particular variety of cheese…
I will have some extra mouldy 70s tiles on toast please, with a side of rusty bars.