STSP Director-General Hsiu-Jung Cheng Discusses South Taiwan Silicon Valley AI Transformation

According to an interview published in CECI Engineering Technology, Hsiu-Jung Cheng, Director-General of the Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) Bureau under the National Science and Technology Council, detailed the transformation of STSP from a pure semiconductor manufacturing hub into a next-generation AI science park. Aligning with the national Great South New Silicon Valley Initiative, the plan connects the semiconductor S-corridor across Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. STSP currently hosts over 295 companies, producing an estimated 90% of global AI chips. In terms of computing infrastructure, Cheng noted that the National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) established a large AI/HPC cloud computing center and international telecom node in STSP in 2025. Coupled with the Shalun smart innovation computing center slated for 2029, these facilities will form a dual computing core for southern Taiwan. Shalun has already attracted research branches from NYCU, NCKU, ITRI, Academia Sinica, and AMD. For park infrastructure and governance, STSP has integrated AI disaster prevention systems and AI wastewater analysis, cutting chemical additives by 25%. Addressing utilities, STSP utilizes dual-circuit power grids, expanding solar, and upcoming wind power. As Taiwan's largest consumer of reclaimed water in science parks, STSP supports major chipmakers like TSMC in committing to fully rely on reclaimed water for new facility production, while preserving green spaces to balance industrial growth with ecological sustainability.

Key takeaways

• STSP links the Chiayi-Pingtung semiconductor S-corridor under national initiatives to evolve from chip manufacturing into a collaborative AI computing and innovation ecosystem.
• Computing infrastructure pairs the 2025 NCHC STSP cloud center with the planned 2029 Shalun facility to anchor southern Taiwan's dual AI/HPC core.
• Park governance leverages AI for emergency disaster responses, traffic diversion, and wastewater optimization, achieving a 25% cut in treatment chemical usage.
• Utility resilience focuses on dual-circuit grids, renewable power, and extensive reclaimed water adoption, with advanced fabs committing to complete reclaimed water usage.