The R.O.C. Executive Yuan approved the “Environmental Science and technology Park Project” on 09 September 2002. The Environmental Protection Administration further designated Kaohsiung, Hualien, Taoyuan and Tainan counties to establish four regional Environmental Science and Technology Parks (ESTPs). The theme of the ESTPs is to develop a healthy and sustainable circular economy by forming a symbiotic system(s) among the industries, communities and the ecology around the ESTPs, through incorporation of necessary green industries into individual ESTP which help to maximize the material and energy use efficiency within the region. The main tasks of this ESTP Business Promotion Project are to: assess the technology needs of the four ESTPs; help to identify the target industries/companies and raise their interest in joining the ESTPs through trade shows, seminars and private discussions; and assist the eligible and enthusiastic companies to secure their approval for setting up operating facilities in the ESTPs. Means of soliciting companies’ interest include: advertising on newspapers and magazines, distribution of ESTP brochures, participating in international trade shows, holding business promotion seminars, private visits and meetings, etc. During the report period, the project team has completed: a study of green technology and eco-industrial park trend analysis; recommendation to four ESTPs on targeted technologies and industries; exhibition at the 2005 Air and Waste Management Conference and Exhibition in Minneapolis; organizing three (3) seminars in Taiwan and assisting/participating at another nine (9) seminars held by four ESTPs; preparation and distribution of ESTP brochures both in English and Chinese; issuing monthly e-Newsletter; providing coordination and consultation service to interested companies and ESTPs to facilitate the dialogue and application procedures. In all, by the end of the report period, 20 companies have been qualified and signed in for setting up production/operating facilities in ESTPs, including 14 for Kaohsiung, 5 for Tainan, and 1 for Taoyuan, with many other applicants waiting for approval. The total investment of these 20 companies is about NT$6.6 billion, while the annual revenue generated is estimated at NT$14.1 billion, a remarkable achivement indeed. The types of the industries moving into the ESTPs cover a wide range of green technologies, including: high-efficiency environmental equipment manufacturing, high value-added resource recovery, and strategic environmental technologies. Together they are sure to contribute greatly to the economic growth of the afore-mentioned counties/regions, and also help to improve the environmental performance of the regions surrounding the ESTPs, hence enhancing the green competitiveness of the related industries as a whole.

Environmental Science and Technology Park, Green Industry, Eco-Industrial Park, Sustainable Development