Taipei City
Taipei City occupies a key geographic location for economics and trade in the Asia Pacific region, and is the political and economic capital of Taiwan. To create a high-quality environment that facilitates sustainable business operations, the Taipei City Government has introduced the concept of "smart city, new economy." This concept illustrates the government's determination to develop an innovative, digital, smart, and green economy, in which the Nankang Software Park (which specializes in using ICs to design digital content), Neihu Technology Park (which possesses abundant R&D capabilities), and Beitou–Shilin Technology Park (which is currently in development) will be used as the foundation for smart-city development. In addition, innovations have been incorporated into fields such as urban governance, marketing, tourism, transportation, health care, and education in order to produce and attract top talent in industry, commerce, and culture. These measures will help Taipei City become a top international city.
| Geographic information | Taipei City is located in northern Taiwan, at a longitude of 121.6 degrees and latitude of 24.9 degrees. |
| Area | 271.7997 km2 |
| Population | 2,695,652 persons |
| Population density | Approximately 9,951 people per km2 There is an average of 5.30 m2 of green park area for each Taipei resident. |
| Labor force | 1,328,000 persons |
| Employed population | 1,275,000 persons |
| Employed population for various industries | Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishing sector, 0.17%; industrial sector, 18.91%; and service sector, 80.92% |
| Academic and research institutions | 27 colleges and universities (including schools of commerce, law, science and technology, agriculture, and medicine); more than 10 economics and industry-related research institutions; 30 business incubators |
| Education level of the employed population | 80.2% of the employed population have a college degree or higher; the highest number MBA holders in Asia |
| Temperature | Annual average temperature: 23°C |
| Overall education level | Nearly 59.22% of the population have a college degree or higher |
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Overview of Economic Situation |
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| Revenue | NT$12.5892 trillion (2015) |
| Top five industries in revenue | Wholesale and retail, finance and insurance, manufacturing, construction, and information and communications |
| Key new industries where investments are prioritized | MICE, tourism, biotechnology, cultural/creative, international health care, international cuisine, financial services, ICT, urban renewal, and green industry |
| Total revenue of industrial sectors for the third quarter of 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector | Revenue | Ratio | Top three industries |
| Primary industry | NT$191.3 billion | 1.66% | 1. Finance and insurance (51.47%) 2. Manufacturing (16.16%) 3. Real estate (5.42%) |
| Secondary industry | NT$2.8787 trillion | 25.01% | |
| Tertiary industry | NT$8.9396 trillion | 73.33% | |
| Total | NT$11.5096 trillion | 100% | |
Notes:
Primary industry (agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, and animal husbandry) is primarily composed of quality agriculture.
Secondary industry (industry) consists mostly of urban light industry, urban service industry, and high-tech and technology-intensive industries.
Tertiary industry (services) includes mainly small and medium-sized business-related industries, finance, and other service-related industries.
| Chinese and foreign investments in 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Investments | Investment Amount | |||
| 2016 | Foreign investors | Chinese investors | Foreign investors | Chinese investors |
| 1,578 | 31 | US$6.252 billion | US$128 million | |
According to a 2015 report “Globalization and Competition: The New World of Cities" compiled by Jones Lang LaSalle, Taipei ranked 5th overall among emerging cities, 2nd in education level, and 7th in innovation and R&D capabilities.
In the Australian think tank 2Thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index evaluation of 2015, Taipei ranked 9th in Asia and making it the highest-ranked Asian city classified as Level 2 "innovation hubs." Since being selected as one of the top 100 cities in 2011, Taipei City has been described by 2Thinknow as one of the fastest growing cities, showing exceptional competitiveness and development potential.
For five consecutive years, from 2011 to 2015, the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology won first prize at the iF Product Design Award (equivalent to the Oscars of the design sector). Other award-winning universities included Ming Chuan University and the National Taipei University of Technology. All of the aforementioned universities are from Taipei City.
In 2016, a student from the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology won the bronze prize in the student group at the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) competition, the largest design competition in the United States.
In a 2015 article ("fDi Intelligence" published in the Financial Times, Taipei ranked 3rd as a future Asia–Pacific city, 2nd in economic growth potential, and 4th in friendliness of business environment.
In 2015, the Global Financial Centres Index 18 (GFCI 18) produced by the British Z/Yen Group ranked Taipei City 26th and 10th in the world and Asia, respectively.
According to the “Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2015” compiled by MasterCard Worldwide, 6.4 million international visitors visited Taipei City in 2015, the 11th-highest number in Asia. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) conducted a “Safe Cities Index” survey and found that Taipei City ranked 13th.
In 2016, Ericsson administered a Networked Society Cities Index check, which showed that Taipei City ranked 11th in the world and 4th in Asia, behind only Singapore, Japan, and Korea.
In 2016, InterNations conducted the “Internations Expats Survey,” in which Taipei City was ranked No. 1 in the world while Singapore, Japan, and Korea were ranked 13th, 27th, and 29th, respectively.
Taipei City features convenient public transportation, comprehensive health care facilities, a diverse culinary culture, rich art and cultural activities, well-developed cultural education, and outstanding living functions, making it suitable for long-term living and business development.
There are more than 15,000 food vendors/restaurants in Taipei City, providing food options ranging from local night market snacks to five-star restaurant cuisine. In addition, eight of the major Chinese regional cuisine (Sichuan, Canton, Jiangsu, Shandong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan, and Anhui) as well as Taiwanese, Hakka, aboriginal, Japanese, Korean, American, French, Italian, Thai, Indian, and Vietnamese cuisines are all widely available, which illustrates Taipei City's diverse food culture.
Taipei City has 40 night markets and 14 tourist night markets, including the Ningxia Night Market (the most commonly reported night market in gourmet magazines and online news reports), Raohe Street Night Market (known for its medicinal herb-stewed ribs), Huaxi Street Night Market (which has 50 years of history), and Shilin Night Market (the most famous night market in Taiwan). Visitors to night markets can experience the lively folk culture and enjoy a variety of unique snacks.
The food courts of many department stores also offer food from different cultures, making it convenient for the public to enjoy a myriad of delicacies. Breeze Taipei Station covers an area of 9,240 square meters and is home to over 50 gourmet restaurants that offer beef noodles, curry, Taiwan snacks, and many other international dishes.
Taipei City has the best restaurants as well as the highest density of high-end restaurants in Taiwan. Din Tai Fung, a restaurant known for its steamed soup dumplings, was included by the New York Times as one of 10 restaurants worthy of a special trip for travelers who happened to be in the neighborhood; its Hong Kong branch has been awarded a Michelin star. The restaurant is one of the most popular destinations in Taiwan for tourists from Hong Kong and Japan.
Taipei City has 59 business districts (including Tianmu, National Taiwan Normal University, Ximen, and the Xinyi Commercial Center) as well as countless department stores. In addition, the city has a variety of specialized streets, shops, and markets such as wedding streets, furniture streets, apparel streets, tea streets, flower markets, and jade markets. These allow the public to choose between popular, classic, expensive, and inexpensive products, satisfying all of their shopping needs.
The Xinyi Commercial Center, which serves both as a commercial and financial center as well as an entertainment and shopping district, has attracted a considerable number of department stores such as Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, the Bellavita shopping center, and the Taipei 101 Mall. As a result, it is the bellwether of domestic fashion trends.
The Ximending Business District, located in the vicinity of the mass rapid transit (MRT) Ximen Station, is a shopping paradise for young people and features historically significant pedestrian zones.
The Guang Hua Digital Plaza, a new shopping mall that is six stories high and has a total floor space of 16,500 square meters, is Taiwan's largest computer, communications, and consumer electronics shopping center.
Wufenpu is the apparel wholesale capital of Taipei City, where hundreds of apparel vendors gather and countless retailers station themselves to sell clothes.
Taipei City is committed to creating a safe environment; its theft rate is the lowest of the six special municipalities in Taiwan and it has a crime clearance rate of 100%. The first-ever "peace of mind" map, published in 2015, listed crime-related locations and other information to facilitate "providing transparent public security information and ensuring the public’s peace of mind."
Taipei City is the first city in the world with seamless Internet. With a fiber-optic coverage of over 80%, the public can enjoy free Wi-Fi services all over the city. Taipei City also has more than 2,000 convenience stores, providing the public with great convenience in buying food and filling other everyday living needs.
"Low carbon footprint, environmental protection, and green buildings" will be one of Taipei City's primary urban development trends in the future. In addition, the Taipei City Government plans to add 38 wooded roadways and continues to build smart green buildings to allow all of the city’s administrative areas can have unique green buildings of their own. The Taipei Expo Park-Xinsheng Park Area has been honored with Diamond-class Green Building certification.
Taipei City has more than 800 green parks covering a total area of approximately 13.59 million m2, which equates to an average green park area of 5.17 m2 per citizen. In the future, the number will be increased by 247 with a total area of 6.098 million m2, and the average green park area per person is expected to grow to 7.48 million m2.
Taipei Songshan Airport offers direct flights to Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Hongqiao International Airport and Pudong International Airport in Shanghao, and airports in 13 other cities in China. The average flying time between Taoyuan International Airport (which is approximately 40 and 19 minutes from Taipei City by car and by Taiwan High Speed Rail, respectively) and seven major cities in the Western Pacific region (Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Manila, and Sydney) is approximately is approximately 3 hours.
Taipei City is Taiwan's largest transportation hub, where the Taiwan Railways, High Speed Rail, and MRT converge. The city has 3,680 buses and more than 30,000 taxis to satisfy travelers' short, medium, and long-distance transportation needs.
Taipei City's MRT has five lines and 117 stations (Songshan Airport Station will be connected to Taoyuan Airport Station in the future), totaling 136.6 km in length. On average, the MRT system carries 1.966 million passengers per day and is ranked 1st in the world in reliability. To enhance the convenience of public transport, the Taipei Joint Bus System offers over 280 bus routes, serving an average of 1.42 million passengers per day.
To encourage the public to use public bicycles (which create minimal pollution and consume little energy) for short-distance transportation, the Taipei City Government has developed a Ubike system which currently has 268 service stations and served more than 70 million riders by the end of 2016, posting a turnover rate that is the highest in the world.
Taipei City has a wealth of educational resources; it is home to approximately 691 preschools, 214 elementary and junior high schools, 67 high and vocational schools, 27 colleges and universities, more than 10 economic and industry-related research institutions, and 30 business incubators and foreign schools (American, Japanese, and European schools). These institutions provide the best future labor force that enterprises need to strengthen their competitiveness.
Taipei City has 36 public art museums, 155 historic sites, 195 historic buildings, and over 71 municipal libraries with a total of more than 7.23 million books.
Taipei City offers green mountains and beautiful skylines, and its ecological parks (e.g., Yangmingshan National Park, Huajiang Wild Duck Nature Park, and Guandu Nature Park), leisure farms, the Beitou hot springs, and five mountain hiking trail systems are all excellent ways to reconnect with nature. Taipei City also features Taiwan's most comprehensive network of bicycle lanes, 20 hiking trails, and the blue highway, creating a favorable mountain–sea environment that complements the city's leisure and tourism.
Taipei Zoo, which covers 165 hectares, houses precious animals such as koalas, penguins, and pandas. The zoo serves as a wildlife conservation area and is the best place for people to relax while expanding their knowledge. The public can also ride the Maokong Gondola to discover Taipei’s most beautiful mountain line and overlook the Maokong tea plantations from the sky. In addition, they can enjoy tea in the Maokong region.
Taipei City offers fascinating entertainment options such as bookstores, KTVs, coffee shops, cinemas, and nightclubs. Eslite, for example, is a chain of multi-purpose bookstores that espouse "humanities, art, creativity, and living." Eslite's Dunnan Branch is open 24 hours a day, making it a unique feature of Taipei City that attracts countless visitors.
To improve the health and vitality of the public, Taipei City has established 12 civic sports centers that provide the public with places to engage in recreational activities such as swimming, exercising, rock climbing, and archery.
The operation of the Taipei City Government is guided by the well-being of the general public so that the Government pays special attention to provide simple, friendly and convenient services to domestic and foreign enterprises and even foreigners.
The Taipei City Government established the Invest Taipei Office (ITO) to effectively assist domestic and overseas companies and entrepreneurs by providing them with knowledge and understanding of Taipei's business environment as well as of related policies and legislation. The ITO's focus is to assist companies with various requirements for setting up businesses in Taipei City; it offers consultation, introduction, and resource consolidation services, as well as investment troubleshooting and business opportunity expansion guidance, all to promote Taipei's industrial and economic development.
Website: http://ito.taipei
Phone: 886-2-2757-4516, 886-2-2757-4517, 886-2-2757-4518, 886-2-2757-4519
Address: 2F, North Wing, No. 1, City Hall Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City 11008, Taiwan
The Taipei City Government established the StartUP@Taipei Office to help innovative entrepreneurs start a business in Taipei and facilitate industry development. The office compiles entrepreneurial resources from the central agencies and all departments in Taipei City government to provide services such as entrepreneurial counseling, entrepreneurial information in Taipei City, application for Taipei City government’s entrepreneurial resources, customized counseling by entrepreneurial advisors, and nurturing entrepreneurs comprehensively.
Website: StartUP@Taipei Office
The office provides subsidies of Job Training Programs; New hired employee’s payroll; Annual housing tax & land-value tax; Rental Subsidy for providing for the assets located within the city; Interest payments ; City-owned real estate…etc.
Website: Project Office of Subsidies & Incentives For Taipei Industry
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Department of Investment Services, Ministry of Economic Affairs, R.O.C.
Department of Investment Services, Ministry of Economic Affairs, R.O.C.