Hsinchu County reached the ICF’s Top7 award at its first attempt. ICF Chairman and Co-founder John G. Jung visited Hsinchu County on April 14-15 to carry out onsite inspection of its Intelligent Community promotion results. Visiting the Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park, Taiwan IVF Group, Tai Yuen Hi-tech Industrial Park and the Smart School of Zhubei Elementary School. Mr. Jung carried a camera and asked frequent questions. After his two-day visit, he stated that Hsinchu County will have to wait until June to find out if it is named Top 1; however, regardless of winning the title, its achievements so far has already maked it a worthy intelligent community.
Mr. Jung first visited the cradle of industry and talent in Taiwan, the Industrial Technology Research Institute and listened to briefs on R&D results and the incubation center. He also visited the self-guided automated warehouse of Chi Sheng Chemical Corp. in Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park and heard about the company’s transformation process, and also personally experienced a skin testing device. He also visited Gigastorage Corporation in the Park. The company has transformed from a fading DVD maker to an internationally renowned solar silicon wafer manufacturer. With upstream and downstream solar power integration, it has built the largest solar power generation station in south Taiwan. Innovation transformed the company’s fortunes.
Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park is one of the most important construction projects in Taiwan. To the present, 39 companies have set up operations in the Park. Mr. Jung heard presentations by the Park administration and by Taiwan Biomaterial Co. and Taiwan Biophonic Co., he experienced innovative biomedical material products, and also visited Taiwan IVF Group to learn about intelligent medicine. He also visited Tai Yuen Hi-Tech Industrial Park where the Park’s transformation from a traditional textile factory to a major technology center was explained.
On the afternoon of April 14, Mr. Jung visited Zhubei Elementary School’s Smart Classroom. Using Van Gogh’s artworks for teaching demonstration and interactive experience, technology products aid traditional reading and writing, nurturing the exploration, discussion and expression abilities of pupils. He also visited Jingtairan Community which won 1st place in the county government’s low carbon community action competition in 2015. The community WiFi, solar power and door control system make life for residents more convenient. Accompanied by personnel from the county government’s Cultural Affairs Bureau and Agriculture Department, he visited New Tile House Hakka Culture District where he viewed arts exhibitions, cultural, and creative products and also visited Food Forest, where he saw a demonstration of the interaction between land-friendly practices and environment.
Hsinchu County is large in area and Jianshi and Wufeng mountain areas regularly suffer landslides and debris flows. To allow the disaster situation to be quickly grasped, the county government has established M-Police facial identification and provides cloud crime reporting and onsite instant image transmission services in Jianshi Township. Through the debris flow monitoring system and Chunghwa Telecom’s remote network establishment, when disaster strikes the situation can be immediately understood, protecting the lives of residents. Mr. Jung strongly affirmed this achievement.
He also visited Neiwan shopping area to experience buying goods using an i-ticket and sending a coffee postcard overseas. He also used the iBus App to check the train timetable and traveled from Neiwan to Hexing on the TRA Neiwan branch line using a senior’s concessionary card. He was introduced to the remote area medical shuttle and used a senior’s concessionary card to travel on the express No. 6 bus to Zhudong Animation and Comic Creative Park where he experienced the Enchanted Forest Maze. In the afternoon he visited Emei Junior High School and was introduced to its diverse curriculum and digital equality. Pupils brewed tea and served the visitor tea, displaying the spirit of the tea ceremony.
Emei Township, the first to create digital equal opportunity in Taiwan, is the only township in Taiwan to have no 7-Eleven convenience stores. Emei Township is also an aged village. The county government has established a happy senior learning center and digital opportunity center here, where elderly people are taught how to use tablets and PC. Mr. Jung saw elderly people actually in class and saw that they are now able to access the Internet and buy things online and can even talk to their grandchildren by video link. He also visited Emei Health Center where he saw remote health care work in action and viewed the App positioning system at Emei Sanitation Team.