TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Despite the dual setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic and the drought, the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) still saw its revenue for the first half of the year rise by 11.5% and its exports surge by 14% compared to the same period in 2020, reports said Wednesday (Sept. 15).

Looking forward to the rest of the year, park officials were confident that the total revenue for 2021 could exceed NT$1 trillion (US$36.12 billion), CNA reported. During its 18-year history, the park has managed to attract 225 companies from the international high-tech sector and NT$2.22 trillion in investments.

During the first half of 2021, it registered revenue totaling NT$482.79 billion, an increase of NT$49.73 billion from the same period last year, said CTSP Bureau Director-General Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新). The value of exports for January to June reached NT$280.04 billion, an increase of NT$34.29 billion, or 13.95%, from the first half of 2020.

On Monday (Sept. 13), the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) said that Taiwan’s science parks may altogether achieve a revenue growth rate of 15% for all of 2021.