The industrial park home to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry has announced the official opening of a new COVID-19 testing station. Hsinchu City Mayor Lin Chih-chien joined a host of industry officials at the launch of the station in Hsinchu Science Park.
Hsinchu Science Park in north-western Taiwan is the centre of Taiwan’s tech industry and home to two of the world’s top semiconductor foundries, TSMC and UMC. Estimates suggest that the 1,400-hectare park generated around 6% of Taiwan’s total GDP in 2019.
The new testing station is Hsinchu’s second such testing facility and includes a rapid testing stall along with a positive-pressure PCR testing hut. A separate air conditioning system will protect medical staff both from the heat and the risk of infection during testing. The station can process up to 100 tests a day, with visits by appointment only.
Mayor Lin says that protecting workers at the science park means protecting Taiwan’s semiconductor industry.
Hsinchu Science Park head Wang Yung-chuang was also present at the ceremony. He thanked the Hsinchu City government for managing to get the testing station up and running in less than a week. He says science park workers and their families will all benefit from the new facility.