The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and the Taoyuan City Government are jointly developing the Convention and Exhibition Center (CEC) Taoyuan. It is located next to the A19 MRT station of the Taoyuan Airport line. A beam laying ceremony was held on July 29, and President Tsai Ing-wen, MOEA Minister Wang Mei-hua, and Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan participated in a ritual together to pray for the successful completion of CEC Taoyuan next year.
President Tsai remarked at the ceremony that CEC Taoyuan is an important piece in the puzzle of the city's development blueprint. In the future, it will operate in connection with the Asia Silicon Valley Innovation and Development Center, thereby making Taoyuan a better base for innovation and R&D, as well as a hub for transshipment.
President Tsai also noted that Taoyuan serves as a gateway to Taiwan and a location for technology and industry. Since the MOEA has carried out the Three Major Programs for Investing in Taiwan, Taoyuan attracted the highest amount of investment among all cities, reaching more than 340 billion NT dollars. This has also helped increase employment.
Despite the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Minister Wang said that it took less than two years from the start of construction to the laying of the beam, which was earlier than expected by the Executive Yuan. She thanked the Taoyuan City Government for its efficiency and the construction team for its efforts in overcoming the impact of the pandemic.
Minister Wang also emphasized that the MOEA and the Taoyuan City Government have been working closely together. In addition to CEC Taoyuan and the Three Major Programs for Investing in Taiwan, there are also the renewable energy power plant and remediation of the two streams that flow through the Qingpu area where CEC Taoyuan is located. The remediation includes water quality and bank protection, which have improved the quality of life for Taoyuan residents. These are the results of the joint efforts of the MOEA and the Taoyuan City Government, which will continue in the future.
Taoyuan Mayor Cheng emphasized that Taoyuan is a stronghold of national industrial supply chains, such as electronics and semiconductors. Thus, a convention and exhibition center is necessary for industrial marketing. CEC Taoyuan, with its advantageous location and sufficient meeting space, provides solid support for Taiwan's economy and will link with the Taoyuan Aerotropolis.
During the pandemic, the MOEA has continued to prepare various software and hardware for the MICE industry. In addition to professional exhibition centers, it also works with the MICE industry to promote digital transformation, using novel technologies to create virtual and real integration models that accord with future exhibition trends. As we move ahead to coexist with Covid-19 on a step-by-step basis, the world will see Taiwan's MICE industry mature and progress.