Is Defending Only Taichung Enough? Experts Warn Developers Must Next 'Step Outside Taichung'

Construction companies focused solely on Taichung may face future challenges as key industries and investment increasingly shift towards southern Taiwan, experts warn. While Taichung has long been a real estate center, benefiting from the Central Science Park, precision machinery, and industrial development, the landscape is changing.

Recent data shows significant growth in Taiwan's science parks, with the southern science park expanding rapidly and becoming a major base for the semiconductor industry. This trend indicates a southward movement of high-tech talent and new investments. Experts note that future real estate market drivers will depend more on industrial chain layouts, land availability, power resources, high-end talent migration, and infrastructure rather than just housing prices or population shifts.

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The biggest challenge for the construction industry in the future is not 'leaving Taichung,' but 'stepping outside of Taichung.'

Chen Meng-yun, an associate manager at True House Real Estate Appraisers, explains that while AI, semiconductor, and advanced packaging industries are expanding into southern areas like Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung, this does not signal a decline for Taichung. Instead, the competition model is evolving. Taichung still has a strong manufacturing base, with industrial property demand driven by precision machinery, machine tools, and self-use corporate expansion. In contrast, the southern tech corridor's growth fuels demand for large factories, park construction, public works, employee housing, and residential development.

To sustain momentum, Chen advises Taichung to strengthen its focus on technology factories, commercial services, logistics, and housing for high-level talent, fostering a stronger link between industry, transportation, employment, and living conditions. For the construction industry, the challenge is not to abandon Taichung but to "step outside of Taichung." Limiting development to a single market risks missing significant engineering opportunities in the rapidly growing southern tech corridor. Construction firms should shift their core business from residential projects to nationwide industrial chain projects, targeting emerging areas with industrial investment, infrastructure development, and long-term employment support.

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Taiwan's real estate market is gradually shifting from a 'housing price cycle' to 'industrial chain configuration competition.'