On September 15, 2026, Chiayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang delivered a comprehensive administrative report to the county council, officially unveiling the vision of "Brave Transformation, Innovative Chiayi" and declaring the period from 2025 to 2035 as the "Golden Decade" of Chiayi’s development. This policy shift aims to break free from the limitations of the traditional agricultural-based economic structure. By attracting investment, the focus will shift toward industrial technology and consumer industries, while simultaneously assisting traditional agriculture in achieving smart upgrades.

Concurrently, Minister of the National Development Council (NDC) Yeh Chun-hsien shared his views on global AI trends and the economic outlook on the same day. He emphasized that despite geopolitical tensions and concerns from some technology leaders regarding the pace of AI research and development, the order momentum for Taiwan's tech industry remains strong, and export performance continues to be robust. He expects this year's economic growth rate to potentially exceed the 11.05% forecast by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, and even challenge a growth target of 12%.

Regarding specific industrial progress, the development of the Chiayi Science Park (Chiayi Science Park) has entered the substantive construction phase. According to official statements, the first phase of the park officially entered the trial production stage in June 2026. Regarding the second phase expansion plan, the focus is on meeting the urgent global demand for high-computing chips and advanced packaging technology, with TSMC leading the effort to build a hub for advanced packaging. Related infrastructure projects, such as sewage treatment plants, water distribution reservoirs, and complex building clusters, are being advanced simultaneously.

NDC Minister Yeh Chun-hsien pointed out that current market concerns regarding AI capital expenditure are primarily concentrated on software aspects, such as model development. While this may trigger market volatility in the short term, the essence of AI as a long-term industrial trend remains unchanged. This aligns with the Chiayi County Government's strategic direction of actively laying out hardware manufacturing and technology parks.

Despite the optimistic policy and industrial outlook, various sectors remain cautious about variables in the global environment. Current information indicates that the global economic outlook is still being disrupted by multiple factors, including ongoing tensions in the Middle East and calls from U.S. tech leaders to slow down R&D due to AI safety risks. Whether these external factors will have a substantive impact on the capital expenditure rhythm of Taiwan's semiconductor supply chain remains to be seen. Furthermore, in addition to the construction of technology parks, Chiayi County's "Golden Decade" transformation plan includes creative tourism marketing and the rebuilding of civic pride. Whether these non-tech-oriented policy goals can achieve the expected synergy with the development of the technology park is also a key point of observation.

Regarding the impact on related industries and policies, the industrial structural transformation of Chiayi County will directly drive changes in local employment patterns, shifting from traditional agriculture to high-tech manufacturing. This is expected to attract more high-tech talent and stimulate the development of surrounding consumer industries. For Taiwan's overall economy, the NDC's optimistic forecast is based on strong orders from major tech firms. If global AI supply chain demand continues to expand, Chiayi's position as a hub for advanced packaging will become even more critical. However, the implementation progress of related policies must still overcome the complexity of infrastructure engineering and the potential risks brought by global supply chain fluctuations; it is not advisable to view a single year's economic growth forecast as an absolute guarantee of long-term stable growth.

Regarding different perspectives and limitations, there are currently diverse sources of information concerning political and economic dynamics in the Eurasian region. For example, reports indicate that Russia is conducting "drone swarm" tests, highlighting the global competitive landscape of drone technology in military and industrial applications. At the same time, information regarding administrative management and construction suppliers in the Eurasian region reflects different dimensions of development in infrastructure and digital governance. For the Chiayi County Government, how to incorporate emerging technology industries, such as drones, into its technological transformation blueprint and connect with global supply chains will be a major challenge for future policy implementation.

Furthermore, the market's call for a slowdown in AI development reflects the tech industry's emphasis on technical ethics and safety risks. This presents a new challenge for Taiwan's tech industry: how to balance international standards and risk management while pursuing high-speed growth.

Subsequent observations will focus on the following three aspects: First, whether the infrastructure progress of the second phase of the Chiayi Science Park can be achieved on schedule, and whether TSMC's specific production capacity layout in the area is affected by the global semiconductor business cycle. Second, the NDC's economic growth forecast requires continuous tracking of fourth-quarter export data and actual changes in global tech industry capital expenditures. Finally, how the Chiayi County Government balances industrial technology development with agricultural smart transformation while promoting the "Golden Decade" plan, and effectively responding to the chain reactions caused by global geopolitical risks on the local economy. The interaction of these factors will determine Taiwan's competitiveness and economic growth resilience in the future global technology landscape.