Taiwan SEMICON: A Proactive Approach to Economic Development

Scottsdale was pleased to join the Arizona Commerce Authority and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council’s delegation to Taiwan SEMICON, the world’s leading semiconductor conference. With more than 105 delegates from Arizona cities, towns, businesses, and universities, Arizona made an incredible impression!

Scottsdale was very well received at Taiwan SEMICON. As part of the technology corridor located between TSMC in north Phoenix and Intel in Chandler, Scottsdale is perfectly positioned for innovative technology companies. We had incredibly productive days at Taiwan SEMICON. Joined by the Premier of Taiwan at the Grand Opening of SEMICON, we learned that Taiwan represents 92% of the world’s semiconductor industry.

The size and scope of SEMICON is incredible—with a record 1,300 exhibitors and representatives from Scottsdale, Surprise, Goodyear, Buckeye, Chandler, Mesa, Peoria, Avondale, Phoenix, Maricopa, Pima County, Sacramento, Tallahassee, California, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Indiana, Oklahoma, Idaho, Michigan, India, France, Canada, Australia, Japan, and more!

The sheer volume of companies in the TSMC ecosystem is absolutely incredible, and it is creating a tremendous amount of opportunity because many are looking to come to Arizona. Here are some examples: Citibank of Taiwan invited Scottsdale to a client luncheon, where we met the president of a technology trade association with 3,000 members, many of whom are looking to open offices in Arizona. We met with the Ministry of Financial Affairs, participated in an Executive Roundtable with 45 technology companies, and met with the company that assembles NVIDIA’s servers. Although currently located in Texas, they are considering a move to Arizona.

In addition to the $265 billion TSMC investment in Arizona, the government of Taiwan recently announced that it will issue $250 billion in business loans and take on 50% of the risk for businesses moving to the U.S.—and 80% of those loans will go to Arizona. As you can see, there is a tremendous amount of business coming to our state!

After Mayor Borowsky’s departure, it was my honor to represent Scottsdale for the last two days of SEMICON. Kevin Burke, Senior Director of Economic Development & Tourism, and I joined the Arizona Commerce Authority’s Media Luncheon, where we presented Scottsdale to the Taiwanese media and gave interviews to a room of more than 20 TV and print journalists from outlets such as Bloomberg and the Taipei Times.

We joined Chandler Mayor Hartke and Buckeye Mayor Orsborn for a productive meeting with Director Greene from the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as the American delegation to Taiwan, to discuss the coming growth in Arizona and the different value propositions each city offers. Director Greene was honored at the Opening Ceremony of SEMICON for his leadership and contribution to the semiconductor industry.

We also focused on the tourism industry in meetings with the Chairwoman of the Taiwan Visitors Association as well as the President of the Taiwan Tourism Association. The Taiwanese are passionate baseball fans! With our unique Scottsdale Stadium in the center of Old Town, we are perfectly positioned to drive tourism to our city. We discussed ways to increase tourism to Scottsdale, exchanging ideas and to-dos that will have a real impact on tourism in Scottsdale.

Interestingly, each city and state offers something different, making Scottsdale’s unique brand and value proposition clear. Unlike some cities, we do not have large-acre lots to offer (which means no data centers). What we do have to offer is unique and very special: corporate headquarters, research and development, SkySong’s tech innovation lab, biotechnology, restaurants, tourism, an executive airport, and a high-quality lifestyle within 30 minutes of TSMC.

While it is clear that most cities and states have already built in-roads with Taiwan by investing in multiple trips and sending large groups, Scottsdale is starting strong. Our success will be in selecting and attracting high-value companies that are interested in joining our community and appreciate our unique value proposition.

After this incredibly productive trip, we now have the opportunity to proactively consider our next steps to attract the best fit for Scottsdale’s vibrant economy and community.

There is so much opportunity. These are exciting times in Scottsdale!