To expedite domestic petrochemical industry towards high value-added development in Kaohsiung and to enroot the industry’s localization, the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) joins efforts with the Kaohsiung City Government to promote “practicality and localization of petrochemical materials” IDB and the Labor Affairs Bureau (LAB) of Kaohsiung City designate the Labor Education and Recreation Center (LERC) as a service and promoting hub, which collaborates with other local agencies to develop a cultural and creative industry full of local features.
In 2013, IDB cooperated with the Economic Development Bureau (EDB) and LAB to establish the “R7 Creative Hub” (R7) in LERC to integrate the superior results and resources of R&D institutions from petrochemical downstream industries such as the Footwear & Recreation Technology Research Institute and the Taiwan Textile Federation. This year, the Plastics Industry Development Center (PIDC), the Printing Technology Research Institute (PTRI) and the High value Petrochemical Industry Promotion Office will set up branches in R7 as well.
In addition to promoting the importance of petrochemicals, IDB also supports the development of cultural and creative industry in Kaohsiung area by means of the R&D resources in R7. This will drive local footwear, accessories, apparel and printing industries to flourish. In addition, the PIDC, the Kaohsiung City Education Bureau and other relevant local departments are going to utilize the technology of 3D printing and petrochemicals to build desktop apparatus and to formulate applied materials for practical education. IDB will continue to introduce technology from more downstream industries, such as plastics, rubbers, textile, and footwear materials into R7.