About three hundred people, including Mayor Chu Chen of Kaohsiung City, Minister John Chen-Chung Deng of Ministry of Economic Affairs, and representatives from industries, government agencies and academia gathered at the Labor Education and Recreation Center of Kaohsiung City to unveil the joint opening ceremony of “R7 Southern Fashion and Creation Hub” on July 8. Establishment of the “R7 Southern Fashion and Creation Hub” will integrate the demands of upper, middle and lower streams of the petrochemical industry and combine resources from the industries, government, academia, and research institutes to lead industries to engage in new product developments and increase the added value of products through cross-industrial key materials and verification. Also, through the alliance of Footwear & Recreation Technology Research Institute, Taiwan Textile Federation, Printing Technology Research Institute, Plastic Industry Development Center, Industrial Technology Research Institute, R7 will spark creation of fashion and cultural and creative art among trainees and talents.
In addition to the joint opening ceremony, there were several activities at the events displaying the achievements of research and available local services and resources. Furthermore, the Plastic Industry Development Center establishes a “3D Printing Laboratory” to assemble desktop 3D printers and functional materials to help the public understand how petrochemicals and chemical materials are closely related to our daily life. With products from the downstream industries, such as plastics, rubbers, textiles, and shoes materials to assist the development of 3D printing and other industries to promote the localization of high-value petrochemical industry, this will bring jobs and start-up opportunities to young people, and would ultimately boost the sustainable development of the petrochemical and chemical industries.