TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Google Taiwan held an opening ceremony for its new engineering and development office in New Taipei City on Thursday (April 25).
This is Google’s second building in its TPark campus in Banqiao District, per CNA. The ceremony was attended by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), and American Institute in Taiwan Director Sandra Oudkirk.
Tsai said that with the new building, Google will continue its investment in Taiwan to ensure its expansion in chips, 6G technology, and artificial intelligence. This will enable it to retain its competitiveness on the international stage.
The president noted that Taiwanese industries are increasingly valued by foreign investors, giving Taiwan a key position in the supply chain. "From 2016 to 2023, the average annual foreign investment in Taiwan reached US$10.3 billion (NT$335.5 billion), and in 2023, foreign investment exceeded US$11.25 billion,” she said.
Elmer Peng (彭昱鈞), Google Taiwan’s vice president for hardware, said “Taiwan is Google's largest hardware engineering hub outside of the U.S.,” with employees from more than 30 countries and regions, per Google Blog.
“This expansion in New Taipei City reinforces our commitment to Taiwan’s tech and research community,” he said. “Since 2006, we've expanded our presence here with offices in five cities and a workforce that’s increased 20 times over the past 10 years.”
Peng also noted, “Taiwan is the birthplace of the world's first Android phone,” driving breakthroughs in AI development.
Peng said sustainability was reflected in the building’s design, including “240 photovoltaic solar panels and batteries that will generate and store energy on-site.” In addition, water-efficient fixtures, non-potable water for toilet flushing, and a stormwater capture system “will help us reduce water usage by over 60% compared to the international plumbing code standard,” he said.
Google Taiwan emphasized the importance of accessibility and creating workspaces that accommodate people with disabilities. Therefore, the office was equipped with “automated doors with badge readers at accessible heights,” “meeting rooms with braille signage,” and “ample space for people in wheelchairs,” Peng said.
