Kaohsiung Special Zone Marks One Year Anniversary with 58 Financial Institutions in Trial Operations; Vice Mayor Lo Ta-sheng Shares Progress on Asia Asset Management Hub

In recent years, Kaohsiung has actively advanced its industrial upgrading by accelerating strategic deployments in semiconductors, AI, smart manufacturing, and net-zero technologies—driving structural transformation across the city’s industrial landscape. This shift has simultaneously generated growing demand for high-value financial services, including wealth management, corporate succession planning, cross-border investment, and asset allocation.

Yesterday (7th), Kaohsiung City Government Vice Mayor Lo Ta-sheng was invited to attend the "CommonWealth Magazine's 2026 Commonwealth Cities Summit," where he delivered a presentation titled "Kaohsiung: Building a City Development Model through Synergy between Industrial Advancement and Financial Services." He shared the city’s phased achievements in industrial transformation, financial innovation, and the Kaohsiung Special Zone under the Asia Asset Management Center initiative.

Lo emphasized that with central government support, Kaohsiung has been proactively positioning itself in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, AI, smart manufacturing, and net-zero technology. As major corporate investments and the continued advancement of Asia Bay 2.0 unfold, the city’s industrial momentum is rapidly increasing, leading to heightened corporate demand for advanced financial services. Aligning with the central government’s Asia Asset Management Center policy, the city has designated the Kaohsiung Special Zone as a key demonstration base in southern Taiwan, integrating resources from financial institutions, industries, and professional service providers to gradually build a mutually supportive development model between industry and finance.

Lo noted that Kaohsiung possesses comprehensive foundations in port infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing, and tech industries. In recent years, the city has further strengthened fintech, high-value professional services, and its international business environment. By advancing both industry and finance in parallel, the city aims to attract corporate headquarters, high-net-worth clients, and specialized talent, gradually forming a financial services cluster in southern Taiwan.

Looking ahead, Kaohsiung will continue collaborating with the central government and the financial sector to optimize the financial services environment and deepen the Asia Asset Management Center policy. This will enable financial resources to more effectively support corporate investment and industrial upgrading, ultimately building a city with robust industrial strength, strong financial service capabilities, and global competitiveness.

Kaohsiung Economic Development Bureau Director Liao Tai-shiang stated that the Kaohsiung Special Zone under the Asia Asset Management Center has now reached its first anniversary, with 58 financial institutions already participating in pilot programs. The city government has also signed cooperation memorandums with 73 financial institutions, steadily expanding its financial industry collaboration network.

Financial, Insurance, Corporate Headquarters, and Management Consulting Sectors Achieve Highest Revenue Growth Among Six Major Cities

Director Liao pointed out that the synergistic impact between financial policy and industrial development is gradually becoming evident. Both the "Financial and Insurance Sector" and the "Corporate Headquarters and Management Consulting Sector" in Kaohsiung have achieved the highest sales revenue growth rates among Taiwan’s six major cities. This indicates sustained momentum in the growth of Kaohsiung’s financial services industry and reflects the positive ripple effect of industrial upgrading driving the expansion of high-value service sectors.

The city government stated that moving forward, it will continue to focus on industry needs, deepen financial innovation and asset management services, and integrate industrial, financial, and international resources. The goal is to ensure that finance becomes not just a supporting service, but a key driver in urban transformation and corporate growth—continuously enhancing Kaohsiung’s competitiveness within southern Taiwan and the broader Asian financial services market.