Abstract for: Sustainable System Design for Science Park Development in Taiwan

Global demand for AI and semiconductors is driving rapid science park expansion in Taiwan, such as the Southern Taiwan Science Park. This creates a critical sustainability gap where aggressive economic growth directly conflicts with severe resource constraints, including land scarcity, massive energy and water consumption, and ecological degradation. This study utilizes System Dynamics (SD) to model the interconnected feedback loops between economic performance and environmental impacts. Causal Loop Diagrams and computer modeling were developed to systematically analyze how infrastructure expansion, driven by profit and revenue goals, accelerates resource depletion, increases carbon emissions, and threatens long-term operational viability. Analysis reveals that while park revenues grew exponentially, resource consumption simultaneously surged, completely offsetting efficiency gains. However, simulations show that targeted policy interventions—such as transitioning to 60% renewable energy, instituting carbon taxation, and dedicating significant land to biodiversity preservation—can effectively mitigate these adverse environmental impacts. To achieve long-term resilience and meet 2050 Net Zero targets, science parks must fundamentally decouple economic growth from resource consumption. Transforming into Eco-Industrial Parks through industrial symbiosis and embedding ecological limits directly into early-stage economic planning is essential for the sustainable future of high-tech development.