Industrial parks that changed the game, reshaped economies
What often begins as a fenced cluster of warehouses and production plants can evolve into a thriving hub of roads, transit systems, housing, and livelihoods.
Across the world, industrial parks have triggered sweeping transformations, marking a turning point in the economic rhythm of a region.
These developments go by many names—export processing zones, special economic zones, free ports, or high-tech parks—but they share a common purpose: to boost exports, generate employment, and accelerate industrialization. For governments with limited resources, they have become powerful policy tools, attracting investment and fueling growth.
To see how such shared spaces of industry can shape nations, here are five of the world’s most prominent industrial parks.
Hermosa Ecozone Industrial Park
Covering 162 ha within a 478-ha mixed-use development in Bataan, Philippines, the Hermosa Ecozone Industrial Park (HEIP) was developed by Hermosa Ecozone Development Corp., in which Science Park of the Philippines Inc.—a member of the ICCP Group—is both a shareholder and the general manager. It houses local and international companies engaged in electronics, automotive, and food processing.
Beyond its industrial capacity, HEIP has also stimulated the local economy of Morong by creating jobs, boosting tourism, and reducing the need for residents to migrate to Metro Manila for opportunities. For foreign investors, it provides a platform to grow their businesses while contributing to the local economy.
Tahoe Reno Industrial Center
Dubbed the largest industrial park in the world, the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center (TRI) in Storey County, Nevada, spans 107,000 acres, including a 30,000-acre industrial complex. It has become home to some of the world’s biggest tech players, including Tesla’s Gigafactory 1, Google, Switch, Blockchains, and Jet.com.
Planned as a mixed-use, nonresidential hub, TRI integrates industrial, office, and commercial spaces while offering unparalleled scale and business advantages. Its vast size, strategic location, and competitive features set it apart as a one-of-a-kind development in the United States.
Suzhou Industrial Park
Established in February 1994 as a joint project between the governments of China and Singapore, the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) covers 278 sq km, including an 80-sq km cooperation zone, in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. It has been recognized as an important window of China’s reform and a successful model of international cooperation. It’s also the first comprehensive experimental area for open innovation in China.
SIP follows a “2+3+1” industrial system. According to the Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee, this system means “two leading industries operating in new-generation information technology and high-end equipment manufacturing; three emerging industries featuring biomedicines, nanotechnology applications and artificial intelligence; all supported by a modern services industry.”
Izone Industrial Park
Izone Industrial Park—an award-winning industrial and business zone on the northern edge of Rolleston, New Zealand—hosts over 120 companies engaged in manufacturing, contracting, warehousing and logistics, and servicing Canterbury’s significant agricultural sector.
Covering 188 ha, the fully masterplanned greenfield site was developed and zoned by the Selwyn District Council to strengthen Rolleston’s industrial base. It has since created local jobs, reduced commuting to Christchurch—a nearby city—for work, and generated financial returns that helped offset rating requirements. Supporting quake-affected Canterbury businesses to remain in the region also validated Izone’s development strategy.
Hsinchu Science Park
Established in 1985, the Hsinchu Science Park—often referred to as “Taiwan’s Silicon Valley”—is an industrial park in northwestern Taiwan, created to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign technology by strengthening domestic research and development capacities.
Spanning 1,342 ha across six satellite parks—Hsinchu, Zhunan, Tonglu, Longtan, Yilan, and Hsinchu Biomedical—it employs over 150,000 people. Its main sector is the integrated circuit industry, which contributes around 70 percent of its total output value. Other key industries include computers and peripherals, communications, optoelectronics, precision machinery, biotechnology, and the fast growing biomedical sector.
Sources: Inquirer Archives, invest.bataan.gov.ph, sciencepark.com.ph, selwyn.govt.nz, sipac.gov.cn, commerce.suzhou.gov.cn, tahoereno.com, taiwanhandbook.github.io, iasp.ws, directorsdirectory.com, ipp.unido.org
