Taiwan is ranked 2nd, in terms of the numbers of exhibitors participating at EMO and 3rd in regards to exhibition space. As the 4th largest exporter of machinery tools and components in the world, it has averaged $4 billion in exports for each of the last few years from a network of more than 1,000 precision machinery manufacturers and more than 10,000 upstream suppliers.
Walter Yeh, the president and CEO of TAITRA stated that in 2018, the Taiwan machinery industry saw its annual production rate rise to a record setting high of roughly $39.2 billion USD. At the same time, Taiwan exported a total value of $4.8 billion USD in machinery tools and components, an increase of 8.28% from the same period of last year.
Taiwan’s machinery tool industry has long been a close competitor with the world’s top machine tool makers who are also global industry giants – and yet, Taiwan possesses nowhere near as many natural resources as Germany, Italy or Japan.
The Intelligent Machinery Program is one of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s 5 major industrial development programs. In 2018, the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) also launched a 5-year program to install more than 9,000 smart machine boxes (SMBs), which will enable companies to instantly add Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity to existing equipment. The goal is to collect production data that can facilitate the visualization of production management and the optimization of production scheduling. By bringing smart features to machinery and devices, the MOEA aims to increase the quality, efficiency, precision and reliability of production – thereby boosting the competitiveness of Taiwanese companies.
In addition, the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI) issued a white paper last year, that envisions the local industry with an annual output of NT$2 trillion (US$64.9 billion) by 2025. Taiwan’s machinery and telecommunications industries are competitive and must not be a part of industry 4.0, according to TAMI Chairman Alex Ko. He added that the white paper is being issued as a blueprint for government, academia and industry – as the industry aspires to reach a projected growth rate of 8% per year.
The global manufacturing industry is transitioning from mass production to customized and fast-R&D-based products, thereby progressively incorporating smart manufacturing technologies. Taiwan’s machinery tool manufacturers are capitalizing on Taiwan’s abundant expertise in the ICT industry to provide their clients with competitive, smart functions including remote management and monitoring.
As a result, this year, a couple of Taiwanese companies will be showcasing smart manufacturing solutions that meet the burgeoning demands for Industry 4.0 and automation, such as FFG-themed“FOCUS ON SMART PRODUCTION” display, YCM’s iDirect Management System and Goodway’s G.LINC, G.NET, SVI management system.
In parallel, the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) & Cooperate Synergy Development Center (CSD) organized the Taiwan Smart Manufacturing Pavilion which demonstrates equipment visualization, smart management systems and solutions.
