The third edition of the EU Investment Forum would be held in Taipei next month, focusing on opportunities in sustainable industries in the EU, the European Economic and Trade Office (EETO) said on Wednesday.
The one-day event, to be held on Oct. 25, would include a series of discussions on how Taiwan and the EU can collaborate on building a sustainable future, the office said.
Kerstin Jorna, director-general of the European Commission’s Department of Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, would deliver a keynote address, titled the “European Green Deal: A transition toward climate neutrality, circular and competitive economy,” the office said.
Other participants would provide information about the investment environment, regulations and policies in the EU, with regard to various industries in different nations, it said.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) and other top government officials are scheduled to attend the opening ceremony, the office said.
EETO Director Filip Grzegorzewski told a news conference that the EU has resources such as professional workers, top academic and research institutes, and excellent infrastructure.
It would be in the interest of Taiwanese companies to invest in the EU’s 27 member nations and benefit from its single market, he said.
As the biggest investor in the nation, the EU has “a commitment to Taiwan,” and sees the nation as a “like-minded partner” and “a fellow democracy” that values the rule of law, Grzegorzewski said.
“We want to see Taiwan grow; we want to see Taiwan develop. We want Taiwan to internationalize... We want Taiwan to be part of the international community,” he said.
Amid global challenges, such as supply chain disruptions and energy crises, Taiwan and the EU would be “better off” if they work together and share their experiences, Grzegorzewski added.
Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Chern-Chyi (陳正祺) told the news conference that the government maintains its policy to “help Taiwanese businesses connect internationally.”
“We encourage our companies to form and to integrate into European supply chains to become trusted and reliable partners of Europe,” Chen said.
The EETO said that it plans to hold two other business events next month. The first one would be held on Tuesday next week in Taoyuan, featuring the electric vehicle industry, while the other, scheduled for Oct. 8 in Kaohsiung, is to focus on the information and communication technology industry.
EU-based companies in 2020 invested a total of US$48.8 billion in Taiwan, accounting for 25.7 percent of total foreign direct investment that year, while Taiwanese firms invested US$7.3 billion in the EU, EETO data showed.
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