The Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI, 台灣機械公會) yesterday called on the government to help with technology, research and talent support, as well as other measures, as the industry faces a multitude of challenges.
“The industry has been facing challenges stemming from the US-China trade dispute, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rising raw material prices and climate change in the past few years,” TAMI chairman Larry Wei (魏燦文) said at an event in Taipei, while presenting a report to the government.
Vice President William Lai (賴清德) and senior adviser to the president Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) were among the government officials in attendance.
Photo: Lin Jin-hua, Taipei Times
“We hope the government can help foster a better academia-industry environment for collaboration and assist association members in cultivating talent and improving international marketing. We also expect to obtain subsidies for the development of homegrown machinery and equipment and other government support for sustainable operations,” Wei said.
The machinery industry plays an indelible role in Taiwan’s economy, TAMI said, adding that it consists of more than 14,000 firms with 270,000 employees.
Due to a global economic slowdown, the nation’s machinery exports last year fell 15.3 percent year-on-year to US$29.47 billion, while its total production value plummeted 16.5 percent to NT$1.21 trillion (US$38.33 billion), it said.
Last month, machinery exports grew 8.2 percent year-on-year, ending 17 consecutive months of declines, which Wei said was a “sign of life” amid an improvement in the global economy, adding that he expected the industry to show a “gradual recovery” throughout this year.
Overall production value this year is expected to recover to the 2022 level of about NT$1.45 trillion, he said, citing a pickup in orders for machine tools, plastic and rubber machines, as well as woodworking and metal cutting tools.
TAMI projects three major goals for the machinery industry by 2035: Doubling the annual production value to NT$3 trillion, achieving an added value rate — which is the ratio of added value to production value — of more than 35 percent, and elevating production value per capita to NT$6 million.
To achieve these goals, the association has proposed measures to help its members better engage with customers, enhance their presence in foreign markets and improve the industry’s global competitiveness, it said.
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