Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) returned to Taiwan yesterday following a trip to Germany and the Czech Republic to promote industrial cooperation, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said.
In a statement, the International Trade Administration (ITA) under the ministry said Kuo attended the inauguration of the Taiwan Trade and Investment Center in Prague on Thursday.
He also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) pledging to set up industrial clusters and promote business opportunities — in order to boost collaboration between Taiwan and the Czech Republic.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs via CNA
The MOU was signed by Representative to the Czech Republic Ke Liang-ruey (柯良叡) and Czech Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei representative David Steinke, according to the ITA.
The statement noted that the trade and investment center in Prague would be Taiwan’s first overseas investment service hub.
Under the MOU signed on Thursday, the center would enable Taiwan and the Czech Republic to collaborate in providing one-stop services for Taiwanese investors seeking opportunities in the European country.
The ITA added that the Czech Republic has a geographic advantage in Europe, a large pool of tech talent, prestigious research institutions, a sound industrial foundation and solid technological strength.
The European country has strong support from its government in technology development. This has led to it becoming one of Taiwan’s key European partners in terms of industrial cooperation, the ITA said.
Taipei would use Prague as a hub to seek other business opportunities in the European market, the ITA added.
During his stay in the Czech Republic, Kuo also met with Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil, Marek Benda, who is a member of the Czech Chamber of Deputies and chairperson of the body’s Taiwan friendship group, as well as other Czech government officials to discuss bilateral economic exchanges, the ITA said.
Kuo’s visit to Prague was part of his trip to Germany and the Czech Republic on Wednesday and Thursday.
Before Kuo visited the Czech Republic, he went to Dresden in the German state of Saxony. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co started constructing a new 12-inch wafer fab in the city in August, through a joint venture called European Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
The Dresden plant is scheduled to launch mass production at the end of 2027, focusing on automotive and industrial applications.
Kuo also met with Dresden Mayor Dirk Hilbert and the Saxony Minister-President Michael Kretschmer to gain a better understanding of the investment environment. He called for the Saxony authorities to assist Taiwanese entrepreneurs where necessary.
According to the ITA, Taiwan has long played a critical role in global supply chains and made important contributions to a wide range of tech development.
That, along with Taiwanese semiconductor suppliers extending their global reach, means that many related small and medium-sized Taiwanese businesses are setting their sights on the European market.
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
POOR IMPLEMENTATION: Teachers welcomed the suspension, saying that the scheme disrupted school schedules, quality of learning and the milk market A policy to offer free milk to all school-age children nationwide is to be suspended next year due to multiple problems arising from implementation of the policy, the Executive Yuan announced yesterday. The policy was designed to increase the calcium intake of school-age children in Taiwan by drinking milk, as more than 80 percent drink less than 240ml per day. The recommended amount is 480ml. It was also implemented to help Taiwanese dairy farmers counter competition from fresh milk produced in New Zealand, which is to be imported to Taiwan tariff-free next year when the Agreement Between New Zealand and
Taiwanese professional baseball should update sports stadiums and boost engagement to enhance fans’ experience, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview on Friday. The league has urged Farglory Group and the Taipei City Government to improve the Taipei Dome’s outdated equipment, including relatively rudimentary television and sound systems, and poor technology, he said. The Tokyo Dome has markedly better television and sound systems, despite being 30 years old, because its managers continually upgraded its equipment, Tsai said. In contrast, the Taipei Dome lacked even a room for referees
RSS