This year’s Taipei International Electronics Show (Taitronics) coordinated with several related trade fairs to showcase new products and services highlighting Taiwan’s special position in the global market.
The 38th Taitronics, held Oct. 9 to 12 at Taipei World Trade Center Nankang Exhibition Hall, joined forces with the fifth Broadband Taiwan, the inaugural Taiwan International Cloud Technology & Internet of Things Show (Cloud & IOT Taiwan), Taiwan International Green Industry Show and Taiwan International Smart Green City Expo.
Organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), the five-show combination brought together 1,000 exhibitors in 2,000 booths, attracted 50,000 local and foreign visitors, and most importantly, generated a record US$380 million in business.
The exhibitions displayed a wide range of state-of-the-art products meeting emerging trends in related sectors. Taitronics featured the latest active and passive components, electronics components, meters, cells, power supplies and manufacturing equipment, while Broadband Taiwan spotlighted broadband products and applications, telecommunications equipment and mobile communications.
Cloud & IOT Taiwan unveiled new infrastructure, platforms and software services in the cloud computing field. The green industry and smart city expositions highlighted energy-saving home appliances, intelligent building, biotechnology, urban planning, green construction, electric vehicles and LED, or light-emitting diode, lighting.
At the Taitronics opening ceremony, ROC Vice President Wu Den-yih stressed the crucial role of the electrical and electronics industry, along with related upstream and downstream businesses, in the nation’s economy. In 2011 it generated production value of US$267.2 billion, accounting for 51.3 percent of total industrial output value, Wu pointed out.
Exports from the sector were valued at US$146.3 billion, or 47.5 percent of all exports, while imports reached US$73 billion, for a 25.9 percent share, he added.
The Technology Innovation Awards, organized in conjunction with the trade shows by TAITRA and the Taiwan Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association, highlighted the R&D capabilities of the country’s businesses.
Global Unique Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd., for example, took a gold medal with its aqueous radiator, a recyclable fluid radiator that is toxic-free, nonflammable and can withstand temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius without freezing, according to Global Unique’s Joy Yang.
Surgetek Technology Co. also won gold with its combination-type surge energy transfer device. This equipment can handle huge invasive electrical charges instantaneously, providing effective protection from lightning strikes, even under poor grounding resistance, General Manager Liao Shun-an said.
Another top winner was Adda Corp. Ltd., a leading company in the thermal management field. Adda’s duster fan, with a revolutionary blade design, removes dust and heat simultaneously, said Frank Huang, senior manager of the international sales division.
The innovation behind such products has contributed to the expansion of Taiwan’s electronic components industry, which grew by 5.3 percent in value to US$7.5 billion from the second to third quarter, according to TAITRA. Launches in mainland China of next-generation ultrabooks, tablets and mid-to-low-end smartphones, as well as the highly anticipated worldwide release of the iPhone 5, were also major factors.
To enhance its prospects for the future, however, Taiwan’s electronics sector requires further technological upgrades, more efficient production processes and greater investment in R&D, TAITRA said. With these measures it could manufacture high-quality, value-added products that would be highly competitive on the world stage.
Moreover, more companies should begin creating their own brands so they can transcend the original equipment manufacturing model that brings in only relatively low margins.
Allen Hsu