Page 31 - Taiwan Machinery 2023-08 Edition

29

INDUSTRY TRENDS

Building Resilience: esilience:
Building R

Taiwan’s Machine Tool Industry aiwan’s Machine Tool Industry
T

in a Changing Landsca
in a Changing Landscapepe

By Andrew Hsu

ew would think that Taiwan’s machine tool industry Amidst the seemingly daunting challenges, there are
Fis facing an increasingly competitive and challenging still glimmers of hope that shine through the uncertainty
landscape in a post-Covid era. From another point of to industry insiders, given that Taiwan, globally renowned
view, most would also agree that the saying from crisis for a well-established information and communications
technology (ICT) industry and semiconductor technology,
comes opportunity holds true, for a couple of reasons as possesses remarkable fl exibility and adaptability. Looking
summarized below. ahead to the future of Taiwan’s machine tool industry, a
team leader from the Industrial Economics, and Knowledge
Challenges Looming Center, Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI),
With Taiwan being suff ering from a relatively low birth Yueh Chun-Hao, and Dr. Chen Chia-Meng have pointed
rate in the society, understaffi ng has become an obstacle out four key trends.
for the machine tool industry pursuing growth, not to
mention the Taiwanese government’s ongoing policy of Sustainability: Green Manufacturing
compulsory military service extension, which is expected Taiwan’s machine tool industry holds a notable position
to cause labor shortage within the industry to deteriorate in on the global stage, with its production value ranking
the short term. Coincidentally, the global movement towards seventh worldwide and export value ranking fifth. This
net zero emissions is placing signifi cant fi nancial burdens industry is undeniably export-driven, with more than 80%
on the manufacturing industry. Moreover, supply chains of its total production value deriving from exports. In the
are undergoing a notable shift towards deglobalization and period between January and November 2022, five of
regionalization, signaling an imminent transformation in the the top ten Taiwan importers of machine tools were from
functions and requirements of machine tools. Europe and the United States, regions that are actively
pushing forward net zero emissions and circular economy

Taiwan Machinery (September 2023)