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TIMTOS x TMTS 2022 officially opens its doors at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center with a total of 950 exhibitors in 5,100 booths at Halls 1 and 2 from February 26, 2022. This marks the first time that Taiwan held a co-branded machine tool show, displaying the next wave of machine tool innovations that will shape 2022 and the manufacturing of tomorrow.
The organizers, TAITRA, TAMI and TMBA have joined forces to bring the industry and exhibitors all in one roof to make this mega show possible. Industry professionals all over were enthusiastic to be a part either onsite or online.
Distinguished speakers at the opening ceremony include President Tsai Ing-Wen, Premier Su Tseng-chang, Minister Mei-Hua Wang of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Director Sandra Oudkirk of American Institute in Taiwan, Taipei Office, Chairman James C. F. Huang of TAITRA, and TAMI Chairman Larry Wei and TMBA Chairman Habor Hsu, giving remarks and congratulations on TIMTOS x TMTS 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed us and society. It has presented new obstacles and tasks, but opportunities emerge from crisis. The theme of TIMTOS x TMTS 2022 is towards “Smart Manufacturing Solutions”. In other words, the acceleration of technology and innovation has swept away old certainties and old partialities. The alliance between TIMTOS and TMTS fully represent the development and R&D capacity of Taiwan’s smart machinery industry.
Mr. James C. F. Huang, TAITRA Chairman stated during the opening ceremony, “Machine tools is a foundational industry. The pandemic has highlighted this fact when production lines stopped working. Given these challenges, Mr. Huang remarked that industries are coming together to build new innovations for customers, offering new designs, new architecture, new materials, new tools, and new solutions.
“We are accelerating the adoption of new technologies. This includes AI, 5G, IoT, AR, VR, and the latest in robotics. This will enable greater efficiency and sustainability. We are also looking at how the metaverse can help us collaborate and simulate real-world applications,” he explained.
Mr. Huang also revealed that they are restructuring their supply chains for region-based manufacturing and opening new production centers on key continents. “This move will open up new demands for machine tools. We also see the emergence of brand-new opportunities, including e-mobility, low orbit satellites, aerospace, green energy, healthcare, and semiconductors. These are all high-growth areas for the manufacturing industry.”
Taiwan Machine tools Export Value
The speech of Mr. Larry Wei, Chairman of Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI) highlighted Taiwan’s machine tools export value. He stated, “With the US-China trade war in 2018 and COVID-19 in 2019, Taiwan was able to survive the challenges and has step-by-step climbed the peak again.”
According to Mr. Wei, from January to December 2021, Taiwan’s machine tools annual export value was US$2.783 billion, ranking third in annual exports, accounting for 8.4%, an increase of 29.1% over the same period in 2019. It is estimated that the annual output value of Taiwan's machine tools will reach NT$108.2 billion. “We can proudly say that we have not been defeated by the pandemic,” he announced.
Mr. Wei declared, “After deducting the impact of transportation, lack of materials, and exchange rates, the total export value of Taiwan's machine tools in 2022 can be optimistically estimated to exceed US$3 billion. I believe everyone is already gearing up. I can't wait!”
Taiwan Machine Tools Output Value
Mr. Habor Hsu, Chairman of Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA) followed Mr. Wei’s lead in talking about Taiwan’s machine tools export industry, but this time he emphasized on output value.
“The output value of Taiwan’s machine tools in 2021 is anticipated to reach NT$149.6 billion, and exports will increase by nearly 30% compared with the previous year. If the exchange rate, shipping, and raw materials can remain stable this year, I am quite optimistic about the export of machine tools in 2022, and it is expected to continue with a stronger force,” he stressed.
Mr. Hsu detailed the planned forums the Machine Tool Association organized for all attendees, which center on smart manufacturing and micro-services, analyzing the opportunities and advantages of digital upgrading and transformation of Taiwan's machine tools industry development from the main international market trends and industrial policies.
Talking about machine tools once more, Minister Mei-Hua Wang of the Ministry of Economic Affairs recognized the cooperation of everyone. “Taiwan’s machine tools industry has created a most intensive settlement of the industry. Last year, our export value has generated a record-high US$446.4 billion in history. Our machine industry export value last year reached US$27.8 billion, and is also a new record with 27% increase to the value of the year before. Our drive to the next advancement will be on aerospace, automation, 5G and machine facilities of semiconductors. The government will work with the industry to make it happen,” she closed.
Director Sandra Oudkirk of American Institute in Taiwan, Taipei Office, explained, “What we are doing here today in TIMTOS x TMTS is building the foundation to a closer US-Taiwan supply chain cooperation in the industries of the future. Taiwan has the complete machine tool ecosystem, an essential element for the ever-advancing manufacturing from a carbon and labor intensive to a highly competitive, intelligent, and green life. US companies are partnering with Taiwan companies to build a future that can see science fiction with not just robotics and smart machines but with the entire AI optimized and machine operated manufacturing. United States is a committed partner and a friend of Taiwan.“
On a lighter note, Premier Su Tseng-Chang stated that under the severe impact of the pandemic, Taiwan was able to organize a co-branded machine tool show in such a big scale for it has well controlled the pandemic. “We salute all of you since the beginning of the pandemic. Your contribution helped ramped up daily mask production capacity in just a few months, which is not only sufficient for Taiwan people but also to help other countries in the world,” he said.
Premier Su thanked the machine tools industry’s contribution to the government; and hopes to keep the standard the government has set to keep talents stay. He also quipped that Omicron variant did not make an outbreak in Taiwan, and the country is ready to open its borders to business travelers with the hope of building more fortune and give Taiwan a significant position in the world.
Taiwan’s key drivers of economic growth
At TIMTOS x TMTS, Dr. Ing-Wen Tsai, President, Republic of China (Taiwan) said that everyone present witnessed the cooperation of the two most important machine tool tradeshows. She spoke of Taiwan’s complete industrial chain and machine tools industry, which are the key drivers of the country’s economic growth.
President Tsai remarked, “Taiwan has the most flexible mid-small industry and the will to be creative. With this, we were able to organize national mask production team in a short amount of time during this pandemic, which secured our economic development.”
She conveyed, “Our exports value generated more than NT$1.2 trillion last year, the highest ever recorded. Up to last January, we have reached consecutive growth for 17 months, and we give thanks to the machine industry’s contributions.”
President Tsai touched on how the government is doing its best joining Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in order to provide manufacturers with higher competitiveness in the global market.
“Targeting 2050 Net-Zero, our precision machine industry, 3C industry, and smart production congregate to make Taiwan even be better. With innovations such as AI, IoT, Cloud, supply chain and green energy, the aerospace, and Medicare facilities all rely on machine tools industry to create a new era of smart machines and form a smart machine national team,” she concluded.
Hybrid services for both int'l and domestic visitors
The mega show comes with an array of online services for international visitors, including TIMTOS x TMTS Online, On-site Guide for Online Visitors, Live Tour @ Showground, Sourcing Taiwan Machinery, Media Eye on TIMTOS x TMTS, and On-site Guide for Media Tour. More than 1,500 overseas buyers from 64 countries have registered online or onsite. Up to 700 sessions of online tours and procurement meetings have been signed up.
In addition to a lineup of seminars and forums, there are four featured programs for domestic visitors, namely "Smart Manufacturing Guided Tour," "Manufacturers Win Podcast Live," “Cutting Tool Hunter” and “Afternoon Jazz.” The Smart Manufacturing Guided Tour was fully booked as soon as the registration opened. The themed Guided Tour attracts over 100 Taiwanese industry people who plan for business expansion or reshoring which will ultimately generate new business opportunities.
The physical exhibition of TIMTOS x TMTS runs 10 AM to 6 PM, February 21 to 26. The show follows the guidelines regulated by the Ministry of Economy Affairs on hosting MICE events in the pandemic. An on-site pandemic prevention task force is put in place. Measures such as disinfection mobile robots patrolling show floor, touchless entry systems using QR code, adequate cleaning and sanitization day and night, and pandemic prevention kits for every exhibitor are employed to ensure the safety and health of all attendees.
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