Taiwan puts industrial automation at heart of economic transformation

Iain Morris

September 3, 2014

Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou is reported to have said that automation is critical to the transformation of the country’s industrial sector.

According to a story in Taiwan Today, the president has vowed to continue promoting industrial automation within Taiwan following the launch of a government initiative to spur the adoption of new technologies within the manufacturing and other sectors.

Industrial automation increasingly includes new M2M and Internet of Things technologies allowing organizations to monitor and control assets throughout their supply chains and bring about a number of improvements in their logistics operations.

“Automation plays a crucial role in Taiwan’s manufacturing activity, enabling planners to produce flexible solutions for labor and production challenges,” Ma is quoted as saying at the opening of the said at the opening of the Taipei International Industrial Automation Exhibition last week.

The tradeshow – which was organized by Taiwan Fluid Power Association, which represents hydraulic and pneumatic manufacturers in Taiwan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs – was said to have featured more than 900 firms from home and abroad.

Ma reckons Taiwanese firms in the automation, electrical equipment, logistics and molding sectors have already integrated into a strong supply chain for smart industrial automation, according to the Taiwan Today report.

The government initiative to promote automation was launched two years ago and is intended to give a boost to output and productivity in Taiwan’s machinery sector.

Indeed, under the project, output is expected to grow to TWD255 billion in 2020 from TWD145 billion in 2013.

According to Taiwan Today, some Taiwanese observers remain skeptical about the benefits of automation, arguing that machinery will replace labor and lead to a surge in unemployment.

“These concerns are unfounded," Ma is reported to have said in response. "Industrial upgrades will promote workers from equipment operators to decision-makers and managers while enhancing work flow efficiency.”