The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday signed letters of intent with the US state of Wisconsin and Orion Energy Systems Inc for possible investments in Taiwan’s biotechnology and green energy sectors.
Both parties expressed an interest in investing in Taiwan after the nation signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China last year as they believe Taiwan could be a springboard to markets such as China and Southeast Asia.
Wisconsin Economic Development Corp (WEDC) chief executive Paul Jadin said there were opportunities to expand businesses and do bilateral investments in the field of biotechnology and green energy.
For instance, the WEDC said it was interested in further biotechnology collaboration with Taiwan Sugar Corp (台糖) by importing its cosmetic products into the US.
The ministry said Taiwan and Wisconsin — the 18th-largest state in the US — have long enjoyed a rapport on agricultural trade and Taiwan signed a letter of intent earlier this month to purchase US$5.6 billion of agricultural products, such as beans and corn, from the midwestern state.
Jadin yesterday signed the letter of intent on behalf of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walter. He led a delegation to Taiwan on Wednesday night at the invitation of the ministry.
Meanwhile, Orion Energy Systems, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of energy-efficient lighting systems and solar light pipes, is also exploring the solar energy sector in Taiwan.
Orion vice president Kevin Crawford said it is the first time the company plans to invest in Taiwan and that the firm would announce more concrete plans after studies and building relationships with local firms.
Among the rows of vibrators, rubber torsos and leather harnesses at a Chinese sex toys exhibition in Shanghai this weekend, the beginnings of an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven shift in the industry quietly pulsed. China manufactures about 70 percent of the world’s sex toys, most of it the “hardware” on display at the fair — whether that be technicolor tentacled dildos or hyper-realistic personalized silicone dolls. Yet smart toys have been rising in popularity for some time. Many major European and US brands already offer tech-enhanced products that can enable long-distance love, monitor well-being and even bring people one step closer to
Malaysia’s leader yesterday announced plans to build a massive semiconductor design park, aiming to boost the Southeast Asian nation’s role in the global chip industry. A prominent player in the semiconductor industry for decades, Malaysia accounts for an estimated 13 percent of global back-end manufacturing, according to German tech giant Bosch. Now it wants to go beyond production and emerge as a chip design powerhouse too, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. “I am pleased to announce the largest IC (integrated circuit) Design Park in Southeast Asia, that will house world-class anchor tenants and collaborate with global companies such as Arm [Holdings PLC],”
Sales in the retail, and food and beverage sectors last month continued to rise, increasing 0.7 percent and 13.6 percent respectively from a year earlier, setting record highs for the month of March, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. Sales in the wholesale sector also grew last month by 4.6 annually, mainly due to the business opportunities for emerging applications related to artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing technologies, the ministry said in a report. The ministry forecast that retail, and food and beverage sales this month would retain their growth momentum as the former would benefit from Tomb Sweeping Day
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