The Taipei International Machine Tool Show (TIMTOS) is to open in March as scheduled, even though Taiwan has reported an increase in the number of domestic COVID-19 cases, Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry chairman Alex Ko (柯拔希) said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a news conference in Taipei, Ko said that he has faith in Taiwan’s ability to fight the pandemic, despite a spike in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in an infection cluster at Taoyuan General Hospital.
“TIMTOS 2021, which will open as scheduled on March 15 and run through March 20 at Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1 and Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 2, is likely to be the first major trade show in the world,” Ko said.
Photo: CNA
Unless the government announces stricter disease prevention measures, the schedule is to remain unchanged, with in-person and online displays, Ko added.
The show’s Web site said that 1,250 exhibitors are expected to demonstrate products at 7,000 booths, including metal-cutting machine tools, metal-forming machines, laser punching machines, welders, vibration grinders, casting and forging equipment, surface treatment equipment, and tube and wire-processing machines.
Major Taiwanese machine tool suppliers, such as Hiwin Technologies Co (上銀科技), Fair Friend Group (友佳集團) and Victor Taichung Machinery Works Co (台中精機), as well as foreign brands, including Simens AG, Fanuc Corp, DMG Mori Seiki Co and Mazak, are expected to participate in the exhibition, the organizers said.
Ko said that he expects the trade show to help the local machine tool industry secure about US$1.6 billion in orders.
Local machinery exports last month showed annual growth for a fourth consecutive month, indicating that the industry has recovered from the effects of the pandemic and stabilized, he added.
The local machinery industry has seen a recovery in export orders for this quarter and the momentum is expected to continue into the second quarter, Ko said.
Taiwan External Trade Development Council (外貿協會) chairman James Huang (黃志芳) said that the local machine tool industry is expected to resume growth this year, thanks to an increasing number of Taiwanese companies returning home, the emergence of 5G applications and a booming stay-at-home economy driving demand for production equipment.
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