Vice President William Lai (賴清德) told the Intelligent Asia trade show yesterday that the government welcomes overseas-based Taiwanese companies returning home, as well as investment capital for smart manufacturing.
“We hope that by using Industry 4.0 methodologies, we can elevate Taiwan into the high-end manufacturing hub of Asia,” Lai said on the opening day at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.
“We welcome firms affected by the US-China trade war to return to Taiwan to further invest and reduce the impact of tariffs,” he said.
Photo: CNA
Lai also took the opportunity to urge everyone to vote “no” in Saturday’s referendum poll on whether to ban the importation of pork containing traces of ractopamine.
Blocking US pork imports could harm trade relations between Taiwan and its second-largest trading partner, he said.
“The Dec. 18 referendum will affect key issues like tariffs and trade relations,” he said. “The choice is clear.”
A “no” outcome on the pork referendum would smooth Taiwan’s entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, he added.
Industry 4.0, or the “fourth industrial revolution,” is a concept pioneered by scientists seeking to incorporate breakthroughs in robotics, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things into manufacturing processes.
The hard times that the world has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated adoption of Industry 4.0 applications, Lai said.
“The worst of times is also a time for change,” he said.
The goal of the Intelligent Asia trade show — which is divided into 3D printing, smart molding, robotics, automation, logistics, cold chain and lasers — is to “highlight concepts from the factories of the future,” the event organizers said.
More than 1,000 exhibitors at 4,000 booths are participating in this year’s exhibition, which aims to highlight how smart manufacturing supply chains can flow from upstream production, the organizers said.
Yesterday, the Industrial Technology Research Institute presented 15 innovations in robotics and smart automation, including a two-armed robot with human-like hands and touch sensors that can mimic human actions that require fine motor control, such as grasping irregular objects and playing the piano.
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