Taiwan is seeking to boost bilateral trade cooperation with the Czech Republic, targeting semiconductors, information and communication technology and electric vehicles (EVs), Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said yesterday.
The ministry is working on several projects with the Czech Republic, including offering semiconductor programs, scholarships and collaboration on research and development, Wang told reporters on the sidelines of the 18th session of the Taiwan-Czech Joint Business Council meeting in Taipei.
“We are pondering how to deepen collaboration with the Czech Republic in those areas, as Taiwanese enterprises are redeploying supply chain networks in response to the recent [geopolitical] situation,” Wang said.
Photo: Reuters
“The Czech Republic considers Taiwan an ideal partner in those areas,” she said.
A Taiwanese EV company plans to expand its investment in the Czech Republic, Wang said, without disclosing the company’s name.
MIH Consortium chief executive officer Jack Cheng (鄭顯聰) attended the meeting, where he discussed the state of global EV development.
MIH is an EV alliance led by Taiwanese manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), which has had production lines in the Czech Republic since 2000.
Wang yesterday met a 160-member Czech delegation, led by Czech Chamber of Deputies Speaker Marketa Pekarova Adamova.
To facilitate bilateral cooperation, Taiwan plans to open a new round of trade and technology meetings in September, focusing on trade, investment and a wide range of industrial cooperation on semiconductors, smart machinery, EVs, cybersecurity and “smart” city projects, the ministry said.
Collaboration in science, research and innovation would also be on the agenda, it said.
Labor shortages and a lengthy process to apply for investment incentives are two major concerns for Taiwanese companies, it said.
Taiwanese businesses, most of which are involved in electronics, have invested US$1.2 billion in the Czech Republic, the ministry said.
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