The global car industry is rapidly transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) to help meet Net Zero requirements. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that EVs will account for 18% of global car sales by 2023 and 35% by 2030, rising to as much as 60% in the China, US and European markets, so how to gain an early advantage and access the electric vehicle industry chain has become an important issue for automotive industries around the world. Taiwan has long been involved in the supply chain of components and equipment, providing a solid foundation for the development of electric vehicles.

Offshore wind has become a global symbol for successful renewable energy projects. Thanks to outstanding wind resources and the presence of several world-class wind-power development companies, Taiwan has become the seventh ranked country by installed capacity of offshore wind. So how has Taiwan brought its industrial resources together to achieve localized production of wind turbines and make the island an international base for component exports?

According to Innova’s 2023 Global Food and Beverage Trends report and reports by US food industry publication Food Manufacturing, food production is becoming faster and more standardized while adapting to consumer lifestyles, flavor preferences and health requirements, as well as the rapid development of smart technology and food production uncertainty caused by climate change. So how is the Taiwanese food machinery industry responding to the challenges posed by these new trends in the context of constantly changing consumer and industry requirements?

As the industry 4.0 revolution continues, global manufacturers are increasingly focused on intelligent factories and smart manufacturing, while the key machine tools on production lines are constantly evolving to achieve greater automation, efficiency and precision.

More than 400 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year and plastic products have become virtually synonymous with convenience. However, only 9% of plastic waste worldwide was ultimately recycled, the OECD said, and is contributing to the growing climate crisis. Efforts to reduce the use of plastic have become a focal point for global discussion, and in early 2022, 175 countries passed a historic resolution at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5), committing to formally implement a treaty to end plastic pollution by 2024 and expedite the transition in the plastic industry. But is plastic really going to disappear from our lives?

As the threat from climate change grows, “net zero” has become a hot topic around the world. For machine tools, this means that the industry’s focus on efficiency and price has expanded to take environmental impacts into account, as well as smart, automated features that drive product values faster and higher. Many countries have created legislation to achieve net zero by 2050, while the EU will start collecting a new carbon border tax from 2023. As the world’s fifth largest machine tool exporter, Taiwan also plays an important role in international supply chains and has been involved in the market since the early days.

Since 2019, COVID-19 erupted in many countries. The epidemic prevention measures of many cities caused their factories to stop production. Digitalization of business operations was suddenly on the verge, with smart factories becoming the focus of investment in the manufacturing industry. Coupled with the international commitment for carbon reduction worldwide and Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) demand for sustainable operation, corporations are vying to expand their capital in smart manufacturing. The global smart manufacturing market reached USD$305 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach USD$450 billion by 2025. Taiwan's Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) for laptop computers, mobile phones & consumer electronics has no rival in terms of manufacturing technology, cost control, and supply chain management. After decades of research, it has integrated many smart factory solutions. Among the latest batch of 21 new manufacturing sites to join the Global Lighthouse Network announced by the World Economic Forum 2021, Taiwan's Innolux Kaohsiung factory, AUO Taichung factory (Fab3), and Foxconn Zhengzhou and Wuhan factories were selected. Taiwan’s world-famous chip manufacturer TSMC has moved further towards 3nm and smaller sizes, taking a revolutionary approach to create a smart integrated factory. It’s expected to be more effective and comprehensive in improving productivity, flexibility, efficiency and product quality. There are more companies in Taiwan that have already used smart factories to upgrade their value and regard smart factories as the key to staying ahead of the competition. In the future, it’s expected that the manufacturing industry will frequent more challenges stemming from manufacturing instability due to climate change, infectious diseases, and labor shortages. It is our goal and desire that through this book we may help the international community take stock of Taiwan’s smart manufacturing solution providers and that we embark together in the transformation and upgrade of manufacturing industries.

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Honor Seiki’s exclusive “Solid-lock” technology forms the backbone of the global production of high-end vertical lathes

This forum will share the needs derived from the application of this technology in smart manufacturing or other fields, so as to provide relevant industries with a quick grasp of the major trends of digital technology and new AI business opportunities.