Taiwan Today

President Tsai Ing-wen said the display industry is a major pillar of the nation’s economy and worthy of continued investment during an address at the opening ceremony of the three-day International Smart Display and Touch Panel Exhibition, or Touch Taiwan, Aug. 24 at Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall. Tsai highlighted in her speech the global competitiveness of the local display sector, noting it ranks second in the world in terms of output value. She also lauded local firms’ efforts to boost innovation and productivity, and pointed to the major strides that have been made in enhancing corporate social responsibility and environmental protection. With the increasing prevalence of touchscreen devices and the focus on making them lighter and thinner, Taiwan’s cutting-edge manufacturers will boost their global market share going forward, the president said. To bolster Taiwan’s investment climate, Tsai said in addition to offering subsidies, the government will create an environment conducive to the growth of innovative industries. She highlighted in this regard efforts to help local firms attract skilled foreign workers by promoting a friendly residency system, competitive salaries, a culture that emphasizes innovation, and safe and convenient living conditions. The government is also working to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation’s environmental impact assessment system in order to facilitate the timely approval of investment projects, the president said. Noting the display sector will be a major beneficiary of Industry 4.0 technologies, Tsai said her administration’s comprehensive program to transform Taiwan into a global hub for intelligent machinery will help ensure the continued growth of local manufacturers. The government will work to bolster cooperation between smart machinery companies and display producers so as to improve production efficiency and quality and promote the creation of next-generation manufacturing facilities, she added. Now in its fifth year, Touch Taiwan is one of the largest shows of its kind and the only touch panel and optical film exhibition certified by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. This year’s edition features 868 booths by 304 exhibitors from 15 countries and territories and has attracted an estimated 2,000 foreign buyers. The annual output value of Taiwan’s display sector stood at NT$815 billion (US$25.7 billion) in 2015, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. (WF-E) Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw