The number of foreign firms with regional headquarters in Taiwan is set to double by 2015 as part of ROC government efforts to transform the island into an Asia-Pacific business hub, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs Aug. 21.
“Around 150 overseas companies have their regional headquarters in Taiwan,” MOEA Minister Shih Yen-shiang said. “This will increase as more come to recognize the island’s robust business climate and structural advantages.”
Taiwan’s strengths, including human resources, manufacturing capability, proximity to mainland Chinese and Asia-Pacific markets, supply chains and technical expertise, make it an ideal choice for foreign firms, Shih said.
“We expect more overseas outfits to set up bases in Taiwan and conduct activities in the areas of information services, R&D, recruitment, market testing and manufacturing and production,” he added.
The latest MOEA survey of 800 Taiwan-based foreign companies shows that 46.2 percent are looking to expand their businesses in the next three years, generating a possible NT$43 billion (US$1.44 billion) in investment and creating 9,500 jobs.
Of these respondents, 83 percent said they will hire more employees, up 12 percentage points from last year, while 60 percent plan to increase the amount they are investing in Taiwan, a rise of 2 percentage points. (JSM)