U.S.-based testing and certification firm Underwriters Laboratories opened a Taiwan lab for large battery and hazardous location equipment testing March 17 in Taoyuan County, the first of its kind in the country, the ROC Ministry of Economic Affairs said.
“This is the only lab in Taiwan that can provide complete testing and certification of large batteries and explosion-proof products to international standards,” an MOEA official said. “It will help domestic manufacturers in related industries expand and transform their product lines to exploit potential opportunities.”
According to the MOEA, global markets for large batteries and explosion-proof devices have developed rapidly in recent years. UL’s new lab can bring in the latest testing technology, firsthand information and services to help Taiwan manufacturers upgrade and compete internationally.
The lab is expected to provide services for local industries manufacturing petrochemical and semiconductor products, automated control systems, information technology equipment, motors and light-emitting diodes, or LED, lighting devices.
According to the MOEA, UL chose to establish its Asian lab in Taiwan with an eye to the recent rapid expansion of local industries specializing in related areas.
Established in 1894, UL is an independent safety testing body headquartered in Illinois, the MOEA said. It is the world’s largest civil testing body and a U.S. market leader in safety certification. The firm has more than 10,000 employees worldwide in 152 labs and certification centers, as well as customers in more than 106 countries. (SDH)