TAIPEI, Taiwan, Nov. 15, 2018 : Taiwan Innotech Expo 2018 (TIE 2018) has concluded with great success, attracting over 45,000 visitors to engage in technology exhibitions organized by domestic and foreign companies. Furthermore, the event has generated a huge amount of business opportunities by providing a venue for international industry conferences and business matchmaking activities. On the whole, TIE 2018 has fulfilled its mission to be a major hub for R&D collaborations in Asia. The event has also demonstrated Taiwan’s leadership in global innovation.
Finding potential applications for new technologies has become an important issue for the corporate management class in this new era of smart economy. Held during 27-29th of this September at Taipei World Trade Center, TIE 2018 presented more than 1,000 different technology patents and innovative solutions. The market applications covered by the exhibitions include smart manufacturing, business technologies, healthcare, and work-life optimization. The strong attendance this year indicates that Taiwan Innotech Expo is now recognized worldwide as one of the essential technology trade fairs.
The event establishes Taiwan as an international hub for technological exchanges
In his speech at the opening ceremony of the trade fair, Taiwan’s Vice President Chen Chien-jen stated that this annual event — formerly known as Taipei International Invention Show & Technomart — has showcased around 20,000 examples of innovative technologies for the past 13 years. The event is therefore a microcosm of the technological progress that the world has achieved in the recent period. Through cross-agency efforts, Taiwan’s government has revamped the trade fair and given it a new name. Chen noted that this year’s edition of the event, which is now called Taiwan Innotech Expo, was designed to highlight R&D projects related to the 5+2 Major Innovative Industries along with the transformative technologies of our times, such as artificial intelligence, big data, and the internet of things. Chen said he hopes that the annual event will not only facilitate cooperation between domestic and foreign companies but also establish Taiwan as a global hub for trading advanced technologies.
In her remarks at the opening ceremony, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua pointed out that three new thematic pavilions were added to this year’s expo: “Future Technology,” “Sustainable Development,” and “Innovative Invention.” Wang also thanked the 93 companies and R&D organizations from 33 countries that have joined TIE 2018 as exhibitors. They brought a lot of diversity to the content of the event.
Innovative technologies are helping industries to become smarter
Each of the three thematic pavilions in TIE 2018 hosted many original solutions that industries can use to upgrade themselves. For example, a major highlight in the Future Technology pavilion was the BC-Gateway system designed by Chuan Yuan Information Co. Ltd. Resembling a set-top box, BC-Gateway assists in the automation of in-line equipment by performing critical functions such as real-time monitoring, malfunction diagnostic, and big data storage. These functions can be accessed remotely via mobile devices. BC-Gateway is currently being incorporated into various kinds of industrial equipment. A smart packaging machine jointly developed by Chuan Yuan and Chie Mei Enterprise Co. Ltd. was also on display during the expo, and it received a lot of interest from foreign buyers. Another notable home-grown innovation was the high-power and energy-efficient motor system displayed at the Sustainable Development pavilion. Designed by Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), the motor features high rotational speed and has been successfully integrated into high-speed radial compressors. ITRI expects this technology to find uses in factories, commercial buildings, and wastewater treatment facilities.
An interesting display in the Innovative Invention pavilion is the “Intelligent Customized Pet Feed Management and E-Commerce System” created by National Pingtung University of Science and Technology. This solution digitizes the expertise of veterinarians and nutritionists and uses it to formulate different types of pet food according to animals’ breed, age, weight, sex, and dietary intake requirements. The system also allows pet food manufacturers to bypass the traditional retail channels and sell directly to consumers. Taken as a whole, the exhibitions in TIE 2018 represented the synergy between industries, academic institutions, and research organizations. The results of this kind of collaborations are greater profits, revolutionary manufacturing processes, and environmental sustainability.
News business opportunities appear on the horizon
The business matchmaking activities at the expo cultivated many valuable business ties at the domestic and international levels. For instance, New Zealand’s Dotterel Technologies Inc., which specializes in unmanned aerial vehicles, attended the expo specifically to seek industry partners in Taiwan. Dr. Amber Chen, the winner of Platinum Award at last year’s event, also had a chance during this year’s event to discuss the commercialization of her silk protein dressing with a CEO of a US-based biotech firm. Overall, the three-day event registered 1,500 separate cases of discussions related to business cooperation.
Vice President Chen stressed that Taiwan’s economy must keep moving forward with innovation as the driving engine. In the future, Taiwan Innotech Expo as an annual trade fair will continue to contribute to the upgrading of domestic industries. The government of Taiwan and event organizers look forward to seeing more exhibitors from around world at the next year’s edition of the expo, which is scheduled be held during 26-28th of September 2019.
