Tsai calls for Taiwan-Europe tie-ups on green energy, smart tech

2017/07/28

President Tsai Ing-wen called July 26 for Taiwan and European industries to foster collaboration in green energy and smart machinery, creating a win-win scenario by jointly tapping international markets in potential-laden sectors.
 
 By working in partnership with local companies, European firms can play an important role in bolstering the implementation of green energy solutions in Taiwan, the president said. This will help the nation achieve its goal of producing 20 percent of all energy from renewable sources and becoming nuclear-free by 2025, she added.
 
 Tsai made the comments while receiving a delegation from German engineering conglomerate Siemens AG led by Cedrik Neike, a member of the company’s managing board, at the Office of the President in Taipei City. Also in attendance were Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Yang Wei-fuu and German Institute in Taipei Deputy Director-General Sabrina Schmidt-Koschella.
 
 According to the president, Siemens' plan to move the Asia-Pacific regional headquarters of its offshore wind power business to Taiwan by the end of this year signals growing international recognition of the nation’s commitment to fostering green energy development.
 
 Tsai noted in a Facebook post following the meeting that green energy development comprises major components of the government’s two flagship development policies—the five-plus-two innovative industries initiative and Forward-looking Infrastructure Program.
 
 These policies, alongside the four-year wind power promotion plan approved by the Cabinet June 1, underscore Taiwan’s resolve to eliminating investment barriers so as to attract major foreign enterprises, she wrote.
 
 During the meeting, the president also highlighted abundant opportunities for cooperation in smart machinery, stating Taiwan’s world-renowned expertise in information and communication technologies and machine tools provides an excellent foundation for growth in the emerging era of intelligent automation.
 
 To capitalize on these advantages, the government launched the Smart Machinery Promotion Office in February in an effort to integrate public and private sector resources in the development of Industry 4.0 solutions, she said.
 
 Noting Siemens’ almost five-decade presence in the domestic market, the president expressed her hope that the firm would seek to build on its long history of cooperation with local machinery manufacturers by establishing a smart machinery R&D center in Taiwan. Such a facility could leverage the complementary and compatible resources of the two sides’ smart machinery sectors for mutual benefits.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=6&post=119065)