Taipei textile show opens with record exhibitors

2015/10/21

Taipei Innovation Textile Application Show kicked off Oct. 19, with a record 370 exhibitors from 10 countries and territories participating in the three-day event.

Organized by Taiwan Textile Federation, the annual show features the latest and greatest products at 790 booths. In addition, more than 1,000 one-on-one business matchmaking sessions are scheduled in the hope of generating over NT$2 billion (US$61.69 million) in trade for local firms.

During the opening ceremony, ROC Vice President Wu Den-yih said Taiwan’s textile industry produced foreign reserve income of US$8.13 billion in 2014. He also praised the sector for creating jobs, boosting the national economy and helping maintain social stability.

“Taiwan’s 4,300 firms produced NT$439.2 billion in output last year, a per capita equivalent of NT$3.07 million for the sector’s 140,000 employees,” he said, adding that the show affords local firms the opportunity to sharpen global competitiveness through innovation.

One of the highlights of the event is the debut of a smart clothing fabric with electrically conductive membrane for monitoring the wearer’s physical condition by Taipei City-based Far Eastern New Century Corp.

Equally important is increasing interest in local products by foreign firms. These include first-time show participants Hugo Boss of Germany, Ralph Lauren of the U.S. and Taiwan-Turkey Business Council.

TTF Secretary-General Justin Huang said the business council’s participation is especially significant at a time when local firms are looking to grow their commercial footprints in Central Asia, Europe and South Russia.

“Turkish firms command an 18 percent market share in Europe and maintain working relationships with partners in Germany, Spain and the U.K.,” Huang said. “This makes them a big fish well worth landing.”

“We will continue enhancing exchanges and interactions with the business council so as to open the door for Taiwan-made functional fabrics to Europe.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=237999&ctNode=2194&mp=9)