MIRDC is creating a new initiative in international cooperation! The MIRDC has been invited by the Taiwan Industrial Fasteners Institute to participate in the Five Region Fastener Association Conference 2016, which was held on October 10 on Jeju Island, South Korea. Presidents and members of fastener associations from Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are invited to join the conference. Representing Taiwan, the president (Tuo-Hou, Chang) of the Taiwan Industrial Fasteners Institute led 44 members in participation of this conference. During the conference, Dr. Chia-min Wei, vice president of the MIRDC gave a speech on the topic of smart green technology and shared MIRDC’s recent experiences from proactive investments in research and development. By using exchange with related industries for industrial trends, MIRDC set a clear direction and path for smart manufacturing. In addition, this can serve as a platform for demonstrating the effort of collaboration and hard work between Taiwan’s fastener industry and research institutes.

Taiwan is currently the fifth largest fastener supplier in the world, and exports account for 90%, indicating that Taiwan’s fastener industry has a stable position in the global fastener market. For many years MIRDC has provided guidance to the fastener industry and helped fastener manufacturers transform and move toward innovative services. The focus is on high value and helping makers increase the added-value of their products. This is expected to help Taiwan’s fastener industry get rid of price-cutting competition from emerging countries and enter the high-value international market. Thus, MIRDC is helping domestic fastener makers apply ICT technology and plan fastener innovation service model, which will move toward service oriented manufacturing industry. Furthermore, MIRDC has assisted over 10 makers in applying for Industrial Development Bureau’s Fastener Industry NICE Upgrading and Transformation Plan. This will enable makers to proactively utilize government resources to continue developing high-added value products and move towards smart equipment and green manufacturing development. MIRDC is doing our part to help Taiwan’s fastener industry optimize its structure and stabilize export, thereby, securing an advantageous position for Taiwan in the global fastener market.