Taipei, July 25, 2011 (CENS)--With overall investments doubling in the first-half, Taiwan`s machine-tool industry will see exports top NT$116 billion, or US$4 billion, in 2011, which will help Taiwan exceed Italy as the world`s third-largest machine-tool exporter, said the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), whose tallies show overall investments by Taiwan`s machine-tool makers totaled NT$12.33 billion in the first half, up 105.6% year-on-year; while investments in mechanical components reached NT$20.77 billion in the first half, up a whopping 255.3% year-on-year.

C.H. Chiu, division director of the MOEA`s Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), noted domestic machine-tool manufacturers are enjoying influx of orders despite shortages of raw materials, workforce and land.

According to statistics compiled by the IDB, Hiwin Technologies Corp., Taiwan`s leading manufacturer of ball screws and linear-motion devices, will invest NT$10 billion in Taiwan in the next three years. Fair Friend Group, Taiwan`s leading manufacturer of machining centers, has budgeted tens of billion N.T. dollars to build new plants in Taiwan this year. The Japan-based Fanuc Inc., the world`s largest producer of CNC devices, this year will invest NT$2 billion to launch production in Taiwan; while IDB said other Japanese firms also have expressed interest to produce CNC devices in Taiwan.

Fanuc controls 70% of Taiwan`s CNC device market and Mitsubishi Electric holds approximately 30%, with the former`s setting up production to help the domestic machine-tool industry raise local content rate, with Fanuc to see annual production reach NT$10.8 billion in Taiwan.