More than 150 Taiwanese machine tool makers are taking part in the on-going EMO Hannover 2011, one of the world’s leading metal-working technology trade fairs, to showcase their innovation and their marketing strength.

The trade fair, which is held every two years, has attracted 2,037 manufacturers from 41 countries who are displaying their machine tools, parts, components and complete design until Saturday.

Carl Huang, an official of Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders’ Association, said that of the 155 Taiwanese manufacturers taking part in the fair, most come from an industrial cluster in Taichung.

Huang said that within a 60km radius, the cluster features the machine tool equipment, talent and technology necessary to be competitive worldwide.

OUTLOOK IS BRIGHT

According to an estimate by the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry, Taiwan’s machine tool exports could reach US$4 billion this year, edging out Italy to become the third-largest exporter behind Germany and Japan.

With greater demand in emerging Asian economies, the outlook for machine tools is bright, the association said. It estimated that Taiwan’s exports would reach US$7 billion by 2015.

Taiwanese machine tool manufacturers taking part in the fair held a presentation to introduce their innovative research and development, and their global deployment strategy.

Fan Te-an, an economics official at Taiwan’s representative office in Germany, said that Taiwan’s machine tool industry has actively planned a long-term investment over the past four decades, forming a comprehensive supply chain.

He said that after Taiwan signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement with China last year, 539 items were included in an “early harvest” program that gave them preferential tariff treatment.

GREAT POTENTIAL

Among the 539 items, 107 are related to machine tools and machinery, meaning that the pact has had a major impact on exports of Taiwan’s machine tools, Fan said.

Huang Yin-chun, a marketing official of Tongtai Machine & Tool Co, said that participating in the Hannover fair has proved useful to the company, adding that it would help promote the products in Europe, while the company could also learn from its counterparts in Europe.

Jimmy Chu of Fair Friend Enterprise Group said that although Taiwan’s machine tool industry faces fierce competition from China and India, it has great potential for development because it has attached great importance to technical precision and marketing.

Taiwanese machine tool products are close to those of Japan in quality, but the prices are lower, making them competitive, Chu said.