TIMTOS 2023 Post-Show Report

Intro

Held from March 6 to 11 at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 1 & 2 and TWTC Hall 1, Taipei International Machine Tool Show (TIMTOS 2023) brings tremendous business opportunities for the machine tool industry in Taiwan.

As the European Union and many countries around the world implement carbon taxation policies, the 2023 edition of TIMTOS focuses on the urgent and shared concern of the global manufacturing industry: transition to a net-zero future. To assist machine tool players in accelerating their path towards carbon neutrality, two major event series are launched: "ESG Action!" and "ESG in TIMTOS". These events aim to team up with exhibitors and industry professionals to provide new insights and offer consultation services that help machine tool players accelerate their transition toward carbon neutrality.

Show Info

With a larger scale than 2022, TIMTOS 2023 is not only an iconic event for the global machine tool industry but the largest trade show ever recorded after Taiwan lifted all its border controls since the outbreak. The exhibition aims to present the metalworking ecosystem by showcasing metal-cutting and metal-forming machine tools, key components, and intelligent manufacturing solutions.

According to statistics compiled by the event organizer, TIMTOS attracted over 45,000 on-site visitors from home and abroad, with almost 6,000 international visitors from more than 100 countries. Among them, delegations were from Türkiye, Vietnam, Indonesia, Spain, and Algeria. Japan, Malaysia, India, South Korea, and Thailand were the top five countries with the highest turnout.

Market News

Despite the market disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the China-US trade war resulting in a decline in export volume, Taiwan's machine tool industry demonstrated remarkable resilience by not only overcoming these challenges but also maintaining a growth momentum, as highlighted by Larry Wei, Chairman of TAMI, during the TIMTOS opening ceremony.

Being a highly competitive player on the global stage, Taiwan's machine tool industry ranks fifth in the world in terms of export value. In 2021, Taiwan's machine tool exports amounted to approximately US$2.783 billion, reflecting a substantial 29.1% increase from 2020. Looking ahead, the industry is poised to continue its upward trajectory, with 2022 production value projected to reach around US$3.023 billion, marking another 8.6% growth from the previous year.

Even so, in light of the fast-paced shifts in the global landscape, supply chains have undergone a transformation from long to short in recent years. As a result, the emphasis is now on creating a robust supply chain that can weather unforeseen challenges.

For Taiwan, because the mechanical equipment is already self-reliant, by ensuring the supply of key components, establishing effective market segmentation based on target markets, and implementing digitalization in the production management process, enterprises can improve their resilience significantly.

On another front, as carbon reduction becomes increasingly important in industrial development, mechanical equipment has emerged as a critical tool in this effort. In order to maintain the competitiveness of Taiwan's machinery industry on the international stage, it is essential that Taiwan collaborates with local partners in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector to develop low-carbon emission machinery and provide customers with comprehensive solutions.

Notable Exhibitors

Gin Tech Precision Co., Ltd.

Gin Tech Precision Co., Ltd. has been participating in TIMTOS for more than 20 years and greatly appreciates the accomplishments of this exhibition. They also remarked that this year's event has exceeded their expectations.

By maintaining a high rate of self-production and implementing a well-planned production procedure, Gin Tech has established a strong reputation for its own-brand products under the name "GIN". According to Chang, it is the excellent quality of their products that has earned the trust of foreign buyers and led to their widespread popularity.

Since the first day of the fair, Gin Tech’s booth was full of international buyers, chairman Chang Ping-Nan commented, thanks to Gin Tech's great effort made before the exhibition, apart from keeping in touch with customers from all over the world, Gin Tech has been working with potential customers since a year ago.

GSA Technology Co., Ltd.

At TIMTOS, GSA Technology Co., Ltd. exhibited a range of products, including turrets, CNC rotary tables (tilting and trunnion), and large-sized horizontal CNC rotary tables.

In order to meet the industry's demand for high performance and precision, Chairman Yu Liang-Chi stated that GSA Technology aims to differentiate itself from competitors by providing the highest quality machine tools, manufactured in Germany or Japan. This commitment has attracted the attention of top-rated machine tool manufacturers from both Japan and China, and enabled GSA Technology to establish a strong reputation in the industry.

Moving forward, GSA Technology plans to expand its global market share and enhance its competitiveness by maintaining its commitment to excellent quality, expanding its marketing channels, and improving its after-sales service. By focusing on these areas, the company aims to increase its scale, strengthen its brand value, and cement its position as a leader in the industry.

TOPWELL Machinery Co., Ltd.

Originally, TOPWELL mainly exports to the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, and Europe, but thanks to the pandemic's easing and border reopening of TIMTOS 2023, the company has gained many new buyers from India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Russia. According to TOPWELL, unlike last year's TIMTOS×TMTS 2022, this year's exhibition is already back to normal and is lively even on the first day.

This year, TOPWELL is presenting its TW-500HV machining center and the TW-300U 5-axis machining center. General Manager Yu Pi-Hung emphasized that the TW-300U utilizes components and software that are made in Taiwan, resulting in a cost-effective and high-quality product.

Shi Tai Machinery Co., Ltd.

During this year's Taipei International Machine Tool Show, Shi Tai Machinery Co., Ltd. showcases a range of products including ATC tool change shaft (spline shaft) output shaft six bolt groove shaft (parts), automatic tool changing systems, various types of machines, auto parts, hardware, air/power tools, and other precision parts.

On account of its diverse range of products and one-stop production capabilities, Shi Tai's first-time participation in the exhibition garnered significant attention from both domestic and international buyers. During the first two days of the exhibition, buyers from both the domestic and ASEAN regions expressed high interest in Shi Tai's ATC tool change shaft (spline shaft) output shaft six bolt groove shaft (parts). The likelihood of receiving follow-up orders is significant.

Seeking Biz for Taiwan Suppliers: CENS at TIMTOS

At the exhibition, Economic Daily News/CENS had an exhibit in Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 2 R0006 booth, where offered the exclusively published “Taiwan Machinery”, “Taiwan Industrial Suppliers (TIS)”, and the USB version of these industry magazines to buyers. These publications not only provide the latest industry news but also help international buyers to build a better understanding of Taiwan manufacturers.

Furthermore, CENS offered a real-time B2B matchmaking service exclusively for the trade show, allowing international buyers to find the most suitable Taiwan suppliers in a fast and convenient manner.

Just three days after the start of the exhibition, CENS's booth was flooded with buyers from India, the United States, Mexico, Italy, the UK, Türkiye, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Korea, and other countries. Among them, the matchmaking service received positive feedback from buyers from the UK and the US.

Buyer Analysis

Using the data collected through CENS' biz matchmaking services at this year's TIMTOS, we offer a look at our buyer profiles and procurement inquiries.

The Nationalities of Buyers:

Taiwan, India, Türkiye, Mexico, Vietnam, Singapore, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Algeria, Italy, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Philippines, Honduras, Ukraine, Canada, etc.

Top 5 Buyer Profiles by Business Type:

Manufacturer: 34.72%

Importer: 23.83%

Distributor: 13.99%

Trading Co.: 6.22%

Dealer: 5.7%

Buyer Profile by Product Demand:

CNC Lathes: 29.1%

CNC Milling Machines: 22.2%

Vertical CNC Lathes: 16.6%

CNC Grinding Machines: 14.5%

Automatic Lathes: 14.5%