Taiwan and Japan Join Forces to Pioneer Smart Manufacturing Future

To further promote Taiwan's international smart manufacturing links and build on the successful exchanges of last year's Taiwan-Japan Smart Manufacturing Forum with the Yamaguchi Industrial Promotion Foundation (YIPF), the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), the Smart Machinery Promotion Office, and the Taiwan Electronic Equipment Industry Association (TEEIA) recently hosted an in-person Smart Manufacturing seminar. This event sought to strengthen Taiwan-Japan collaboration in smart machinery by expanding Taiwan's smart manufacturing capabilities and fostering industry cluster connections.

The Industrial Development Administration (IDA) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) highlighted that the forum aimed to reinforce Taiwan-Japan supply chain cooperation in high-end smart manufacturing. The event welcomed leading smart machinery manufacturers from Yamaguchi Prefecture to showcase their case studies, while Taiwan companies joined the discussions to promote Taiwan’s achievements and expand its presence in Japan’s applications market and the global supply chain.

A key highlight of the seminar was the signing ceremony of the Taiwan-Japan Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Quadripartite Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), attended by Tsou Yu-Hsin, Deputy Director General of the IDA, and Tsugumasa Muraoka, Governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture. Tsou emphasized that, by aligning the TEEIA with Yamaguchi Prefecture's industrial development cluster, the collaboration successfully led to a four-party MOU between ITRI, TEEIA, YIPF, and the Industrial Technology Center. With Yamaguchi's strong R&D capabilities in processing and material technology, support from the YIPF, and ITRI’s long-term role in advancing manufacturers’ technological upgrades, the partnership aims to broaden the international market for semiconductor equipment and smart machinery.

The IDA noted the strong complementarity of the Taiwan-Japan industrial chain. Recently, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) established a facility in Japan, paving the way for Taiwanese equipment suppliers to enter the global high-end smart manufacturing market through Japan’s international certifications and supply chain partnerships. This partnership is expected to foster a new global model of cooperation in smart manufacturing, combining the technological and market strengths of Taiwan’s smart machinery sector with Yamaguchi Prefecture’s industry expertise.