Taiwan Hardware Show News

Taiwan Hardware Show （THS） - Taiwan’s largest trade exhibition for the hardware industry is set for a bigger and better return next year with wider diversity in product showcases, exhibitor profiles and worldwide visitor representations. Backed with 20 years of success in promoting the best of Taiwan’s hardware to far-reaching buyers, the full-scale physical exhibition will reach a new milestone with its move to a new venue, the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center （KEC） for the 3-day staging from 19 to 21 October 2022.

“Kaohsiung will be a great change to promote greater internationality of the exhibition and to attract stronger visitor presence from global markets. Housed at a proper international-standard MICE venue （KEC） strategically located in the heart of Taiwan’s robust commerce, the city offers travel comfort for trade visitors who are accustomed to the accessibility factor drawing them to other large overseas trade fairs. For THS to maintain its renowned purposeful status amongst frequent visitors, the move to the new city will further enhance their visiting experience and business travel value to meet multiple prospective partners within a short yet focused duration in Taiwan,” said Gerd Keim, President of Kaigo Co. Ltd., organizer of THS.

Optimizing Kaohsiung’s Industrial Strengths

Based on the Economic Development Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government’s brief dated February 2021, its commercial developmental programs that support the development of newly established technology-based industries have made progress in facilitating economic development of the city. Kaohsiung now prides itself as the largest industrial and commercial harbor city in Taiwan with 7,708 factories, 81,166 companies, and 124,621 businesses registered as at December 2020. Augmenting its strategy to better market Kaohsiung as a robust business center worthy of hosting international customers and welcoming branch offices of multinational companies, dedicated initiatives to boost importance of MICE as the gateway for new foreign business to enter the Taiwan market have also been introduced proactively.

Against this promising backdrop, hardware industry players participating at THS that include parts and component as well as machine tools manufacturers for key-growth sectors such as metal processing particularly steel works, electronics, renewable energy, automotive DIY and home appliances – most of whom are already operating in the major industrial parks within the city’s vicinity will continue to benefit from the city and KAIGO’s concerted efforts to attract foreign investments and business partnerships. Specific for the information communication technology （ICT） sector, Taiwan’s swift advancements into 5G will be fronted through Kaohsiung as noted by Chen Chi-Mai, Mayor of Kaohsiung city, who impressed upon the strong commitment by the city’s governing office to accelerate the transformation of the Kaohsiung economy by amalgamating efforts from major and emerging hardware manufacturers and software businesses involved in IoT-based technology offerings.

With Kaohsiung solely identified by the Central Government to be promoted as the city centre of the somatosensory technology industry, commitment by the local authorities to transform Kaohsiung into a 5G IoT technology smart city will bring unprecedented business growth opportunities for manufacturers there. As NTD 30 billion in investment and NTD 120 billion in output value are expected to come through Kaohsiung’s Asia New Bay Area Kaohsiung Multi-Functional Economic and Trade Park designated for the 5G development project, this will contribute to the city’s further progress and Kaohsiung will be the hotbed nurturing Taiwan’s future generation of industries that will be venture proactively in global trade.

For foreign companies trading with domestic businesses already located in Kaohsiung, ease of operational logistics and transportation costs savings will also be corroborative considerations favoring the city as the preferred place to do business in Taiwan. Indicated by the World Bank Group’s Doing Business Taiwan 2020 Report; the Kaohsiung port which is the nation’s largest international harbor is the primary border entry for exports to and imports from foreign markets such as China and Germany. With the free trade zone and industrial parks connection to the port, delivery of Taiwan-made hardware, manufactured in Kaohsiung will be more easily accessible to consumers worldwide.

Mr Keim added that, “As Taiwan’s only international hardware exhibition, THS has always been able to draw high quality visitors from all over the world and continues to attract new visitors from more countries each year. The exhibition has steadily grown in prominence and importance as the must-attend event in the business calendar of hardware traders seeking top-quality, Taiwan-made hardware that are highly sellable in export markets due to its competitive pricing and unmatched service delivery.”

With numerous fastener manufacturers in its backyard - many of whom have been dedicated in joining THS through its past years at Taichung - Kaohsiung now bears strategic advantages that would further contribute to the diversity of THS 2022’s exhibitor mix and expanding the product spectrum across the 8 exhibit categories. While fasteners and fittings stand as its own category, the other seven categories; tools and accessories, locks and fittings, building supplies, garden and outdoor equipment, automotive supplies and accessories, machines and plant equipment and lastly safety equipment and products carry parts and components stemming from similar fastener manufacturing sources that are vastly native to Kaohsiung.

The refreshed Taiwan Hardware Show is on course to achieve another successful edition in 2022 given the continued support secured from esteemed local as well as foreign industry organizations and associations such as the Kaohsiung City Government, European DIY Retail Association (ERDA) / Global Home Improvement Network （EDRA/GHIN）, Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI) , Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association （TEEMA）, Chang Hwa County Industrial Association （CHCIA）, Taiwan Industry Fastener Institute （TIFI）, Taiwan Fasteners Traders Association （TFTA）, Plumbing Association, Taipei Hardware Dealers Association and the Metal Industries Research Development Center （MIRDC） for their twin support to THS’s co-located exhibition, the International Metal Technology Taiwan.