Taiwan Hardware Show 2023
Stronger than ever
We imagined it especially since the Chinese threat still seems strong on the Republic of Taiwan. However, our questions were quickly brushed aside, and it was with complete peace of mind that we had the pleasure of visiting the 2023 edition of the show. Taiwan Hardware Show which was held in the best conditions.
This territory at the end of the world is an incredible country, which is making the headlines in Western media a little more every day for reasons that everyone knows. However, does this mean that the population is under pressure? Is there a climate of war? These were the questions we asked ourselves. Well, at the end of our stay, we can affirm that this is not the case. The Taiwanese people remain equal to themselves. Calm, courtesy, and politeness reign in the always very lively streets of Taipei, which remains a large city full of life. In fact, we have happily rediscovered this atmosphere which prevailed before the Covid parenthesis, which had terribly affected the country. It only reopened its doors last fall and it is true that it took several months for the situation to return to normal. This reopening was carried out with great and legitimate caution, and the atmosphere was not the one we knew. So it was only this year that we found Taiwan and its capital, as we like it. Obviously, all this had affected the 2022 edition of the show THS, acronym of Taiwan Hardware Show, which was also held in the city of Kaoshiung, which may well be one of the major industrial and economic centers of the country, but still remains far from the capital, despite the excellence of rail transport.
Still, last year's session had the merit of existing and relaunching the machine after two long years of absence, we will come back to this in detail a little later in this report. But first, we would like to emphasize the image that Taiwan reflects today in the world, and this seems to us to be of the utmost importance. Indeed, for a long time, its name alone often perplexed Westerners and many were unable to locate the territory on the world map. Just barely, the famous “made in Taiwan” was still attached, a sort of portmanteau word for national production, before the imposing Chinese neighbor took the place that everyone knows today. In short, the image was a little blurry, or even very blurry for the consumer. Then came the advent of High Tech which in a few years revolutionized the world economy. Electronics are everywhere, in all areas of consumer products. This was accompanied by an explosion of digitalization. It was an extraordinary opportunity which propelled the country to the top of the world scale in these areas where our Taiwanese friends have excelled for years, placing themselves at the global summit, particularly in terms of components, which have become the most precious products, the most sought after by all manufacturers on the planet. In the space of a few years, Taiwan has become one of the nerve centers of the industrial world.
Taiwan, high-tech paradise
From now on, Taiwanese component manufacturers are the most sought after because of the quality of their production in the field of these famous components, of which they are renowned as the best in the world by far. Even the competition from the most advanced countries in the field of cutting-edge technologies does not reach this level of excellence. However, this unique know-how is not without consequences or repercussions on the smooth running of the global economy. This is how a historic partial shortage was born due to the global demand for Taiwanese components to which the national industry can only partially meet due to the explosion of orders. The phenomenon has been further aggravated by the fact that they are considered essential when they are not the only ones in certain sectors of activity. We must also add to this, the impact of the pandemic which disrupted sources of supply within Western companies, and when the borders reopened, there was a rush, causing delays and forcing Taiwanese manufacturers to proceed to arbitrations in the delivery of their products. This is how, for example, mobile telephony manufacturers, large consumers of components, have been favored over automobile manufacturers who also pay the price for their purchasing requirements.
So the combination of these cyclical and structural parameters has promoted industrial know-how to the top of the hierarchy of major advanced technology countries. Players in the components sector have become world-renowned big names, like TSMC. The know-how of these companies arouses admiration but also desire.
Taiwan Hardware
Show 2023
Gallery
The big turn
If we wanted this long preamble, about Taiwanese “High tech”, it is so that our readers understand that this environment impacts the entire economic-industrial world of the country, and that everything must be read with this view . the world of tools is therefore not immune to the phenomenon as we were able to see during the 2023 edition of the show THS, accompanied, like last year, by an offer called IMT, for International Metal Technology Taiwan, and enriched this year with T-Safe dedicated to professional safety at work. It is in fact from this angle that we had to approach the show in its entirety, as the phenomenon was so obvious. In any case, this 2023 edition can be considered as the big turning point for the Kaigo teams running the event, and this for another reason. After having migrated in recent years to the two industrial centers of the country, namely Taichung until the Covid crisis then Kaoshiung last year, the show took up residence from October 18 to 20 in the capital on the Nangang site in the heart of the new business district for its 23rd edition. This decision was taken by the organizers for a very specific purpose. It is now a matter of bringing exhibitors and especially visitors from all over the world. For this purpose, what could be better than Taipei? The ease of transport, the hotel offer, the immediate proximity to the airport constitute essential arguments for buyers whose time is limited and whose schedules are busy. However, Taichung, which had the advantage of concentrating the majority of manufacturers around the city, did not lack assets. These have not disappeared, and the extraordinary high-speed train allows you to get there in less than an hour in the greatest comfort, with rotations of the order of every 15 minutes.
Immediate positive impact
In view of the results, this decision has already had a very clear impact in terms of visitors this year since the organizers had the satisfaction of welcoming no less than 24,232 to the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center (hall 2) professionals in the sector, which constitutes a truly remarkable result. Better yet, they came from 73 countries, thus reinforcing the shift towards internationalization, which constitutes a priority objective, justifying in particular the decision to set up the show in Taipei. A successful turn, when we consider the Top Ten visitors from the following countries: Japan, United States, India, Hong Kong, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Emirates, South Africa and Germany. All these people were able to appreciate at its true value an offer which covers manual and portable electrical tools, locksmithing, fixings, screws, construction materials, garden products and tools, in short everything that makes up the offer original exhibition hall, plus metal processing equipment and safety and protection equipment. These last two sectors were included in the offer. On IMT for the first, where everyone was able to admire once again the typically Taiwanese technological know-how. The second inaugurated the opening of a new space called T-Safe 2023 dedicated to safety and comfort equipment and well-being at work, a subject that could not be more topical in this era. In any case, this is a very judicious line of development which only reinforces the seriousness and coherence of the show.
Taiwan Hardware
Show 2023
Gallery
“Bridging Borders Empowering Supply Chain” central theme of the 2023 edition
Behind these somewhat obscure anglicisms, we must see very specific objectives. This involves establishing Taiwan as a central axis of cooperation between manufacturers, administrative and commercial services and the logistics chain, in order to make the supplier/customer relationship more fluid and efficient. In addition, they were able to discover the depth of the offer, the know-how and above all appreciate its overall quality, an element which did not escape a distinguished guest, in this case Johnny Herbert, the well-known general secretary and co-founder of EDRA (European DIY Retail Association), who is full of praise for the famous “made in Taiwan”, of which he predicts an important place for the future, due to the quality of its products and their durability remarkable, a subject that is now essential, particularly on Western export markets, as consumers have become very demanding in this area. Taiwanese manufacturers have understood the issue for a long time, and have already integrated it into their production, at very high levels, not only in terms of sustainability, but also in terms of recycling capacity and respect for environmental protection. 'environment. Obviously, and as usual, a very copious program of conferences and seminars was put in place during the three days of the show, which were a remarkable success both in terms of the wealth of information and the interest shown by visitors. to all the themes covered.
Support from the authorities
All these efforts have not gone unheeded in high places. Indeed, the show received official support from the authorities. This is how the international trade office of the Ministry of Economic Affairs very officially inaugurated the digital exhibition project called “Expo Tech” introducing very innovative experimental digital services announcing very interactive shows, allowing buyers to discover new products and innovations in 3D, so-called intelligent visitor guides, but also smart scanning. No doubt, we are in Taiwan, a hotbed of tomorrow's technologies which demonstrates exceptional know-how in this area. Still, the Kaigo teams at the helm of the show are already looking towards tomorrow. They in no way fear this development, which on the contrary, will make it possible to approach the meetings of the future with dedicated instruments. However, the visitor route is not about to disappear as it is a given that the Covid episode has taught us that nothing replaces human contact. However, it is also absolutely certain that the tools of the future will be integrated into this type of event. New type of exhibitions will appear where virtual technology will be at the service of the visitor, making them more efficient in all areas. This is the lesson that the show addresses to us THS, its derivatives IMMT and T-Safe.
In any case, this 2023 edition is full of promise. The visitors were there. It responded significantly in terms of attendance, but it also internationalized significantly to the delight of the organizers, for whom this was the priority objective and one of the major reasons why they decided to set up the show in Taipei. Moreover, they do not intend to stop there in this area, since next year it will be enriched with an additional hall.
Finally, Taiwan remains one of the world's hotspots for new technologies. Certainly the overall offer remains identical to what it has always been and therefore in line with its promises. But everything exudes the world of tomorrow; where digital and High Tech will be omnipresent in all areas. This is what makes the personality and appeal of this show truly remarkable and worth a visit when you are a Western buyer looking for innovative, durable and high quality products.
Trois questions à Alexander Keim
Project Manager Kaigo
A first assessment for this 2023 edition?
Alexander Keim : He is completely positive. We are recording a very significant increase in visitors, and a high level of satisfaction both from our exhibitors and from the buyers who came to the show. We also had the satisfaction of welcoming a larger number of foreign buyers, which corresponds exactly to our priority objectives, namely internationalization, a subject which constitutes our priority in the years to come, and on which we Let's intensify our efforts.
Is this why you are now based in Taipei?
Alexander Keim : Quite. We are aware that a foreign visitor, often coming from far away, does not want to incur additional travel. In the capital, everything is easy in terms of reception and hotel facilities. In any case, he wants to take advantage of his visit to visit the exhibitor facilities and infrastructures, this remains entirely possible and very easy. Indeed, the majority of them are located in the Taichung region. High-speed trains allow them to get there very quickly in the greatest comfort, with the addition of great flexibility in terms of timetable since the rotation of the schedules of these trains operates approximately every fifteen minutes.
What are your goals for next year?
Alexandre Keim : We are going to expand the surface area of the show, since we are providing exhibitors with an additional hall. On the other hand, we are developing the complementarity of the offer. As you may have noticed, we are adding a new segment with t-Safe, dedicated to safety and well-being at work. It is an important subject today, just like sustainability, and environmental respect, and recycling. But our objective remains the recruitment of foreign visitors. We have already recorded encouraging results for this 2023 session, but we are not going to stop there. We will therefore intensify our efforts on this objective. This is our priority.
Metting
RBG CORPORATION, SHEN YOU PLASTC, LEOU YOU ENTERPRISE
Unity is strength
According to a fairly widespread habit at Asian trade shows, companies join forces in order to optimize their visibility as much as possible in terms of space, while reducing costs. This practice is also quite common in Taiwan to the extent that manufacturers are often interdependent in certain sectors, while being located quite close to each other geographically. This was the strategy of the three exhibitors who came to present their new products and innovations at the 2023 edition. They operate in the world of gardening including watering which illustrates this cooperation, since each one manufactures part of the pipe components intended for this use. It was therefore obvious that they would make common cause at the show, which made their lives easier. Still, the result of this association could not go unnoticed, thanks to a very large stand. These three companies also each offered a specific independent offer in the garden world which allowed them to meet the buyers in their markets. Thus SHEN YUN PLASTIC operates as an OEM in Europe, mainly in Germany, England and France. RBG, which is exhibiting for the first time, is targeting the national market, while already present in exports in its own name and also OEM. Finally LEOU YOU positions itself as a subcontractor of the first two mentioned, while also having a personal offer. In any case, this is a very interesting initiative which proves that there is strength in unity.
GONG FONG ENTERPRISE
Heading towards Europe
This company specializes in the world of OEM and ODM through the manufacturing of hand tools for professionals and more particularly in the field of screwdrivers. According to Stephen Hu Executive Assistant to President, to use the exact terms of his function, the show is an ideal platform to offer suggested new products to professional buyers who can thus discover them first-hand and adjust their specifications. Created in 1980, the company has been very present for 40 years in exports via the United States, which constitutes its main market. However, it is now development on European markets which constitutes a major axis of development. Already present in France in particular, it will launch a range of products specific to the requirements of the old continent, in collaboration with local buyers, as always. Known for the quality of its products, GONGFONG should not have too much difficulty accelerating its growth, thanks to its good knowledge of Western markets and its rigor in terms of environmental respect, sustainability, and recycling capacity. The group has a very efficient research and development department in these areas which have become so essential today.
MATATAKITOYO TORQUE TOOLS, HONG BING PNEUMATIC INDUSTRY
A beautiful story of friendship
In a different sector from garden tools, this is yet another great example of cooperation at a show. This time we are dealing with the ultra professional equipment sector with the companies MATATAKITOYO TORQUE TOOLS and HONG BING PNEUMATIC INDUSTRY, who have also decided to join forces in order to present their new products and innovations in this universe where they are complementary, since the former manufacture dynamometric tools and the latter pneumatic tools. We are therefore in a sector where partnership plays a key role. Thus, the two companies help each other without the slightest ulterior motive in prospecting customers. Their offering is almost interdependent, and the buyers always come from the same professional backgrounds. However, HONG BING is very well positioned on the export markets which provide 80% of its turnover, while for MATATAKITOYO, everything has to be done since export weighs much less. In any case, here is a good example to ponder and two happy exhibitors who did not forget to thank Kaigo for the quality of the visitors that the organizers brought in throughout the show. These are words that can only please the team at the helm of a completely successful 2023 THS session.