Dear Subscriber,

With the sudden drop in temperature this weekend, we hope you stayed warm and healthy.

Last week we hosted two significant events: Firstly, the “GTO Economic Outlook” where we not only revealed our annual Business Confidence Survey but also got to host our much-loved “Wirtschaftsstammtisch” afterwards. The event attracted more than 120 attendees this time. Deputy Minister Mr. Chern-Chyi C. C. Chen from the Ministry of Economic Affairs came to deliver his warm welcome remarks and officially received the survey results from us. Over a glass of delicious German ERDINGER Weissbräu beer and a typical German dinner in “Abendbrot” style, German-Taiwanese business partners from well-renowned companies as well as journalists and others were able to network and chat about the findings afterwards. We were happy about the positive feedback we received and we’re looking forward to next year’s “GTO Economic Outlook”. For further information check out the article in our GTO News.

Secondly, we organized “Invest in Saxony – Investment Environment and Support Resources”, a seminar with over 50 attendees. We were honored to welcome Mr. Thomas Kralinkski, Saxon State Secretary of Ministry of Economics, Labour and Transportation, Mr. Thomas Horn, CEO of Saxony Trade & Invest, and Mr. Steffen Rietzschel, Director of City of Dresden Office for Economic Development, Mr. Frank Nemeth, Senior Consultant of TÜV SÜD. The event enabled the attendees to participate in an inspiring Q&A session afterwards. We are positive that this was not the first nor last successful seminar in this series. Have a look at our summary in our GTO News.

Additionally, we would like to shed light on another upcoming seminar: The expert symposium held next week on March 5. Participants will be able to connect with German companies in the sporting good, fitness and leisure equipment industry. Subsequent to the conferences, B2B meetings also enable participants to connect with future potential business partners. We provide coffee and lunch in cooperation with the ILLUME Taipei Hotel in Songshan and on top of that, it’s also free of charge! Don’t miss out on this opportunity and use the link to sign up in our Top News.

We wish you a great, productive week full of smiles and sunshine.

Axel Limberg
Delegate and Chief Representative of German Industry & Commerce in Taiwan
Executive Director of the German Trade Office Taipei

Introduction

As part of the market development program of the Federal Ministry of Economy and Climate Action, DEinternational Taiwan Ltd., the service unit of the German Trade Office Taipei, is currently organizing a delegation visit focusing on sporting goods, fitness and leisure equipment, which will take place between March 4 and 8, 2024.

The delegation trip is intended to create a platform for Taiwanese companies that are looking for new brands for their product portfolio and suppliers of high-quality products "Made in Germany".

Next Tuesday (March 5), we will host the German-Taiwanese Conference regarding the sporting goods, fitness and leisure equipment, during which the delegation members will introduce their “Made in Germany” products to the audience.

Following the conference, participants will have the opportunity to get to know the German companies better while enjoying coffee and lunch.

B2B Meetings

In the days after the conference, several B2B meetings will be conducted with Taiwanese businesses. If you are interested in meeting representatives from our delegation members in person to discuss future cooperation possibilities, our Market Entry Manager Ms. Dana Ye (ye.dana@taiwan.ahk.de) will be happy to assist with scheduling a meeting for you. Contact us now and start new partnerships!

Event Details

• Date: March 5, 2024
• Venue: ILLUME Taipei, 100, Dunhua N. Rd., Songshan Dist., 10547, Taipei, Taiwan
• Event Time: 09:00 – 16:00
• Price: Free of charge

Agenda

Find the agenda and more information about this even on our event website.

Registration

Seats are limited, so make sure to sign up soon to secure your spot in order to learn more about all things sporting and leisure equipment!

Geschäftsanbahnung für deutsche Hersteller von Sportartikeln, Fitness- und Freizeitgeräten
04.03.-08.03.2024 | Location: Taipei

Expert Symposium: German-Taiwanese Conference Regarding the Sporting Goods, Fitness and Leisure Equipment
05.03.2024 | Location: ILLUME Taipei

Cross-Border Exchange on Cooperation Potential in the Field of E-Mobility Between Taiwan and Germany
15.04-19.04.2024 | Location: Taipei, Kaohsiung

Geschäftsanbahnung für deutsche Hersteller Zweiräder inkl. Zweiradkomponenten
13.-17.05.2024 | Location: Taipei

Become part of our GTO German Business Alliance!
More information about our membership packages on our website.

Together with the German-Taiwanese business community we revealed our annual Business Confidence Survey 2023/2024 last Thursday at the ILLUME Taipei. We were very pleased to welcome more than 120 attendees.  

We were honored to welcome Deputy Minister Mr. Chern-Chyi C. C. Chen from the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan and that we were able to hand over the results to him. He revealed the report together with our Director Mr. Axel Limberg. Each of them, as well as Dr. Jörg Polster, Director General of the German Institute Taipei, gave their warm welcoming remarks.

Afterwards Mr. Axel Limberg and Mr. Erdal Elver, President & CEO, Siemens Ltd., Taiwan illustrated the results of our survey.  Mr. Alexander Hirschle, Director Taiwan and Philippines Asia-Pacific of GERMANY TRADE & INVEST, delved into Taiwan's economic perspectives in 2024.

Divided into three parts, six chairmen from three different industries discussed the current situation and future prospects of the mobility, machinery and semiconductor industry in Taiwan.

 We want to say a special thank you to our speakers as well as our hosts:

• Ms. Celine Nauer, Project Advisor Global Innovation Hub, Friedrich Naumann Foundation
• Mr. Rahil Ansari, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman, Volkswagen Group Taiwan
• Mr. Eun Choong Kim, President & CEO at Mercedes-Benz Taiwan Ltd
• Mr. Ilon Huang, Journalist, Radio Taiwan International
• Mr. Patrick Kemnitz, Managing Director, Trumpf Taiwan
• Mr. Andreas Schmidt, Chairman & Managing Director, Robert Bosch Taiwan Co., Ltd.
• Dr. Josef Goldberger, Liaison Officer, Saxon Science Liaison Office Taiwan
• Dr. John Lee, Managing Director, Merck Group in Taiwan
• Mr. Chee How Tan, Managing Director, Infineon Technologies Taiwan Co. Ltd.

We were delighted to also welcome a delegation from Saxony, including Chief of the State Chancellery and State Minister Mr. Oliver Schenk, and Mr. Thomas Kralinski, Saxon State Secretary of Ministry of Economics, Labour and Transportation, as well as other representatives.

After the insightful discussions which were followed by engaging Q&A sessions, we invited our guests to help themselves to a traditional German dinner buffet as part of our Wirtschaftsstammtisch. It was a great pleasure seeing so many people connect and discuss our findings over a typical German “Abendbrot” and a glass of German ERDINGER Weissbräu beer, kindly provided by Millenia Commercial. We hope everyone had a wonderful time and we’re already looking forward to next year’s Business Outlook.

Check out the next section for the report.

Our latest Business Confidence Survey (BCS) 2023/2024 report is out now! And now even bilingual!

Key Findings:

1. 2023 Was a Challenging Year for German Companies in Taiwan

► Business satisfaction was lower in 2023: Only 59.2% were content with their business performance and only 53.1% have fulfilled their targets.
► Profitability also decreased: 46.6% reported a decline in EBIT margins (15.8% in 2022).
► However, supply chain disruptions have eased significantly: Only 40.8% faced bottlenecks in supply chains in 2023 (66.7% in 2022).

2. Cross-Strait Tensions, Energy Transition, and Labor Shortage Seen as Rising Challenges

► 54.1% are concerned about cross-strait relations. 36.8% reported negative effects on their supply chains due to increased cross-strait tensions; 40.2% expect their future business operations to be negatively affected.
► 24.5% see Taiwan’s energy transition as most pressing domestic challenge and 35.7% stated that energy supply and grid resilience should be improved.
► 64.9% reported difficulties with finding skilled workers. 74.5% are convinced that a dual vocational training program could be a significant factor in overcoming talent shortages.

3. Willingness to Invest in Taiwan Remains High

► A record high of 48.5% intends to invest in Taiwan in the next two years, especially in staff development and training.4. Positive Outlook for the Upcoming Years
► 45.9% expect Taiwan’s economy to improve in 2024, which is a significant increase compared to last year’s result (23.4% in 2022).
► The three-year economic outlook is even more optimistic: 59.2% forecast Taiwan’s economy to improve.

Read the full BCS 2023/2024 report now on our website.

The survey was conducted between November 15, 2023 and January 12, 2024. A high response rate of 39% was achieved. We thank all the participants for their great support!

With over 50 attendees, we hosted the seminar “Invest in Saxony – Investment Environment and Support Resources”, in our office yesterday.

We were very honored to have Mr. Thomas Kralinski, Saxon State Secretary of Ministry of Economics, Labour and Transportation, Mr. Thomas Horn, CEO of Saxony Trade & Invest, and Mr. Steffen Rietzschel, Director of City of Dresden Office for Economic Development, Mr. Frank Nemeth, Senior Consultant of TÜV SÜD, join us for this seminar and share information with numerous attendees about the investment environment and local resources in Saxony. The Q&A and networking session that followed gave our attendees the opportunity to connect with new key partners. We are satisfied with the great feedback and are looking forward to further seminars regarding Saxony.

Additionally, from June 8-15, 2024, we will organize a Silicon Saxony Day Delegation Trip intending to engage directly with German companies, conduct factory environment inspections, and unlock potential business opportunities through face-to-face consultations with key partners. If you are interested in joining the delegation trip, feel free to contact our colleague Ms. Venus Peng (02-7735-7524 / peng.venus@taiwan.ahk.de) for further information.

Vom 15. bis 19. April 2024 findet unsere Delegationsreise nach Taiwan im Bereich Elektromobilität statt. Die Reise wird im Rahmen des Programms zur Internationalisierung der Regionen im Strukturwandel von GTAI Germany Trade and Invest durchgeführt und vom BMWK Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz gefördert. In Zusammenarbeit mit der Investitionsförderungsgesellschaft NRW.Global Business und den Unternehmensclustern automotiveland.nrw und der Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier für DEinternational Taiwan, die Dienstleistungsgesellschaft des Deutschen Wirtschaftsbüros Taipei (AHK Taiwan) ein spannendes fünftägiges Programm durch, bei dem sich deutsche Unternehmen vernetzen können und umfangreiche Einblicke in die taiwanische Elektromobilitätsbranche erhalten.

Taiwan beherbergt bereits weltweit führende Unternehmen in den Bereichen Elektronik und Halbleiter. Das über Jahrzehnte angesammelte Knowhow in der Produktentwicklung und Massenproduktion soll dazu genutzt werden, künftig auch in der Elektromobilität eine führende Rolle einzunehmen. Bereits jetzt sind Hersteller wie Tesla stark auf Komponenten aus taiwanischer Fertigung angewiesen. Für deutsche Unternehmen die ideale Möglichkeit, neue Anreize für Innovationen und Geschäftsmodelle sowie neue Kooperations- und Vertriebspartner zu gewinnen.

Weiterführende Informationen sowie einen Link zur Anmeldung finden Sie auf dieser Website.

Wir freuen uns auf Ihre Teilnahme!

Mark your calendar: InnoTrans is scheduled to take place from September 24 to September 27. Held once every two years in Berlin, InnoTrans is known for being the largest railway and transport technology exhibition worldwide. In collaboration with TAITRA, we will organize a Taiwan Pavilion. Registrations will close on Thursday (February 29). There are only few spots left, so sign up now!

Besides exhibiting at the trade fair, you will also be able to join our delegation trip to Germany. This trip is aimed at engaging with local key players in the industry as well as heavy construction vehicle contractors and system integrators. Our trip enables companies to generate potential sales leads in the European railway industry and infrastructure transportation equipment. An opportunity one should not miss!

For further information regarding the exhibition and delegation, please get in touch with Mr. Pinchao Huang (02-7735-7529 / huang.pinchao@taiwan.ahk.de).

The 2024 ITB Berlin is set to take place in March! GTO is offering an exclusive discount on tickets.

The ITB Berlin, with a history of over 50 years, will be held from March 5 to 7 in Berlin this year. As the world's largest B2B travel trade show, it annually attracts tens of thousands of travel professionals and experts from around the globe. Not only is it a major event in the travel industry, but it also serves as an excellent platform for observation and exchange among travel businesses.

ITB Berlin embraces the spirit of "Pioneering the Transition in Travel & Tourism. Together" and offers the latest travel information to the industry through four main stages with a total of 17 thematic tracks. It's also an excellent opportunity to attract European tourists to visit Taiwan.

Tickets for the ITB Berlin 2024 are now on sale. Contact us to receive your exclusive GTO voucher code to enjoy a 5% discount.

For more information about the exhibition and tickets, please refer to our website.

Step aboard the future of transportation at BUS2BUS 2024, where innovation meets the open road! Get ready to explore the next generation of buses that redefine the journey. All aboard for a thrilling ride into the future!

BUS2BUS 2024 is taking place from April 24 - 25 in Berlin, the trade fair is an innovative business platform for the bus and supplier industry in Germany and Europe, focusing exclusively on the bus industry. The show is expected to be bigger than last year, with more buses and test drive opportunities than ever before.

Combining a trade show, an informative Future Forum, and presentations & workshops, it covers the entire spectrum of future technologies and showcases the latest trends and innovations in the bus industry.

One ticket, many possibilities: The BUS2BUS 2024 ticket includes practical workshops and test drives in advanced vehicles, access to a two-day stage program with in-depth insights into the industry and the opportunity to make contacts with industry leaders and prominent political decision-makers to shape the future of mobility together.

Contact us to receive your exclusive GTO voucher code to enjoy a 25% discount.

If you have any questions regarding ticketing, please contact our colleague Ms. Peng (02-7735-7524 / peng.venus@taiwan.ahk.de) for further information.

The Scaleup Landing Pad supports growing GreenTech businesses from the fields of mobility, logistics, energy and construction in their expansion to Germany and Europe out of Hamburg.

Your greentech scaleup offers solutions in the fields of mobility, logistics, energy and construction? You can apply for the Landing Pad if your business...

... is between 3 and 10 years old.
... has a proven product-market fit in your home market.
... shows proof of a strong growth phase within the past two years.
... does not have a base in Hamburg nor headquarters in Germany.
... is able to actively participate in Hamburg’s ecosystem during the participation in the Landing Pad.

Interested scale-ups can submit their application online via the Landing Pad website. All submissions will be assessed by a panel of experts. The first admission phase and onboarding are expected to begin in spring.

Approved scale-ups are advised in the programme and encouraged to set up business and establish themselves in Hamburg with the help of individual incentives & services, networks and support (single point of contact). The incentives are divided into Business Development, Location Consulting, Living & Workspace and Business Services. Participating scale-ups receive personalised one-to-one support tailored to their individual needs.

Come and celebrate the first All-Chambers event of 2024 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Always well attended, the All-Chambers Happy Hour is a great chance to network in a beautiful and relaxed setting.

Event Details

• Date: February 29, 2024
• Time: 18:00 - 21:30
• Venue: 2F, The Residence, Grand Hyatt Taipei
• Address: 2F, No.2 SongShou Road, Taipei, Taiwan/ 台北市松壽路2號
• Price: 1,300 NT$ for members and guests (including 3 drinks) / 1,600 NT$ for walk-ins

Please be sure to register for this event below!

The German Institute in Taipei and the Taipei Representative Office in the Federal Republic of Germany are announcing a call for proposal for joint R&D projects.

Applicants are expected to develop ready-to-market solutions for products, technology-based services or methods in all technological and application areas, which have strong market potential. The Taipei Representative Office in the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Institute in Taipei will respectively provide access to public funding for joint projects.

The Taipei Representative Office in the Federal Republic of Germany (Coordinator: Project Office of A+ Industrial Innovative R&D Program, AIIP PO) and the German Institute in Taipei (Coordinator: AiF Projekt GmbH) will provide all necessary assistance to project partners during all the project proposal, evaluation and monitoring phases.

AIIP PO and AiF Projekt GmbH will evaluate the submitted proposals independently and communicate the results within about 5 months after receiving the proposal.

Find more information on their website.

Hiring in Taiwan's Service Sector Up Almost 0.7% in 2023

The number of employees hired by the local services sector increased almost 0.7 percent in 2023 on the back of strong domestic spending in the post-COVID-19 era, according to the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS).

However, the figures for the exports-oriented manufacturing segment bucked the upturn, down more than 1 percent, due to global demand weakness, the DGBAS said.

Data released by the DGBAS on Monday showed the number of employees in the local industrial and service sectors totaled about 8.18 million, up 7,000 or 0.09 percent from a year earlier in 2023.

(Last access: 23.02.2024 / Focus Taiwan)

Taiwan Semiconductor Sector Output Forecast to Hit New High in 2024

The production value of the local semiconductor sector is expected to hit a new high in 2024, rising more than 15 percent from a year earlier on the back of solid demand for artificial intelligence applications and the fading impact of inventory adjustments, the government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) forecast last Monday.

A research report released by ITRI's Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center (IEK) showed the output of Taiwan's semiconductor sector is forecast to total NT$5.01 trillion (US$160 billion), up 15.4 percent from 2022, when the output of the sector fell 10.2 percent from a year earlier to NT$4.34 trillion due to inventory adjustments on global demand weakness.

(Last access: 23.02.2024 / Focus Taiwan)

Taiwan’s TSMC Reportedly Set to Double Advanced Packaging Capacity

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is reportedly set to double its advanced packaging capacity this year, according to CNA last Sunday.

Advanced packaging has seen a surge in demand in response to the growing need for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) chips. Even with TSMC’s planned packaging capacity increase, demand will continue to outstrip supply, sources told CNA.

TSMC has been working since July to expand its advanced packaging capacity, according to the sources. In December, its monthly advanced packaging capacity increased from 14,000 to 15,000 wafers.

Monthly capacity for the world’s largest contract chipmaker is expected to grow to 33,000 to 35,000 wafers by the fourth quarter.

(Last access: 23.02.2024 / Taiwan News)

Wafer Services Firm Chunghwa Eyes Revenue Growth

Wafer probing service provider Chunghwa Precision Test Technology Co (中華精測) said it aimed to grow revenue by a double-digit percentage this year, benefiting primarily from rising demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing chips.

Increasing demand for products ranging from AI-enabled servers to edge devices with AI features such as smartphones, PCs and notebook computers are stimulating demand for the company’s advanced wafer probing services, boosting probe card revenue, Chunghwa Precision Test Technology president Scott Huang (黃水可) said.

“We are seeing exuberant development of the AI industry,” Huang said. “Adding AI features to smartphones and PCs is igniting new growth momentum. Forecasts by customers show that 2024 will be better than 2023, that is for sure.”

(Last access: 23.02.2024 / Taipei Times)