TIMTOS 2021 Online kicks off amid resurging machinery sector

TIMTOS 2021 Online opened on Monday, exhibiting approximately a thousand domestic and foreign brands presenting new products on the virtual platform. Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI) Chairman Alex Ko estimates a fruitful year for local machinery companies, boasting industry value growth of around 15% and an export growth between 20% to 30% for this year.

This year's TIMTOS Online exhibit profile consists of 10 major exhibition areas: Metal Cutting Machine Tools; Machine Tool Parts, Components, and Accessories; Cutting Tools and Accessories; Stamping, Foundry, Forging Machines; Sheet Metal Processing Machines; Tube and Wire Processing Machines; Welding and Surface Treatment Equipment; Controller, Software and Design Engineering, Robotics, and Automation; Inspecting, Measuring, and Testing Equipment; National Pavilion and Associations.

Since 2017, Taiwan's machinery industry has always been a trillion-valued sector, Ko said. Even with the sector impacted by COVID-19 last year, the industry bounced back in the final months of 2020, prompting Ko's optimistic outlook for 2021.

Organizers are also hosting any of the exhibition's peripheral events in a hybrid manner, for example, the Smart Manufacturing Summit is on-going today at the Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1 and on the TIMTOS Youtube channel in English.

The main topic of discussion at the summit includes revaluating the global supply chain, with heavyweight speakers from key companies such as Innolux, Microsoft Taiwan, Yeong Chin Machinery, TRUMPF Taiwan, Siemens, Taiwan Fanuc Corp, and Mitsubishi Electric Taiwan, offering insight to market trends, key technologies, and developing new markets.

Between March 16 and April 15, visitors can view the TIMTOS 2021 online platform as they wish, however business functions are only open on the platform until March 20.