Bringing the World to Central Taiwan: Taichung International Exhibition Centre Set to Unlock NT$20 billion Opportunities

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) is preparing to unveil its most prominent initiative of the year. James Huang, chairman of TAITRA, announced that the Taichung International Exhibition Centre (TICEC) will officially open in March, with bookings already reaching 24%, the highest first-year reservation rate recorded among Taiwan’s professional exhibition venues.

Once fully operational, TICEC is expected to generate between NT$17 billion and NT$20 billion in related business across central Taiwan, Chairman Huang said, realizing his vision of “bringing the world to central Taiwan."

The centre’s inaugural event will be a renowned machine tool exhibition. Strategically located in the heart of the Shui-Nan Economic and Trade Park, TICEC sits adjacent to Taiwan’s most comprehensive precision-manufacturing ecosystem, embodying a “front office, back factory” model that links exhibition activity directly to production capacity.

Although still in soft opening, TICEC is staging the “Taichung Industry Fairs” today, on the 16th, as its critical product expo event before the formal opening.

Central Taiwan is the nucleus of the island’s precision machinery, machine tool, and smart manufacturing industries. More than 70% of related enterprises are clustered in the region, generating an output valued at roughly NT$84 billion. The launch of TICEC allows brands to be paired with backend technologies. In a “one-day exhibition” model, international buyers can attend product demonstrations, view exhibits, and conduct matchmaking meetings in the morning, before visiting factories in the afternoon for production and technical performance evaluation.

This integration shortens procurement and manufacturing relations, but also accelerates purchasing decisions, enabling real-time communication and efficient decision-making. Chairman Huang believes it is an opportunity for investment promotion and industrial collaboration.

Chairman Huang also added that TICEC represents a milestone in TAITRA’s determination to upgrade manufacturing made in Taiwan and advance industrial globalization. Drawing on operational experience from its established venues in northern Taiwan, and leveraging Taichung’s industrial strengths, TAITRA is rolling out a “dual-core exhibition strategy.” The aim is to reinforce Taiwan’s position in global supply chains, recasting exhibition centres as platforms for industrial integration and international cooperation.