Tomakomai Mayor Visits Taiwan Metals Centre to Expand Industrial Cooperation

A delegation led by Suguru Kanazawa, Mayor of Tomakomai in Northern Hokkaido, Japan, recently visited Taiwan’s Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) in an effort to strengthen industrial cooperation. The delegation was guided to an overview of MIRDC’s materials research and development, procedure optimization, testing and validation, and International verification services.

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In prospect, Mayor Kanazawa is seeking partnerships in investment promotion and industrial distribution in Tomakomai’s next phase of industrial development. MIRDC, a leading research institution in southern Taiwan, has long specialized in metal materials, precision manufacturing, and industrial upgrading, areas that align closely with Tomakomai’s regional development agenda.

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Located in southern Hokkaido, Tomakomai is a major port and industrial city, home to one of the busiest international cargo harbours and a long-standing logistics hub for northern Japan. In recent years, the city began to invest in renewable energy, hydrogen applications, advanced manufacturing, and port-centric industrial clusters, with the ambition of becoming a “next-generation energy and industry demonstration city."

Since assuming office, Mayor Kanazawa has adopted a pragmatic approach to industrial reform, emphasising international partnerships to accelerate structural upgrading. Chairman. Chia-Ju Liu, chairwoman of MIRDC, said the center hopes the exchange will lead to tighter collaborations.

Amidst global supply chain readjustment and net-zero objectives, cross-border technological alignment between Taiwan and Japan is increasingly seen as a competitive imperative. MIRDC plans to deepen ties with Japanese local governments, research institutes, and industry, offering end-to-end support from technology upgrading to international market entry.