TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — More than 50 robotics-related companies in Taiwan formed a robotics industry alliance on Wednesday, an initiative aimed at developing robots to fill labor shortages and support the nation's industrial transformation.
Member companies include Asus, Pegatron, Aspeed Technology, Ubiqconn Technology, Mirle Automation, and Techman Robot, per CNA.
The alliance will focus on field applications, component R&D, and function verification to help advance the domestic robotics industry. It also plans to establish testing environments for service robots and conduct pilot programs in healthcare, logistics, food services, agriculture, and manufacturing. The alliance also aims to promote the standardization of robotic components to reduce development and maintenance costs.
National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said the Cabinet will implement policies to boost the domestic robotics industry, including the development of a 52-hectare robotics industrial hub in Tainan’s Liouying District. A NT$20 billion (US$620 million) budget will be allocated to expand Taiwan’s service robot market to NT$50 billion within five years.
Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said the city government plans to establish a center for fundamental robotics research at the Shalun Smart Green Energy Science Park. Additionally, a robotics application R&D center will be launched at the Industrial Technology Research Institute's Lioujia District branch.
With Tainan’s comprehensive component supply chain, including key technologies such as robotic processors, memory, vision modules, joints, and transmission components, the city has the potential to become one of Taiwan’s major hubs for robotics development, Huang added.
Asus Co-CEO Samson Hu (胡書賓) said that Taiwan’s advantage in robotics development lies in its integrated supply chain, encompassing semiconductor manufacturing, ICT, and precision machinery. The alliance is expected to serve as a platform for resource sharing and cross-sector collaboration, Hu noted.
Tainan will offer testing grounds for products developed by alliance member companies, including service robots, industrial robots, and robots designed for disaster relief. The group will also utilize facilities at ITRI’s Tainan branch to conduct product validation and testing, Hu added.
