TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said that Taiwan has a comprehensive supply chain for robot manufacturing and R&D, positioning the country to capitalize on the growing global robotics market.
The council projects the global robotics market will exceed NT$4.8 trillion (US$150 billion) by 2030, representing a 2.5-fold increase compared to 2022.
The council said that Taiwan’s robotics supply chain covers key technological areas such as drive and motion components, sensing, AI-powered computing and control, power management, and system integration, per Tai Sounds.
Wu noted the government has launched initiatives since June to support the sector's development. These include plans for a 52-hectare robotics industrial hub in Tainan’s Liouying District. Additionally, more than 50 robotics-related companies in Taiwan formed an industry alliance earlier this month.
Wu highlighted that robots will play vital roles in manufacturing, disaster relief, and high-risk tasks. To meet these demands, various models, including humanoid, tracked, and wheeled, are being developed with performance enhancement as a key innovation focus.
Kevin Wang (王恒聰), general manager of Asus’s robotics business unit, emphasized the trend toward integrating AI and robotic sensing technologies. He noted Taiwan is advancing its AI development through collaborations with tech giants like Nvidia and Google. Combined with its strengths in chip manufacturing, the nations is well-positioned to expand its reach in the global robotics market.
According to the Industrial Technology Research Institute, the development of humanoid robots is led by the US and China, with major players including Figure AI and Boston Dynamics in the US and Unitree Robotics in China.
ITRI highlighted that key technologies for humanoid robots include sensing systems, limb mechanisms, power sources, reducers, and communication modules. While Taiwan is making progress in these areas, further advancement is needed in sensor integration, machine learning, navigation, and control software, the agency added.
The industrial robotic arm market is also expected to see significant growth, projected to reach NT$941.76 billion by 2029. Within this sector, the collaborative robot segment is expected to hit NT$108.16 billion by 2030.
David Huang (黃鐘賢), director of the vision application department at Techman Robot, said that collaborative robotic arms offer high flexibility and rapid deployment compared to traditional models, making them adaptable for various applications. He added the sector’s development will focus on robotic arms and humanoid robots featuring visual sensing modules and digital twin technology, a virtual replica of a physical system used for simulation.
