TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Industry groups from Taiwan and Japan signed a cooperation pact on sustainable technologies and AI applications Thursday at the Sustainable Taiwan Expo in Kaohsiung.

CNA reported the signatories included Taiwan Eastbound Alliance, the Chinese Traders Federation in Japan, and several Taiwan tech startups, with Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration Director General Li Guan-jhih (李冠志) witnessing the signing.

Li said Japan has a mature technology market and that partnering with Japanese firms will help Taiwanese companies join Japan’s supply chains. He added the pact will bring Taiwan’s small and medium enterprises closer to Japanese companies, opening new avenues for cooperation.

“Besides working together on semiconductors, Taiwan and Japan have many other chances to team up in different industries,” he said.

Green transformation is now a business trend, Li said, adding that the expo helps companies explore sustainable materials and business models.

The Sustainable Taiwan Expo runs from Wednesday to Friday at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, bringing together the energy, manufacturing, technology, environmental, and construction sectors, with more than 100 domestic and foreign companies taking part.

Organizers said the expo, now in its sixth year, has helped generate nearly NT$2.5 billion (about US$81 million) in business over the past five years and continues to grow as global buyers and suppliers seek sustainable solutions, per CNA.