Nov 25, 2017
Where Automation Meets Tradition
Taiwan is situated in the Pacific Ocean only a short distance from China. It is an island that is renowned for both its natural beauty and technological innovation. Pepperl+Fuchs opened a new subsidiary here in 2017, allowing it to work more closely with customers in a quickly developing economy.
Portuguese sailors called it "Ilha Formosa," or "beautiful island." Taiwan is located just 180 km from the Chinese mainland and is home to approximately 23 million people. The first time you visit this beautiful island, it will surprise you with its mix of bustling cities, signs of old traditions, modern technologies, and, not least, its unique landscape.
An Island of Contrasts
While visitors are impressed by the rural panoramas of tall bamboo forests, waterfalls, and unique rock formations, the metropolises of Taiwan form a stark contrast to the tranquility and expanse of nature—especially the lively city of Taipei. The symbol of the city, and once the world’s tallest building, is a testament to how the apparent contradictions of tradition and modernity, nature and technology can be reconciled: The 508 meter high "Taipei 101" was designed in accordance with the traditional teachings of Feng Shui, and its exterior is reminiscent of a bamboo plant. However, the skyscraper’s sophisticated technology is also impressive as it ensures that the building will withstand earthquakes.
It is not just this structure that proves the expertise of the Taiwanese when it comes to groundbreaking technologies. Both everyday life and the economy of Taiwan region, which is considered one of the "Four Asian Tigers," are characterized by technological innovations. Many companies in the mechanical engineering and IT industries have their headquarters here, so it is no wonder that Taiwan is a pioneer in the Internet of Things and that the automation sector has made excellent progress here in recent years. For all these reasons, it made perfect sense for Pepperl+Fuchs, a manufacturer of components for automation technology, to set up a wholly owned subsidiary of its Factory Automation division in Taipei.
Temple at Jiufen in Taipei
Improved Local Support
The new team in Taiwan celebrated the opening of its office on June 7, 2017 in the presence of 60 customers and business partners. With this subsidiary as its base, Pepperl+Fuchs will build a comprehensive sales network in Taiwan in order to provide full service to local companies. In his opening speech, Daniel Winkler, Managing Director of the newly established Pepperl+Fuchs Taiwan Ltd., made it clear that the company would dedicate itself to the role of solution provider for customers and partners: "In the future, we will offer an integrated solution from a single source that is based on our technical expertise, our sales capabilities, and an efficient supply chain. We are very much looking forward to working in close cooperation and building long-term partnerships with our Taiwanese customers."
As Sales Manager, Edison Yang will be responsible for all sales activities in Taiwan. He sees a lot of potential here: "Pepperl+Fuchs has already been serving the Taiwanese market for a long time via distributors and resellers. By setting up our own location in Taipei, we now have the opportunity to provide our customers with direct on-site support. This also means that we can use our expertise in the field of sensor technology in a much more targeted way, allowing us to find the optimal solution for our customers' automation tasks." With its product portfolio, Pepperl+Fuchs is primarily providing product solutions for warehousing and material handling, the electronics industry, the machine tool manufacturing industry, and harbor and crane systems. "Combined with our on-site service, this will allow us to become a strong and reliable automation partner for our Taiwanese customers," Yang sums up.
Due to their rapid economic development since the 1960s, South Korea, Taiwan (China), Singapore, and Hong Kong (China) are known as the Four Asian Tigers or Four Asian Dragons. Hong Kong and Singapore are among the biggest financial centers in the world, whereas South Korea and Taiwan are important hubs when it comes to the manufacturing of automotive and electronic components as well as in the information technology field. Having proved to be resilient enough to withstand both local and global crises, i.e. the Asian financial crisis of 1997 or the world economic crisis 2009, the Four Asian Tigers are also known for their focus on exports, motivated and skilled workforces, an educated population and high saving rates.
The description is based on the image of a tiger poised to make a powerful leap, referring to the dynamics of the economic upswing.
