Taiwan and Germany to further collaborate towards Smart Machinery and Industrie
Industrie 4.0 is the German high-tech strategic initiative to maintain its global competiveness. Taiwan has also announced Smart Machinery as one of the five innovative plans to transform its industrial structure and sustain its economic development. On August 25 (Thursday), 2016 in Taipei, over 300 senior political and business leaders from Taiwan and Germany gathered at the “Green+ Together 2016 Taiwan Sustainability Summit: Future of Manufacturing & Digitalization” to exchange experiences and views around Smart Machinery and Industrie 4.0. Summit organizers Siemens, German Institute Taipei (GIT), German Trade Office (GTO), and Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE) concluded the seven Core Statements for further collaboration between Taiwan and Germany in realizing the vision of Smart Machinery and Industrie 4.0.
Distinguished speakers of this year’s Summit including Taiwan’s Premier Dr. Lin, Minister Lee (Ministry of Economic Affairs), Minister Yang (Ministry of Science & Technology), HIWIN Chairman Dr. Chuo, Germany’s Deputy Minister of Education and Research Dr. Schütte, and Siemens AG Digital Factory Division CEO Dr. Mrosik indicated that technological changes, such as cyber-physical systems, and social changes, such as labor shortage, have resulted in major repositioning of manufacturing industries. In the production operations of the future, machines will exchange information and instructions in real time; automation and digitalization will change the landscape of manufacturing as the real and virtual worlds merge. Taiwan’s Smart Machinery and Germany’s Industrie 4.0 initiatives are critical for both sides to prepare themselves to meet the challenges and opportunities of Future of Manufacturing in the digital world. Premier Dr. Lin said, “Germany is the global leader of Industrie 4.0 to provide solutions for industry. Taiwan also launched five innovative plan, including Smart Machinery and Asian Silicon Valley, to accelerate industrial development and competiveness.”
Dr. Schütte and Dr. Mrosik presented Germany’s public and private sectors’ holistic approach in making Industrie 4.0 a reality through policy framework and coordination, industrial R&D, innovative solutions, as well as education and talent development. These aspects were all important for Taiwan to drive its Smart Machinery initiatives. Dr. Schütte highlighted Germany’s integration through national platforms to provide Industrie 4.0 implementation solution that includes standardization and the promotion of research. He also stated that Taiwan and Germany are well-positioned to benefit from Industry 4.0 and to secure lasting prosperity. Dr. Mrosik introduced Digital Enterprise Software Suite as Siemens’ answer to Industrie 4.0 requirements – solutions for the entire value chain and the manufacturing industry in achieving speed, flexibility, quality, efficiency and security demands for small, medium and large enterprises.
Siemens Taiwan President and CEO Erdal Elver stated, “Siemens will provide our utmost support to assist Taiwan in its industrial transformation with our innovative solutions for Industrie 4.0.” GIT Director General Martin Eberts highlighted, “We are sharing the same values, and we are facing the same challenges; our success depends on continuous innovation and a knowledge-based, free society. Together, we can make a difference.” GTO Executive Director Andreas Hergenröther further pointed out, “Belonging to the most innovative countries worldwide, Germany and Taiwan as high-tech world market leaders have great opportunities to cooperate in the field of Smart Machinery in order to significantly increase the competitiveness of their respective industries.” TAISE Chairman Eugene Chien stated, “We are committed to explore business opportunities with different platforms for industry’s sustainable development at Taiwan’s critical transformation period.”
Germany’s experience on Industrie 4.0 is a good reference for Taiwan in planning and implementing its Smart Machinery initiatives for the nation’s successful industrial transformation and sustainable economic development. To deepen the relations between Taiwan and Germany and to assist Taiwan in succeeding a smart machinery concept, the organizers have jointly summarized seven Core Statements for further collaboration: 1.Supporting manufacturing industries to invest in the upgrade of automation and digitalization solutions 2.Establishing a strong government framework between Germany and Taiwan to promote Industrie 4.0 3.Transforming the national education system to better prepare the young work force and instructors 4.Investing in establishing Industrie 4.0 demo sites for different market segments or applications 5.Enforcing a higher demand of energy efficiency to enhance manufacturing industries’ competitiveness 6.Supporting all industries in Taiwan’s vertical market for a successful industrial transformation 7.Combining Market Pull and Technology Push efforts from Taiwan’s and Germany’s public/private sectors.
Following the Summit, Siemens will display its comprehensive know-how in automation and digitalization from August 31 to September 3 at the Taipei International Industrial Automation Exhibition to demonstrate Siemens’ innovative solutions in making Industrie 4.0 a reality.
