President Ma Ying-jeou says he will work to upgrade Taiwan’s industries. He made the remarks when speaking with Michael Fuchs, the vice chairman of Germany’s ruling CDU/CSU coalition, who is visiting Taiwan. Fuchs spoke with President Ma about Germany’s Industry 4.0 Strategy which will make factories smarter. It has been hailed as Germany’s fourth industrial revolution.
Ma said he wants to push for an industrial transformation much like Germany’s.
Ma said, “We’ve also set goals this year, hoping to turn our manufacturing industries into smart industries. You are an expert on this area. We are looking forward to this, and I believe you have noticed this. We will invest NT$36 billion for the next nine years to upgrade the structure of our industries.”
President Ma said ties between Taiwan and Germany have been close. Germany is Taiwan’s biggest trading partner in the EU, with trade of US$15.5 billion a year. Mutual investment figures have also been increasing in recent years. The two sides have also signed agreements such as for working holidays and avoidance of double taxation.