Concept of Circular Economy on Rise; Ministry of Economic Affairs and Tainan City Government Join Hands to Help Enterprises Seize Golden Opportunity
To encourage small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to engage in innovative R&D and form alliances that align with the concept of the Circular Economy, the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA) is now, for the sixth year, partnering with the Industrial Development & Investment Promotion Committee (IDIPC) of Tainan City. The IDIPC is well known for developing green energy and environmental protection. Together, the SMEA and the IDIPC are organizing the 2017 SME Business Day for Tainan, with the theme “Circular Economy: Creating New Business Opportunities for Green Energy”. In attendance were SMEA Deputy Director General Su Wen-Ling; Tainan City Deputy Mayor Wu Tsung-Jung; Tainan City IDIPC Deputy Director General Wang Shih-Hao; Tainan City SME Honorary Instructors Association Chairman Huang Shun-Tse; Industrial Technology Research Institute Commercialization and Industry Service Center Deputy Director Huang Hsin-Chien; and Corporate Synergy Development Center President Chu Hsing-Hua. They were there to witness the innovation and creative capabilities of SMEs in developing Taiwan’s circular economy.
SMEA Deputy Director General Su Wen-Ling noted that discussions on sustainability in the past have mainly focused on how to reduce the damage caused to the environment by industrial development. Current discussions on the circular economy not only focus on being environmentally friendly and reducing waste, but also on designing technologies, processes, and products that are based on concepts of circulation and renewal, in order to create a positive effect on the natural environment and economic activities. Su Wen-Ling pointed out that Taiwan relies on imports for over 90% of its energy and resources, and over 60% of its food. We must therefore consider how to help resources continually circulate and be reused. The circular economy, a topic of future sustainability, is set to become the main direction for innovative economic models and market demand creation, not only in Taiwan, but around the world. Now is the time for Taiwanese enterprises that excel in R&D and innovation to show what they’re capable of and gain a foothold in the international market!
Tainan City is striving to become a low carbon metropolis. Deputy Mayor Wu Tsung-Jung said that Tainan has supported the Executive Yuan in building Shalun Green Energy Science City, developing Taiwan Energy Decision Center, and establishing a more complete green energy ecosystem and industrial chain. In addition, the city government is also actively working with non-governmental organizations to encourage the industrial sector to reconsider its material sourcing, product design, production, use, and recycling. Wu Tsung-Jung emphasized his expectations that the future industrial development of Tainan City will be aligned with the circular economy. He also welcomed enterprises with the same vision to come to Tainan, so they can jointly create the limitless business opportunities of the circular economy!
Wang Shih-Hao, Deputy Director General of the Tainan City IDIPC, pointed out that the Committee is exerting every effort in the SME Business Day Activity Series of the MOEA. This is under Mayor Lai Ching-Te’s policy of assisting SMEs, and specifically helping the SMEs of Tainan City to expand into new markets and new business opportunities, and promoting the mutual prosperity and collaboration of domestic enterprises. The Committee is actively building a platform for business opportunity exchanges between SMEs. This will assist enterprises in technology, products, capital, management, marketing, and distribution channels. The Committee will strive to hold the event in Tainan City every year in the future, in hopes of creating more business opportunities and becoming a flagship of Tainan City’s urban development.
Investing in Circular Economy with Creativity and Macro Perspective, SMEs Compete for Sustainable Business Opportunities
This event combined the resources of industry, government, academia, and research institutes in southern Taiwan. A total of 22 enterprises and 3 science and technology universities, all involved in renewable energy, green lighting, energy conservation and environmental protection, and green transportation, were invited. Numerous company representatives arrived to experience the nearly 30 innovative technologies and green energy applications, and also engaged in lively interactions.
One of the goals of renewable energy has always been to lower the threshold for power generation and to utilize even more natural resources. Target Solar Company and Green Energy Technology Inc. jointly showed off their lightweight, portable, even bendable solar panels. These will allow solar power to more easily become a part of daily life. True Ten Industrial Company has developed a mobile hydroelectric generator. Zhen Xin Technology Company’s run-of-the-river micro-hydroelectric power generation system can successfully use the kinetic energy of smaller water currents for power generation, increasing the scope of application for power generation systems. These technologies made the renewable energy exhibit quite eye-catching. The five enterprises in the green lighting area were focused on vision care and design requirements for various lighting situations. They were introducing green lighting material solutions with different materials and functional characteristics, making them the absolute center of attention.
The energy conservation and environmental protection area, which had the most exhibitors this time, displayed the abundant results of SMEs’ pursuit of environmental sustainability over the past few years. TecHome Technology Company is the first spin-off of National Cheng Kung University. The company surprised the industry by transforming reservoir sludge, so troubling to water resource departments for the past several decades, into popular materials for interior design and decoration companies. Insheng Engineering Company, the only production process company in the world to independently develop production equipment, modules, and unique designs, has developed an energy efficient, high power chemical plastic pump that has impressed even the major European companies. The electric compression garbage truck of Dokin Motors Company, the electric logistics equipment of Noveltek, and the energy and transportation solution of Digi-Triumph Technology Inc. for green logistics parks were displayed in the green transportation area. These provided more efficient application systems for the constant evolution of Industry 4.0. The 3 key science and technology universities in Southern Taiwan, namely Kun Shan University, Far East University, and Chia Nan University of Pharmacy & Science, also showed off numerous environmental, energy efficient, and innovative products, giving the green ideas of college students good exposure.
Taiwan’s SMEs are overflowing with innovative energy, and have always been the key to driving Taiwan’s economic development. The SMEA selects different themes for business events based on industrial trends each year. This gives enterprises the opportunity to work together in technology, marketing, and capital, and also to gain exposure in the media. Over the years, these business events have created business opportunities worth billions of NTD. Enterprises searching for cooperation opportunities are welcome to visit the Technomart website (www.technomart.org.tw).