With ever more insiders venturing into higher-end segments of the global fastener market, Taiwan''s fastener industry is under going upgrades. (photo courtesy of UDN.com)

With a history of more than half a century, fastener production is today one of Taiwan''s most globally competitive industries in the southern region. This achievement is attributable to insiders'' efforts on moving forwards high value-added fasteners for higher-end applications, including cars, aircrafts, medical supplies and implants, wind turbines, and many others, hence seeing a gradual uptrend in value.

An incontestable proof of the industry''s continuous growth is the statistics compiled by Metal Industry Intelligence, an industry and market research division affiliated with Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC), a Taiwan-based semi-official R&D institute, showing that Taiwan''s annual fastener output increased from NT$95.15 billion (US$3.17 billion) in 2006 through NT$112.37 billion (US$3.74 billion) in 2010 to NT$123.87 billion (US$4.12 billion) in 2013. The value is estimated to have reached NT$124.38 billion (US$4.14 billion) in 2014 and then mount to NT$124.73 billion (US$4.16 billion) in 2015.

MIRDC reports that the positive development results mainly from the payoff of the hard work by Taiwanese manufacturers to continuously improve manufacturing capabilities in association with local R&D bodies to turn out various fasteners with excellent functionality and consistent high quality that meet high-end requirements by professional end-users, which, in turn, enhance not just the industry''s overall production value but its presence in different sectors.

In an exclusive interview with CENS, Kristy Chi, industrial analyst from the Industrial Research Section of MIRDC''s Planning & Promotion Department, provided insights into the industry''s current development driven by high-valued fasteners developed from the R&D body and local makers.

-The 18th China(Guangzhou)Int’l Fastener & Equipment Exhibition