Through various measures such as AI coaching, R&D subsidies, financial support, and overseas sales expansion, the Industrial Development Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has assisted 209 fastener manufacturers to introduce AI tools, 104 companies to obtain R&D subsidies, and provided more than 2.5 billion yuan in financing support to help companies secure nearly 150 million U.S. dollars in business opportunities. It is gradually getting rid of the price competition of traditional standard products, allowing Taiwan's fastener industry to move from "weight to weight" to high-value development, and seize high-value application markets such as semiconductor equipment, AI server cabinets, and drones.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs held a "Press Conference on Fastener Industry Guidance Practices and Effectiveness" today (28th) to explain the specific results of assisting fastener manufacturers to respond to challenges such as U.S. tariff policy and international market competition, and invited three companies, including Jieluo Industry, Jinquanyi and Zhennan Railway Line, to share their performance in the fastener industry's entry into high-value application markets.
Among them, Jieluo Industry introduced a digital management system through the guidance of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, integrated mold design and production data, improved past problems such as scattered data and difficulty in knowledge transfer, improved product development and manufacturing efficiency, and successfully obtained batch orders from domestic AI server cabinet manufacturers.
Jin Quanyi specializes in professional customization and construction fasteners. By introducing AI mold production monitoring, it can predict mold maintenance opportunities, extend mold life by more than 40%, and reduce mold costs by about 20%. It has successfully entered the US electric vehicle market and is about to obtain IATF 16949 certification. It is currently actively expanding the application of semiconductor equipment.
In response to the challenge of difficult to control the molding quality of small fasteners for UAVs, Zhennan Railway established a mold production and quality management mechanism through the Ministry of Economic Affairs' "big and small" coaching model, optimized heat treatment and process parameters, improved quality stability and production traceability, and successfully obtained aerospace-related certifications and orders for military drones, gradually getting rid of the price competition of traditional standard products.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Ho Jin-Cang said that Taiwan's fastener industry has international competitive advantages in terms of quality, delivery and customized services. In the face of U.S. tariffs and global market competition pressure, the industry continues to demonstrate industrial resilience through technological upgrades and product innovation. Minister of Economic Affairs Gong Mingxin has gone south twice to hold discussions with fastener manufacturers since taking office, and provided demand inventory, transformation diagnosis and AI technology guidance through the "Industrial Competitiveness Guidance Group". In addition, through the metal center, we help manufacturers improve their manufacturing capabilities and expand high value-added markets such as semiconductors, automobiles, and drones.
In terms of financial support, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has assisted fastener operators in obtaining working capital through the "Export Loan Preferential Guarantee Enhancement" and the "Diversified Development Project Loans for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises". A total of 718 loans were approved, with a financing amount of 2.56 billion yuan. Taking Yichuang International Enterprise as an example, it obtained 10 million yuan in financing through a project loan to meet its operational turnover needs.
In terms of overseas sales expansion, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has assisted industries in reducing sales expansion costs by increasing international exhibition subsidies (2 times for public associations and 3 times for individual manufacturers). The number of beneficiaries has increased by more than 70% compared with last year. A total of 12 public associations and 544 manufacturers have been assisted in participating in 45 international exhibitions, and 313 individual companies have been assisted in participating in 376 overseas exhibitions. In addition, the 115th "Taiwan International Fastener Show" facilitated 105 procurement negotiations and generated approximately US$32 million in business opportunities. The "Cologne Hardware Fair in Germany" integrated exhibitions with "Team Taiwan" to assist 263 companies in hand tools, fasteners and other industries to obtain approximately US$120 million in business opportunities.
