While in Asia in the fall of 1964, American businessman Edward J. Rehfeldt Jr. decided to make a stop in Taipei at the invitation of a friend. Before the visit was over, he had agreed to set up an electronics components factory in one of the first foreign investments on the island. In the more…
Security concerns about Chinese products are giving Taiwanese companies a competitive edge in overseas markets. Taiwanese enterprises have long played a crucial role in the field of biometrics, seeking to help the world move beyond passwords and chip cards to more convenient and secure forms of authentication. From a fingerprint-reading device for entrance control at…
In the process of becoming an innovative industrial design hub, Taiwan has had to quietly overcome entrenched ideas about a perceived lack of creativity. A focus on innovation and style is transforming Taiwan into a center for post-industrial design. Local design talents work behind the scenes to create cutting-edge electronic products for the world’s major…
The U.S.-China trade war and demand for sit-stand desks are helping drive growth for Taiwanese manufacturers. Taiwan’s furniture industry experienced a big boost in the 1990s through orders from IKEA –then suffered as the Swedish giant turned to suppliers in China, Vietnam, and other lower-cost countries. Taiwanese makers of wooden furniture generally responded by…
Although Taiwan did not have a team competing in the 2018 World Cup in Russia this June, it was still well represented on the playing fields. The uniforms worn by the athletes from the great majority of the 32 participating countries were made by Taiwanese companies, mainly for such prominent international brands as Nike and…
Companies are seeking to avoid the low-margin trap by moving into this technically demanding segment of the industry. As the days are gone when fabric could be cut and sewn in Taiwan at competitive costs, its textile sector has been shifting toward technical textiles for which production relies on automation rather than human labor. In…
A day in the life of a Taiwan-based Swiss lawyer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 4:30 a.m. Getting enough sleep turns out to be one of the biggest challenges here. Due to the 12-hour time difference, Harvard’s location in Massachusetts is not the most suitable for dealing with Taiwan matters. At first I tried various approaches, for…
TOPICS readers are surely aware of the important role of AmCham Taipei, but may not realize that Taiwan also has two other American chambers. Located in the financial, commercial, and political capital of the country, AmCham Taipei is the oldest, largest, and most influential U.S. business organization in Taiwan. Since its founding in 1951, its…
In recent years, Dan Silver played a central role in the AmCham Taipei leadership. Besides serving as Chairman in 2016, he fulfilled two two-year terms as a member of the Board of Governors (2014-2017) and at different times was a co-chair of two committees, Medical Devices and Public Health. A graduate of Brandeis University in…
Some pointers for multinationals looking to improve their community involvement. Many companies recognize the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) but are still daunted by the challenges involved in doing it well. A lot can go wrong every step of the way – from picking a cause, to choosing partners, to long-term execution. Here are…
