Four countries edged past Taiwan in the 2018 Doing Business survey. In the 15th edition of the World Bank’s annual Doing Business report, released on October 31, Taiwan (or “Taiwan, China” in the World Bank’s nomenclature) slipped four notches from 11th place last year to 15th among the 190 economies surveyed. The four countries moving…
With the U.S. tech giant ready to launch three iPhone models this year, Taiwanese suppliers and transporters expect a big boost in business. The Taiwan technology sector is often criticized for lacking viable brands. In the consumer electronics category, the number of big names can be counted on one hand, and these companies have generally…
The flagging handset maker sold part of its mobile-phone business to Google and is expected to turn its focus to virtual reality. In early 2013, Gerald Fu decided to buy his first smartphone. He went with Taiwan’s HTC “because I thought it was better than a mainland Chinese brand and cheaper than an iPhone,” says…
TSMC Morris Chang to Retire in 2018 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) Chairman Morris Chang, one of the most influential leaders in the global tech sector, announced that he will retire in June 2018. Chang, who came to Taiwan from the United States in the 1970s to head the Industrial Technology Research Institute, from which…
When is a foreign bank not a foreign bank? Answer: When it establishes a domestic subsidiary. Between 2007 and 2013, five leading international banks – Standard Chartered, Citi, HSBC, DBS, and ANZ – received approval from the financial authorities to expand their presence in Taiwan’s retail banking market by taking over the operations of local…
Where business has slowed, the main reason appears to be economic factors. Ever since Beijing angrily terminated official communications with Taiwan’s then newly installed Tsai Ing-wen government in June last year, political relations with China have plunged to their coolest point in nearly a decade. But the cross-Strait political chill over Taiwan’s unwillingness to accept a…
Who will take up the baton from the current generation of Taiwan’s corporate leaders? Corporate succession is a sensitive topic in Taiwan, where many top business leaders take on larger-than-life roles in their firms, often opting to continue working well into their eighties. Strong family and personal connections often complicate the transfer of company leadership….
Exposure declines in China, though it remains an important market for serving Taiwanese SMEs. Taiwan has long suffered from a saturated domestic banking market, prompting its banks to foray abroad for new business opportunities. Under the administration of former President Ma Ying-jeou, banks took advantage of the cross-Strait detente to open numerous branches in China….
Taiwan’s ambitious plans to develop offshore wind power spur a need for project financing. International banks have held a rather limited market share in Taiwan, but one area in which they have a potential competitive edge by virtue of their technical expertise in the financing of major projects. In recent years, such projects have…
Delta to Take Stake in IP Security Firm Leading electronics firm Delta Electronics Inc. on August 8 announced a bid to acquire between 35% and 55% of IP security provider Vivotek Inc. in order to beef up its building automation solutions capabilities. A company spokesperson said Delta offered NT$98 per outstanding common share, an 18%…
