TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The manufacturing output in Q1 reached NT$4.4 trillion (US$136 billion), an increase of 4.56% compared to the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) Department of Statistics.
According to an MOEA press release on Friday (May 17), in the information and electronics sector, the output value of the electronic components industry increased by 11.76% compared to the same period last year. The integrated circuits industry, driven by strong demand for AI and high-performance computing, saw continued growth in 12-inch wafer production, pushing its output value to NT$889 billion, a year-on-year increase of 14.06%, per CNA.
The panel and components industry saw an increase in output value to NT$118 billion, a year-on-year increase of 9.99%, due to higher prices for large panels compared to the same period last year.
The electronic and optical products industries benefited from the AI boom, driving the output value to NT$339.3 billion, a record high for the same period, with a year-on-year increase of 27.21%.
The statistics department said since output value is influenced by price fluctuations, observing production volumes excluding price factors showed a Q1 manufacturing production index of 87.26, a 6.22% increase compared to the same period last year, ending six consecutive quarters of negative growth since Q3 2022.
Looking ahead, the global economy continues to be affected by high interest rates, inflation, and geopolitical risks, the department said.
“However, the expansion of technologies such as high-performance computing and AI is expected to continue supporting the production of advanced semiconductor processes and servers,” it added.