TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan IT company Advantech held a press conference on Monday announcing it will return to COMPUTEX after a 12-year absence.

Advantech CEO Liu Ko-chen (劉克振) said the current New Taiwan dollar appreciation of about 3–5% will negatively impact company profits, though the effects remain within an acceptable range. He added the company does not plan to raise prices for customers, per CNA.

Regarding tariffs announced by former US President Donald Trump, Liu said the issue had been discussed internally weeks ago. Given Taiwan’s strong position in the industrial computer supply chain, Advantech is confident it can pass on part of the tariff burden to customers. Liu estimated that Taiwan’s eventual tariff rate will fall between 15% and 20%, not the full 32%.

Liu acknowledged that tariffs will affect Advantech’s profits but said the company will not be severely impacted. He noted that growing demand for industrial computers driven by artificial intelligence will help offset losses.

Asked about building a factory in the US, Liu said Advantech had operated a facility in Northern California for final system assembly 20–30 years ago. Currently, the company is constructing an office and factory in Southern California, with land reserved for future expansion.

A company director proposed establishing a surface mount technology (SMT) production line in the US, but Liu said importing components would still incur tariffs, affecting profitability. He added that Advantech’s SMT lines involve small-batch, complex production that would be difficult to replicate in the US without sending several experienced supervisors abroad.

Liu said Advantech will focus on "Edge Computing & WISE-Edge in Action" at this year’s COMPUTEX. The company plans to host themed forums, exhibits, and online events with global partners to explore the potential of AI edge computing.

According to Liu, developments in AI over the past two years, especially in large language models and AI agents, have created new opportunities for edge computing and integrated intelligence.

Advantech plans to showcase its strengths across five key application areas at COMPUTEX: smart factories, smart equipment, smart energy, smart cities and retail, and smart healthcare.