Hand Tool Association and Lanza International Co., Ltd. Partner with Industry Allies: Leveraging "Front-Shop-Back-Factory × Flexible Supply Chain" to Connect Global Buyers, Demonstrating Taiwan's Supply Chain Resilience Amid Tariff and Exchange Rate Challenges

Strongest Industry Lineup in History Validates Breakthrough Capabilities

Taiwan's premier annual hardware industry event—the TiTE × IHT 2025 Taiwan International Tools & Hardware Expo x International Hardware Expo Taiwan—concluded successfully on October 23 at the Taichung International Convention and Exhibition Center (TICEC). As the first international industry exhibition since the center's opening, this edition featured the largest scale and highly international buyer lineup to date, highlighting Taiwan's manufacturing resilience amid global changes and marking the dawn of a new international exhibition era for central Taiwan.

Under the theme "Team Taiwan — Collaborating to Build New Resilience in Taiwan Manufacturing," the event gathered exhibitors from 15 countries, 400 companies, and 800 booths. Exhibits spanned eight major sectors: hand tools, metal processing, automotive repair, fasteners, smart manufacturing, and green sustainability, fully showcasing the depth and breadth of Taiwan's industrial chain.

The exhibition attracted international brands and channel representatives from Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Central/Eastern Europe, including professional buyers from key markets such as Japan, South Korea, Germany, the US, Italy, Poland, Turkey, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia. In total, over 500 international buyers from 70 countries visited Taiwan specifically for procurement.

During the event, more than 100 business matchmaking sessions were held, with attendance exceeding 22,000 visitors. Amid dual challenges of global tariffs and exchange rate fluctuations, Taiwan's manufacturing demonstrated breakthrough potential through its three pillars—institutions, branding, and technology—embodying the collective resilience and collaborative spirit of "Team Taiwan" and ushering in a new chapter of "From Manufacturing to Co-Creation."

Government Support Strengthens Trusted Supply Chain Partnerships

This year's exhibition received full backing from central and local governments, demonstrating collaborative efforts to drive industry upgrades. In his opening address, President Lai Ching-te praised Taiwan's hardware and hand tool industries for building international trust through high quality, resilience, and on-time delivery, serving as a key pillar for SME exports. President Lai stated that the government will continue partnering with the industry to address challenges from tariffs, exchange rates, and geopolitics, promoting digital transformation and sustainable manufacturing to solidify Taiwan's pivotal role in global supply chains and amplify the "Team Taiwan" spirit.

Taichung Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen noted that central Taiwan hosts the nation's most complete hardware and metal processing clusters. The exhibition at TICEC not only boosts the city's exhibition capabilities but also integrates upstream, midstream, and downstream industries, realizing the "front-shop-back-factory" local advantage and establishing it as a top procurement hub for international buyers.

Taiwan Hand Tool Manufacturers’ Association Chairman Hsieh Wu-chih stated that the success of TiTE × IHT symbolizes the deepening of industry upgrades and collaboration models: "This is not just an exhibition but a platform for collective breakthroughs, uniting government, industry associations, and manufacturers to keep Taiwan manufacturing visible on the global stage."

Lanza International Co., Ltd. General Manager Liu Tzu-feng added that Taiwan's manufacturing value lies not only in technology and quality but also in long-term trust and co-creation among partners. "Through the exhibition, we witnessed deepened supply chain integration and international connections—this collaborative depth is key to Taiwan becoming the world's most trusted manufacturing partner."

Supply Chain Innovation × Accelerated Smart Manufacturing Transformation

Amid shifting global trade environments and market demands, Taiwan's hardware tool industry showcased strong self-upgrading capabilities. Exhibitors presented AI automation, production tracking systems, and low-carbon processes, highlighting flexible manufacturing advantages in "small-batch variety, rapid prototyping, and stable delivery." The "front-shop-back-factory" model enabled buyers to negotiate on-site and verify factory capabilities immediately, enhancing efficient linkages from exhibition floors to production sites and reaffirming Taiwan's core strength of "exhibition as origin, origin as brand."

Global Hardware Summit Forum Focuses on Co-Creation and Sustainability

The "Global Hardware Innovation Summit" held during the event centered on three core themes: smart manufacturing, net-zero sustainability, and supply chain restructuring. It brought together domestic and international experts from industry, government, and academia to discuss how Taiwan's industries can adopt co-creation mindsets and innovative strategies to navigate global changes.

Hasegawa Naoya, President of the Tsubame-Sanjo Regional Industries Promotion Center and Hasegawa Works, shared on "Tsubame-Sanjo Regional Revitalization and Youth Talent Cultivation," detailing how Japanese manufacturing integrates vocational education and cross-sector collaboration to drive local upgrades and industry regeneration. Cheng Kung University Yusheng Environmental Control Research Center Executive Director Hsieh Tsung-hsun, in "Carbon Inventory and Manufacturing New Order under International Policies," emphasized that carbon footprint management and green supply chains are now critical thresholds for global manufacturing competition; enterprises must respond with collaborative innovation and sustainable transformation to seize leadership in the new era.

The forum also addressed "Smart Lean and Digital Inheritance," exploring how AI, automation, and knowledge management help traditional manufacturing build digital resilience and sustainable value. Leveraging complete clusters, flexible supply chains, and high-value manufacturing, Taiwan is transitioning from manufacturing to co-creation, becoming the most reliable strategic partner for global brands and buyers.

Outlook for 2026: Advancing Toward Asia's Smart Manufacturing Platform in the Co-Creation Era

Looking ahead to October 20-22, 2026, the largest-scale Taiwan hardware show, TiTE × IHT, will return to the Taichung International Convention and Exhibition Center. Themed "From Manufacturing to Co-Creation," it will focus on joint R&D, collaborative design, and integrated supply, extending the Team Taiwan spirit to drive ongoing industry upgrades.

The event will enhance international matchmaking and buyer databases, introducing AI smart matching systems and cross-border procurement platforms to evolve exhibitors from "product display" to "co-creating solutions."

TiTE × IHT will maintain its positioning as "Taiwan's Largest, Asia's Premier," building the most trusted and results-oriented smart manufacturing exhibition to showcase Taiwan's manufacturing and industrial strengths, fostering new co-creation paradigms with the industry.

About the Organizers

Lanza International Co., Ltd. is a professional exhibition planning and execution firm with extensive experience in integrated international exhibition marketing, buyer matchmaking, forum curation, and industry positioning, committed to creating forward-looking and globally competitive industry exchange platforms.

Taiwan Hand Tool Manufacturers’ Association (THMA), established in 1978, is Taiwan’s largest and most influential hand tool industry association, dedicated to promoting industrial upgrading, digital transformation, and global expansion.