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Dr. George Wood Chairman |
Along with changes in the types and value concepts of the global consumption market, awareness of sports leisure and sports consumption has also been on the rise and people are paying more and more attention to life quality and healthy life, willing to spend money for health. The growing popularity of sports and leisure activities has brought ample business opportunities to the global sporting goods players, prompting them to adopt countermeasures and make changes in the aspects of integrated production, global marketing, manpower utilization, R&D and innovation, and e-oriented financial management, so as to embrace the upcoming prosperity. Taiwanese makers should get tight hold of the vast business opportunities and market. The Taiwanese sporting goods industry started to develop rapidly in 1979 and has attained a critical status in the international sporting goods industry, thank to domestic makers' efforts in constant introduction of foreign cutting-edge technologies, upgrading of manufacturing and R&D capabilities, deployment of global division-of-labor, rapid response to market needs, stable product quality, sound development spanning up-, mid-, and down-stream sectors, and quality manufacturing and management. Exports of Taiwanese sporting goods hit US$1,495 million in value in 2005, with major items including fitness equipment, golf products, and outdoor leisure products, followed by skiing and water-sports goods. With humans pursuing a civilized and healthy life and growing emphasis among people on health and health care in the aged society, global population for sporting and leisure activities will continue to rise, creating infinite development room for the sporting goods market. Taiwanese makers, therefore, should consider developing towards high quality suppliers and emphasize high value-added, rather than low-price, products. In addition to high quality and levels for manufacturing, design, and R&D, they should also endeavor to offer high-level customer-first services. With solid hi-tech industrial background, Taiwan has made noteworthy achievement in technological integration in recent year, including 3C (communications, information technology, and consumer electronics) integration for the information technology and communications industry, paving the way for hi-tech application in the sporting goods industry. Moreover, backed by their manufacturing bases in Southeast Asia and China, Taiwanese makers can flexibly provide sporting goods in different levels, prices, and volumes. Furnished with the advantages, Taiwanese makers should let the world understand that Taiwan is a small but the best manufacturer, a pilot for the sporting goods industry forever. |
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