In addition to Ulrich Caspar, President of IHK Frankfurt, and Eric Menges, President & CEO FRM GmbH, Dr Jürgen Ratzinger, Member of the Management Board of IHK Frankfurt, Harald Fuchs, responsible for China & Taiwan at FRM GmbH, as well as representatives from Tantalus Holding GmbH, Kaufmann & Sohn Packaging, Ecovis International and Vivens Consulting also took part in the business trip with a focus on medical technology.
The programme of the trip included visits to Taiwanese companies and potential relocation candidates as well as a business event organised by FRM GmbH. In addition to representatives of Deutsche Bank Taiwan, Merck Taiwan Ltd. and Messe Frankfurt Taiwan, 40 representatives of Taiwanese companies took part. As part of the event, Eric Menges and Ulrich Caspar promoted a commitment to Frankfurt RheinMain as business location. The representatives of the German companies who travelled with them were also on hand to answer any questions interested company representatives had about living and working in the metropolitan region.
"We have been present in Taiwan since 2008 with a representative office under the umbrella of the AHK Taipei. This co-operation has proven to be very successful for us. It enables us to make direct local contact in the local language with companies that are interested in Frankfurt RheinMain as business location and provide them with the information they need in an uncomplicated manner. When the company representatives arrive in Frankfurt, they are seamlessly supported by our team in Frankfurt. In addition, our region offers companies that need a branch office in Europe ideal conditions for setting up their German or European headquarters. In addition to the pronounced internationality, the excellent connections ensure short distances to customers and partners," says Eric Menges, President & CEO FRM GmbH.
Ulrich Caspar, President of the Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce, adds: "Frankfurt RheinMain is the perfect location for companies planning to do business in Europe due to its central location. Numerous Taiwanese companies have already established themselves in our IHK district (City of Frankfurt, Hochtaunus and Main-Taunus districts). The excellent flight connections to Taipei make our region the ideal starting point for further Taiwanese companies to enter the market."
FRM GmbH has already received numerous enquiries from Taiwanese companies in the past and assisted First Bank, among others, with its relocation to the Frankfurt financial centre. First Bank is the first Taiwanese bank to have a branch in Germany. The Frankfurt branch is the bank's 42nd foreign branch. The reason for the establishment was the UK's exit from the European Union. Germany has been an important destination for Taiwanese companies, and not just since the chip company TSMC moved to Dresden. The Frankfurt branch makes it easier for these companies and investors to access the financial services they need.
Taiwan is one of the 25 largest economies in the world. The island benefits greatly from exports: around 65% of its economic output (GDP) goes abroad. In 2023, Taiwan's gross domestic product was just under 800 billion US dollars, representing growth of 1.3 per cent. Growth of 3.3 per cent is forecast for 2024. One of the reasons for this is the increased demand for semiconductors. Taiwan's most important trading partners are China, followed by the USA. Germany is in 7th place in this ranking, although Germany is Taiwan's most important trading partner in Europe. From a German perspective, Taiwan is the fifth most important Asian trading partner.