Market trends:
Demand for artificial intelligence and computing tech drove the growth, while other sectors, such as chemical products, slipped due to weak demand
By Meryl Kao / Staff reporter
The industrial production index rose 11.78 percent year-on-year to 136.65 last month, as strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing applications continued to boost output in the information technology and electronics sectors, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.The manufacturing production index, which accounts for 93.72 percent of overall industrial output, rose 12.68 percent year-on-year to 139.12, the 27th straight month of growth, exceeding the ministry’s forecast growth range of 8.4 percent to 11.6 percent.The stronger-than-expected performance was driven by continued expansion of AI infrastructure, which boosted output of wafer foundry services, memory chips and electronic components, Department of Statistics Deputy Director-General Chen Yu-fang (陳玉芳) said at a news conference in Taipei.
A robotic arm is pictured at an automation intelligence and robot trade show in Taipei in an undated photograph.
