Between 1990 and 2010, many Taiwanese export factories grew on trade shows, existing customers and overseas agents. Today many have excellent equipment but weak demand generation.
What changed
Long-time customers are retiring, new buyers don't attend trade shows, customers have shifted production leaving only spare-parts orders, and Google search has been absorbed by platforms.
The second generation's first pain
For some second-generation leaders the first priority isn't MES/ERP, or even AI. It is: where are the next ten years of orders? Sellers of industrial software should understand this before pitching efficiency.
The talent gap
People who can systematically find that demand work as mid-to-senior managers at multinationals—hard for an SME to hire or keep.
Where Piri helps
Piri's Buyer Intelligence report (one product, one market) identifies and prioritizes buyers and evaluation contacts. For ongoing tracking and partner-led outreach, see our International Business Development service.
The takeaway
Taiwan's export factories lost their old demand channels. For many second-generation leaders, the core question is where the next decade's orders come from.