The production value of Taiwan’s machinery industry is expected to rise about 15 percent this year from last year on the back of strong demand, the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (台灣機械公會) said yesterday. Association chairman Larry Wei (魏燦文) told reporters that global demand is expected to keep rising this year as high-end precision and smart manufacturing increase the pressure on manufacturers to upgrade. The industry’s production value this year is expected to be NT$1.5 trillion (US$53.80 billion), up NT$200 billion, or about 15 percent, from a year earlier, Wei said. Machinery exports are expected to grow 15 percent year-on-year this year, he