TAIPEI -- Manufacturers in Taiwan expected their business outlook to improve slightly in the coming six months, while the service sector saw a lukewarm future in the same period, indicated the latest readings by Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) Monday.In its latest business outlook survey in February, the think-tank TIER said 43.1 percent of responding manufacturers expected better business in the coming six months, up 12.5 percentage points from the previous month, while 9.9 percent of respondents perceived a worsening outlook, down 8.4 percentage points from previous month.The manufacturing composite indicator for February 2019 adjusted for seasonal factors on moving average, moved up to 91.29 points from a revision of 89.68 points in January. The benchmark of 100 points was set in 2006.For the service sector, the TIER service sector composite indicator for February 2019 adjusted for seasonal factors weakened to 92.05 points, down 0.21 points from the previous correction.In addition, the TIER construction sector composite indicator for February 2019 adjusted for seasonal factors swung back to a slight increase by 0.41 points to reach 94.04 points in February, compared with a downward revision by 1.13 points at 93.59 points.Analyzed by sub-industries, the sentiments for 14 sectors, including yarn spinning mills, industrial chemicals, chemical raw materials, porcelain and ceramic product makers and automobile parts makers, worsened in February and will continue to in the coming six months.The sentiments for seven sub-sectors, including chemical products manufacturers, cement product makers, bankers and insurers, faltered in the February survey but are expected to improve over the next six months.The outlook worsened in February for 24 sub-industries, including food and edible oil manufacturers, and the sentiments are expected to remain unchanged in the coming six months. cheap silicone wristbands free shippingpersonalized rubber band braceletsevent wristbands torontocustomized silicone braceletsfournisseur bracelet silicone
Residents follow moves made by humanoid robot 'Pepper' during an afternoon exercise routine at Shin-tomi nursing home in Tokyo on Feb 2. [Photo/Agencies] Japan hopes to fill shortfall of specialized workers by 2025 TOKYO - Paro the furry seal cries softly while an elderly woman pets it. Pepper, a humanoid, waves while leading a group of senior citizens in exercises. The upright Tree guides a disabled man taking shaky steps, saying in a gentle feminine voice, right, left, well done! Robots have the run of Tokyo's Shin-tomi nursing home, which uses 20 different models to care for its residents. The Japanese government hopes it will be a model for harnessing the country's robotics expertise to help cope with a swelling elderly population and dwindling workforce. Allowing robots to help care for the elderly - a job typically seen as requiring a human touch - may be a jarring idea in the West. But many Japanese see them positively, largely because they are depicted in popular media as friendly and helpful. These robots are wonderful, said 84-year-old Kazuko Yamada after the exercise session with SoftBank Robotics Corp's Pepper, which can carry on scripted dialogues. More people live alone these days, and a robot can be a conversation partner for them. It will make life more fun. Plenty of obstacles may hinder a rapid proliferation of elder care robots: High costs, safety issues and doubts about how useful - and user-friendly - they will be. The Japanese government has been funding development of elder care robots to help fill a projected shortfall of 380,000 specialized workers by 2025. Despite steps by Japan to allow foreign workers in for elder care, obstacles to employment in the sector, including exams in Japanese, remain. As of the end of 2017, only 18 foreigners held nursing care visas, a new category created in 2016. But authorities and companies here are also eyeing a larger prize: A potentially lucrative export industry supplying robots to places such as Germany, China and Italy, which face similar demographic challenges now or in the near future. It's an opportunity for us, said Atsushi Yasuda, director of the robotic policy office at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry or METI. Other countries will follow the same trend. More than 100 foreign groups have visited Shin-tomi the past year from countries including China, South Korea and the Netherlands. A few products are trickling out as exports: Panasonic Corp has started shipping its robotic bed, which transforms into a wheelchair, to China's Taiwan. Paro is used as a therapy animal in about 400 Danish senior homes.
