As incomes rise around the world, more and more people are starting to pay more attention to preventative care and daily exercise. In addition to helping people lose weight, exercise can also reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease, prevent cancer and stave off diabetes. Other positive benefits include suppressing negative emotions and raising life satisfaction. The promotion of exercise and health concepts among people has changed consumer behavior. In addition, health care awareness is increasing due to smaller families and graying societies. The industry must use product innovation and R&D to raise living quality and satisfy other various needs to widely develop the green exercise industry and tap in the endless business opportunities for sporting goods. The European and American debt crisis are again impacting economies around the world. As economic gloom spreads around the globe, economists are predicting that world economic growth will slow and a second economic recession will occur. This will definitely further weaken the spending power of consumers and have a major impact on consumer product industries. According to statistics, our country’s total sporting goods (Jan. to Aug. 2011) exports are estimated to be about US$975 million which represented a 5.96% increase of the exports over the same period in 2010. Though exports did not decrease in 2011, the industry is still being affected by global exchange rates, international oil prices and rising raw material prices. In order to maintain their competitive advantage in the sporting goods industry, companies must utilize the extensive manufacturing experience and knowledge management that they have accumulated over the years. As for exercise products, fitness equipment still leads the pack, posting an increase of 12.94%. In addition, golf equipment sets grew by 250% over 2010. This data shows that consumers are still attracted to high quality products. Other items including tennis racquets, skates and ball equipment saw modest growth and fitness products are currently going through a process of reshuffling.

Due to the government’s recent promotion of the industry clustering effect, Taiwan Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (TSMA) together with the leading fitness equipment manufacturers, e.g. JOHNSON, TONIC, DYACO, HEALTH STREAM, SOLID FOCUS, DIRECTION, YA CHENG, CHI HUA, KING-I, J-STAR, GEOTUN and SUNRISE etc. established Taiwan S-Team Elite League (S-Team: S means Sports). They are now working together and continue to upgrade R&D and design capabilities, mass production capacity for high-tech processes and raise OEM/ODM brand image & recognition. It is hoped that that we have signed to upgrade S-Team as a global top class R&D and manufacturing center which can make use of international division of labor and establish a sales and manufacturing logistics center to raise international competitiveness, After our government signed ECFA with China, Made in Taiwan is already having a major effect in markets. MIT has become a symbol for exceptional quality which is the most important advantage the industry can have. As the government creates a brand new playing field, concrete results have been seen in industry upgrading efforts. Through the promotion of Strengthen the Economy, Connect with the Asian-Pacific Region and Adopt a Global Outlook strategy, we can create more advantageous conditions for Taiwan’s economy which will let companies join forces to develop the sporting goods industry.