Taipei, Nov. 4, 2008 (CENS)--See the booming demand for wind-power generation equipment globally, Okuma Corp., Japan's second-largest machine-tool manufacturer, will begin global procurement next year, including Taiwan as a potential supplier, according to the Chinese-language United Daily News.  
 
Okuma made the statement while receiving a delegation organized by Hiwin Technology Corp., Taiwan’s leading manufacturer of linear-motion machinery components, stressing it will reinforce partnership with Taiwan’s machine-tool manufacturers in future.  
 
The global machine-tool industry has been swept by the global economic crisis and sharply rising energy and material prices.  
 
Since the beginning of July, Okuma has seen a 20% decline in sales, forcing it to downward adjust this year’s sales goal by 10%. The company registered 213.8 billion Japanese yen in overall sales last year.  
 
The strong demand from the BRIC nations has prompted Okuma to raise 10% in its annual procurement budget.  
 
HIWIN has set up R&D centers and laboratories in Germany, Japan, the Untied States and Russia. The firm said it also has joint R&D projects with Taiwan colleges and universities. This year, the company sets asides NT$20 million (US$597,000 at US$1:NT$33.5) to fund such projects.  
(by Ben Shen)