Industrial Technology Research Institute

The New Normal after COVID-19 caused a massive change to our daily lives and fueled the developments of emerging technology applications. To address the post-pandemic trends, ITRI and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) co-organized the ITRI-AIST Joint Symposium 2021 in the form of webinars on November 2nd and 4th. Twelve technological achievements were presented based on the topics in semiconductors, COVID-19 detection, and AI.

ITRI President Edwin Liu and AIST President Mr. ISHIMURA Kazuhiko both attended the online event and delivered remarks. Dr. Liu in his opening statement pointed out that ITRI and AIST have been collaborating for almost two decades. Since the signing of an MoU in 2005 between the two parties, both have taken turns every two years to host the joint symposium. The event provides a good opportunity for researchers to exchange opinions and explore mutually interested topics to launch new collaborations. This can contribute to develop innovative technological solutions to take on new challenges in the post-pandemic era, such as digital transformation and the global chip shortage.

At this year’s symposium, Stephen Su, Vice President and General Director of ITRI’s Industry, Science and Technology International Strategy Center, spoke on the development of Taiwan’s industry in the post-pandemic era and how ITRI has fostered entrepreneurship. Dr. SEKIGUCHI Satoshi, the Executive Officer of AIST, presented the fifth medium-to-long-term plan which started from 2020 to address “solving social problems”, an undertaking which calls for government, industry, research institutes and universities to collaborate. Other than presenting the joint research achievements of ITRI and AIST, various labs from ITRI also participated in the event, sharing their perspectives on advanced technologies in semiconductors, the detection of COVID-19, and AI technologies. These exchanges are expected to inspire innovative ideas, allowing both parties to have a good grasp on the technology needed in Taiwan and Japan.

As important research institutes of Taiwan and Japan, ITRI and AIST play crucial roles in delivering R&D results for industries. Both parties value and hold high expectation for their strategic collaboration partnership. Based on the solid foundation established, it is believed that ITRI and AIST will continue to exchange industrial technology information and launch collaborative projects, while senior executives will pay reciprocal visits and bilateral seminars will be held on a regular basis. All these efforts will enhance business collaboration and create win-win opportunities for Taiwan and Japan.