Invention and creation winners named by TIPO

2014-11-19

Winners of the 2014 National Invention and Creation Awards were announced Nov. 17 by the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) in Taipei City.

“A total of 44 projects were selected from 414 entries on the strength of their creators’ ingenious technological abilities and great business potential,” a TIPO official said. “These include six gold and 20 silver medals for invention, and six gold and 12 silver medals for creation.”

Many of the winning submissions are collaborative projects among educational institutions, private enterprises and research bodies. “This trend illustrates the success of the government’s continued efforts to promote cross-sector cooperation,” the official said.

“Intellectual property rights for 98 percent of these products have been licensed or transferred to domestic and overseas firms, which is expected to generate billions of NT dollars in derivative benefits.”

Standouts in this year’s lineup include a joint invention between National Chiao Tung University and AU Optronics Corp. utilizing cutting-edge technology capable of reducing color breakup in liquid crystal displays. With an estimated market value exceeding NT$52 million (US$1.7 million), the technology is expected to go into mass production starting next year.

The proline derivative developed by a team under the National Health Research Institutes is projected to have massive market appeal as well. The small-molecule inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus-encoded NS5A protein boasts substantive effects in treating the disease and is expected to benefit around 200 million people infected with HCV worldwide.

On the creation front, this year’s winners span fields such as clothing, security, sports, and electronic reading and storage devices.

According to the TIPO, the winners will receive their awards at a ceremony in March 2015, with the submissions showcased at the Taipei International Invention Show and Technomart in October the same year.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=224105&CtNode=413)