Work starts on ITRI’s Innovation Campus in Hsinchu

2016/02/04

Construction of an Innovation Campus at Hsinchu County-based Industrial Technology Research Institute got underway Feb. 2, highlighting the commitment of the ROC government to spurring Taiwan’s sustainable development.

Set for completion in the first quarter of 2017, the NT$2 billion (US$59.38 million) facility will focus on developing advanced minimally invasive surgery systems, intelligent visual systems, smart lighting for medical institutions and unmanned automobile systems during its first stage of operations.

During a ceremony marking the event, ROC President Ma Ying-jeou said ITRI is a leader in advancing Taiwan’s macroeconomic development and growth, adding that he expects the new facility to foster more home-grown innovation businesses.

“ITRI plays a key role in upgrading Taiwan’s industrial sectors, including electronics, information communications technology, machinery and semiconductors,” he added.

ITIRI provides support to over 15,000 local companies each year, with 73 percent small and medium enterprises, Ma said. “By serving as a platform for advance R&D, the campus is set to enhance the value-creation capacities of Taiwan industries.”

According to ITRI Chairman Tsay Ching-yen, the area surrounding the institute’s HQ is also home to Hsinchu Science Park, National Chiao Tung University, National Tsing Hua University and 44 ITRI spinoff ventures.

“Building on the success of this high-tech cluster and more than 130 proprietary cross-sector innovation platforms, the campus will serve as an incubator for the development and application of emerging system technologies,” he said.

Echoing Tsay’s remarks, ITRI President Liu Jonq-min said the importance of cultivating new business models and design thinking cannot be underestimated if the campus is to achieve its goal of boosting Taiwan’s innovation prowess.

“Pooling resources among the academic, public and private sectors is key to accomplishing this goal, as is promoting exchanges between local professionals and their global innovation partners.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=242032&ctNode=2194&mp=9)