Lai Ching-te urges ITRI to move AI research into industry
Taiwan's president is pushing researchers to get new technology out of the lab and into companies faster, framing it as key to surviving the AI shift and the rebuilding of global supply chains.
- Taiwan needs to look further ahead and move faster as AI, economic change, and supply chain shifts hit at once.
- Newly honored ITRI fellows were asked to advise the government, mentor younger engineers, and help small and mid-size firms adapt.
- TSMC veteran Chin Yung-pei was credited for leading process work from 28-nanometer chips down to 2-nanometer, keeping Taiwan central to AI and high-performance computing.
- Realtek's Chiu Shun-chien was praised for building a local chip designer into one of the world's ten biggest fabless companies, with top market share in networking, audio, and smart appliance chips.
- Doctor Chen Wei-ming was recognized for bone tumor care and for pushing pooled testing during the pandemic, which helped keep chip plants and supply lines running.
Outlook: Expect more government pressure on research institutes to commercialize technology quickly and to tie Taiwan's tech strength to its links with democratic partners abroad.