The National Taiwan University Industrial Technology Research Institute (NTU ITRI) held the 2025 ITRI Laureate Ceremony on 15 October, honoring five distinguished leaders for their outstanding contributions to semiconductors, engineering, and biomedicine. The new laureates include Dr. Y.J. Mii, Executive Vice President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of TSMC; Mr. John T. Yu, Group Chairman of CTCI; Dr. Chang-Hai Tsai, Chairman of China Medical University (CMU) and Healthcare System; Dr. Wei-Jen Lo, former Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy Development at TSMC; and Dr. Yen-Hsuan Ni, Director of the National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) Healthcare System Administration Center and Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics at NTU College of Medicine.

Taiwan’s Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao attended the event to honor the five laureates for their exceptional achievements and contributions to national industrial development. In her remarks, she also praised ITRI for its pivotal role in driving Taiwan’s technological innovation, highlighting its breakthroughs in semiconductors, biomedicine, and engineering. She emphasized ITRI’s position as a vital bridge connecting industry, government, academia, and research, with significant influence across traditional industries, AI applications, and healthcare. Vice President Hsiao expressed hope that ITRI will continue its efforts and become the driving force in changing the world and making Taiwan better.

ITRI Chairman Tsung-Tsong Wu highlighted the diverse expertise of this year’s laureates, reflecting Taiwan’s strength in advanced manufacturing, sustainable engineering, and biomedical innovation. Over the past 52 years, he said, ITRI has consistently supported government policy and industry needs, advancing from semiconductors and ICT to the Five Trusted Industry Sectors while driving AI adoption and digital transformation. ITRI will focus on cross-domain integration and lead emerging fields such as humanoid robots, drones, and unmanned vehicles to help Taiwan seize early advantages on the global stage. “This year marks the inaugural ITRI Innovation Week, where we will showcase our latest R&D achievements to industry stakeholders and international partners, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration,” Wu stated.

The five laureates expressed their appreciation for the recognition and shared their vision for future collaboration. Dr. Mii emphasized that ITRI can continue to bridge critical technology gaps, helping Taiwan maintain its key position in the global supply chain. Mr. Yu highlighted CTCI’s collaboration with ITRI on the world’s first semiconductor wastewater reclamation plant at Tainan Science Park, calling it a milestone in sustainable engineering. Dr. Tsai advocated for deeper collaboration to advance precision medicine, AI applications, and new drug development. Dr. Lo expressed confidence in ITRI’s ability to build a world-class platform that integrates chips, data centers, and application software to meet the growing demands of AI. Dr. Ni praised Taiwan’s cross-disciplinary strengths and ITRI’s unique position to combine biotechnology, ICT, and AI to gain a competitive advantage in healthcare innovation.

The 2025 ITRI Innovation Week runs from September 15 to 19 across the Institute’s Hsinchu and Tainan campuses, featuring the Laureate Meeting, 2035 Cross-Disciplinary Innovation Forum, Smart Healthcare Forum, South Taiwan Industrial Transformation Forum, and Robotics & Drone Forum. The concurrent IP & Startup Week will focus on intellectual property strategies and entrepreneurial opportunities, while a tech exhibition will demonstrate AI-driven solutions across industries, showcasing how innovation is being translated into real-world applications.