For the first time, Taiwan’s National Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs) participated in CogX Festival, a prestigious technology exhibition in the UK. In an interview with《The Icons》, Mei-Yu Chang, Director of the International Affairs Office at the NARLabs, discussed the institution’s showcase. The exhibition featured Taiwan’s achievements in six major areas, including semiconductor development, AI chips, organs on chips, information security, net-zero, and semiconductor talent cultivation. The goal was to highlight Taiwan’s technological strengths and establish more collaboration channels with countries worldwide.
CogX, first held in 2017, has become a globally renowned international exhibition. This year’s event took place from September 12 to 14 in London, exploring challenges humanity will face in the next ten years in the exponential era. The event featured over 500 global experts, including Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales, who delivered speeches. The discussions covered various topics related to technological developments, including semiconductors, internet and AI security, clean energy, education, and industrial transformation. The three-day event was expected to attract over 90,000 attendees.
Showcasing Taiwan to the World
NARLabs presented two technological exhibits, including the Sloping Rolling Bearings (SRB) and horizontal vibration table developed by Taiwan National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering. The earthquake-resistant capabilities of SRB have been applied in numerous countries, validated through recent seismic events, saving billions in economic losses.
Additionally, Taiwan National Laboratory Animal Center, Taiwan Instrument Research Institute, and Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute jointly integrated several organs on chips developed through Taiwan’s technological advantages, including microfluidic devices, organ microenvironment simulations, and microelectromechanical biomedical chips. These innovations represent essential tools for translational biomedical research in the next generation, accelerating drug development and enabling precision medicine.
Director Chang explained that NARLabs, with a focus on “Innovative Technology, Safeguarding Taiwan,” showcased achievements in six major areas, combining efforts from seven national-level experimental research centers. “The exhibition aimed to demonstrate that NARLabs’ research and services not only assist Taiwanese academic and research units in creating local value but also contribute to global top-notch technological development.”
It also showcased NARLabs’ talent cultivation capabilities across academia, industry, and research, providing a reference for countries worldwide.
Prioritizing Talent Cultivation Propels Taiwan’s Semiconductor Industry to Global Leadership
Director Chang expressed that NARLabs’ participation in CogX aimed not only to share Taiwan’s experience in developing cutting-edge technology and cultivating talent but also to showcase Taiwan’s technological and soft power to the world.
“The goal was to attract international collaborations with academic and research institutions and collectively contribute to global sustainable development.”
The Semi Impact Summit, a focal point of CogX, took place on September 14, focusing on semiconductor-related topics. It provided an interactive platform for participants, including businesses, investors, policymakers, and innovation developers, to share knowledge and engage in in-depth discussions, driving global semiconductor industry development.
Several NARLabs researchers, including Director Chau-Lyan Chang from National Center for High-performance Computing, Deputy Director Ying-Zong Juang from Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute, Deputy Director Juin-Fu Chai from Taiwan National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering, Director Mei-Yu Chang from International Affairs Office at NARLabs, and Associate Researcher Chih-Sheng Yu from Taiwan Instrument Research Institute, were invited as speakers. “Other speakers from Taiwan included Frank Huang, Chairman of Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation.” Director Chang said.
The Semi Impact Summit covered various topics such as AI, net-zero, IoT, and organs on chips. Director Chang believes that as a tech island, Taiwan holds a unique position in global semiconductor industry investments and IC design.
“Through talent cultivation programs developed by Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute, NARLabs is actively promoting Taiwan’s distinctive position in the world semiconductor industry.”
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