Lai Urges Academia-Industry Leaders to Secure Taiwan’s Tech Advantage

President Lai Ching‑te personally attended today’s academy‑induction ceremony for fellows of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in Hsinchu, where he delivered a substantive address. He emphasized that Taiwan’s pivotal role in today’s international industrial supply chains is not the result of a sudden breakthrough but the cumulative outcome of decades of joint effort by government, industry, academia and research institutions. In the face of rapidly shifting global geopolitics and technological competition, President Lai called on the newly elected ITRI fellows to leverage their deep expertise to offer critical counsel on Taiwan’s future national development and industrial transformation, helping both government and enterprises accurately anticipate the next wave of global technology trends and secure strategic advantage.

Reflecting on Taiwan’s economic evolution, Lai noted that ITRI has long served as a key driver of the island’s technological upgrading and industrial restructuring. Since its establishment in the 1970s, ITRI has successfully imported and localized numerous critical industrial technologies and has spawned countless home‑grown technology giants and high‑tech firms. From the early emergence of the semiconductor sector to later advances in information and communications, optoelectronics, biomedical and materials science, ITRI has consistently stood at the forefront of Taiwan’s R&D efforts. President Lai’s presence at the ceremony and his high praise constitute not only the highest recognition of the individual academic and industrial achievements of the newly elected fellows, but also a reaffirmation of the contributions made by all ITRI researchers to the nation’s economic development, underscoring the government’s strong commitment to and continuity of science‑and‑technology innovation policies.

Amid multiple global challenges—artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, green‑energy transition and supply‑chain restructuring—Taiwan finds itself at a historic crossroads. Lai stressed that government and industry must cooperate closely to remain competitive in an increasingly fierce international arena. He urged these top leaders from academia, industry and research to not only set technical trends but also, through their insight and broad perspective, help shape industrial policy and guide future nation‑building initiatives. Such cross‑disciplinary, cross‑generational dialogue and collaboration, he said, is the core asset that will enable Taiwan to retain flexibility and innovative momentum as protectionism rises and supply‑chain fragmentation intensifies worldwide.

Beyond policy advice and trend‑spotting, President Lai highlighted the importance of talent cultivation and knowledge transfer. He called on the new ITRI fellows to continue mentoring Taiwan’s younger generation, embedding their accumulated practical experience and research spirit into the next wave of talent. Whether Taiwan can maintain its status as a global hub of technological innovation depends on a steady influx of young talent into R&D. By leveraging the fellows’ influence to foster tighter cooperation among industry, academia, research institutes and start‑ups, a complete innovation ecosystem can be formed—an essential factor for Taiwan to continue leading the global technology tide in the coming decade.

Overall, President Lai’s remarks at the ITRI academy‑induction ceremony served both as a summary of Taiwan’s technological achievements over the past several decades and as a forward‑looking blueprint for national competitiveness. Confronted with a volatile international political‑economic environment and rapid technological change, Taiwan must deepen the collaborative capacity of government, industry, academia and research. Through the professional counsel and generational stewardship of the new fellows, the government can more effectively steer industrial resources toward forward‑looking technology development, securing Taiwan’s critical position on the global technology map and laying the most solid foundation for the nation’s sustainable development.

(Source: Central News Agency)