SDG9
Tainan City Government Economic Development Bureau Visits NCKU to Exchange Strategies on Advancing Industrial AI Transformation
To strengthen industrial smart transformation capacity, the Tainan City Government’s Economic Development Bureau launched its “Industrial Smart Transformation Promotion – Expert Consultation Exchange Tour” and visited the Smart Manufacturing Research Center at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) on August 14. The delegation sought advice from Professor Fang-Tien Cheng, widely known as the “Father of Semiconductor Automation in Taiwan,” and his team. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on practical AI applications in “smart manufacturing,” “smart dining,” and “smart healthcare,” injecting fresh momentum into academia-industry collaboration.
Professor Cheng first briefed Deputy Director-General Fu-Jen Hsiao of the Bureau and the delegation on the Center’s capabilities and achievements, followed by exchanges on strategies to accelerate AI industry adoption. The research team noted that “industries should seize the opportunities offered by the AI Industry Zone. NCKU’s Smart Manufacturing Research Center is committed to assisting enterprises in building open cloud platforms integrating hardware and software, lowering barriers to AI adoption, and leveraging digital twin technologies to achieve industrial smartization. The vision is to simultaneously promote energy conservation and carbon reduction, while realizing sustainable development and smart upgrades in manufacturing.”
Professor Cheng further highlighted that the Center has already assisted leading enterprises such as ASE Group, Formosa Plastics, and Eternal Chemical in implementing smart manufacturing solutions, achieving production optimization and sustainable transformation goals.
Deputy Director-General Hsiao emphasized that Tainan holds a dual-engine advantage for AI industry development, along with the formation of a smart robotics cluster, and is steadily building the blueprint for an “AI Manufacturing Golden Decade.” The development potential of the high-tech “S Corridor” has attracted widespread attention.
The City Government is actively promoting the “Golden Triangle Industrial Cluster”:
1. Southern Taiwan Science Park — its 2024 revenue exceeded NT$2 trillion, hosting major domestic and international semiconductor and equipment companies including TSMC, UMC, Micron, AMD, and ASML.
2. Shalun AI Industry Zone — through the four strategies of “expanding computing power, linking testing fields, attracting talent, and scaling applications,” and in conjunction with Shalun Green Energy Science City and smart grid demonstration sites, the zone has attracted 147 enterprises to date.
3. Liuying Technology Industrial Park Phase III Smart Robotics Manufacturing Base — designed to connect the Xibei metal processing cluster with STSP and ITRI’s Lioujia Campus, forming a new hub for the robotics industry in Southern Taiwan.
Deputy Director-General Fu-Jen Hsiao also praised NCKU’s long-standing AI research achievements, including the development of the “iFA Smart Factory Automation Cloud Platform,” which has been successfully applied in industries such as semiconductors, solar energy, aerospace, automotive, and CNC machining. Moving forward, the City Government will continue to collaborate with NCKU to extend this capability to local SMEs, helping them build smart manufacturing foundations, enhance competitiveness, and advance toward sustainable and high-value transformation.
Professor Cheng first briefed Deputy Director-General Fu-Jen Hsiao of the Bureau and the delegation on the Center’s capabilities and achievements, followed by exchanges on strategies to accelerate AI industry adoption. The research team noted that “industries should seize the opportunities offered by the AI Industry Zone. NCKU’s Smart Manufacturing Research Center is committed to assisting enterprises in building open cloud platforms integrating hardware and software, lowering barriers to AI adoption, and leveraging digital twin technologies to achieve industrial smartization. The vision is to simultaneously promote energy conservation and carbon reduction, while realizing sustainable development and smart upgrades in manufacturing.”
Professor Cheng further highlighted that the Center has already assisted leading enterprises such as ASE Group, Formosa Plastics, and Eternal Chemical in implementing smart manufacturing solutions, achieving production optimization and sustainable transformation goals.
Deputy Director-General Hsiao emphasized that Tainan holds a dual-engine advantage for AI industry development, along with the formation of a smart robotics cluster, and is steadily building the blueprint for an “AI Manufacturing Golden Decade.” The development potential of the high-tech “S Corridor” has attracted widespread attention.
The City Government is actively promoting the “Golden Triangle Industrial Cluster”:
1. Southern Taiwan Science Park — its 2024 revenue exceeded NT$2 trillion, hosting major domestic and international semiconductor and equipment companies including TSMC, UMC, Micron, AMD, and ASML.
2. Shalun AI Industry Zone — through the four strategies of “expanding computing power, linking testing fields, attracting talent, and scaling applications,” and in conjunction with Shalun Green Energy Science City and smart grid demonstration sites, the zone has attracted 147 enterprises to date.
3. Liuying Technology Industrial Park Phase III Smart Robotics Manufacturing Base — designed to connect the Xibei metal processing cluster with STSP and ITRI’s Lioujia Campus, forming a new hub for the robotics industry in Southern Taiwan.
Deputy Director-General Fu-Jen Hsiao also praised NCKU’s long-standing AI research achievements, including the development of the “iFA Smart Factory Automation Cloud Platform,” which has been successfully applied in industries such as semiconductors, solar energy, aerospace, automotive, and CNC machining. Moving forward, the City Government will continue to collaborate with NCKU to extend this capability to local SMEs, helping them build smart manufacturing foundations, enhance competitiveness, and advance toward sustainable and high-value transformation.
The Tainan City Government Economic Development Bureau sought advice from Professor Fang-Tien Cheng and his team at NCKU’s Intelligent Manufacturing Research Center.
Professor Fang-Tien Cheng gave an introduction to NCKU’s Intelligent Manufacturing Research Center.
Deputy Director-General Fu-Jen Hsiao of the Tainan City Government Economic Development Bureau (standing) led the delegation to seek advice.
