The Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan (ITRI) inked a memorandum of understanding with the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering on Tuesday (Aug. 13), entering into cooperation on the development of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
The collaboration is part of Taiwan’s effort to nurture talent in the latest tech trends by drawing on other countries' expertise. The ITRI also acts as a bridge connecting the tech industry and academia to meet the demands of the market.
With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is driving massive technological innovation in global manufacturing, Taiwan must seize the opportunity to secure a foothold in the blue-ocean market of smart manufacturing, said ITRI President Edwin Liu (劉文雄).
Under the framework, the two sides will work to apply AI to machinery, developing products that have commercial potential and can rapidly be put into mass production. Fitness equipment and hand tools would be ideal items to start with, Liu reckoned.
The ITRI has teamed up with prestigious global academic institutions in similar programs participated in by 200 research and development talents from Taiwan. Cooperation with Stanford University led to the invention of the next-generation aluminum-Ion batteries, and a joint project with the University of Northern British Columbia in Canada resulted in software that helps improve the efficiency of machine tools.
BY：Taiwan News
