TECO Award Honors 9 Laureates in Technology and Humanities Launch of Taiwan's Pilgrimage Route Shan Hai Zun APP Celebrates Cultural and Scenic Beauty
The TECO Award ceremony, Taiwan's premier annual event celebrating advancements in technology and the humanities, proudly commemorates its 31st year with a grand ceremony held today (the 9th) at the Taipei Biomedical Park Performance Hall. This year, the Technology Award category recognized an impressive 174 industry-academic cooperative projects, which received a total funding of NT$500 million, alongside 267 technology transfer projects that generated NT$400 million. These achievements embody the TECO Award's mission of “applying industry and academia to real-world use” and have sparked a wave of technological innovation. Among the winners, Professor Liu Hao-li from National Taiwan University has gained international recognition for his pioneering work in non-invasive focused ultrasound technology has garnered international attention. His innovative guidance and array scanning techniques facilitate the opening of the blood-brain barrier, allowing large-molecule tumor medications to penetrate the brain and enhance treatment efficacy (see Attachment 1). Inspired by the dedication of Humanities Award winner Wu Mao-cheng to fostering local revitalization (see Attachment 2), the TECO Technology Foundation unveiled the "Taiwan Pilgrimage Route: Shan Hai Zun National Greenway Smart Service APP" during the ceremony. This launch serves as a tribute to Taiwan's cultural and natural beauty.
Over the past 30 years, the TECO Award has set a record for the highest prize amount for corporate-sponsored research in Taiwan, has recognized 187 outstanding individuals and awarding a total prize fund of nearly NT$98.3 million. This year’s awards were presented by the Chairman of the Industrial Technology Research Institute, Dr. Wu Cheng-chung, with former Minister of Science and Technology, Hsu Chueh-min, serving as the Head of the Judging Panel. The ceremony continued its tradition of warmth and grandeur, inviting the laureates’ families to share the stage during the award presentation. Music for the event was specially composed by the newly formed youth orchestra, Gongmen Arts, in honor of the TECO Award. The backdrop of the main stage featured the inscription, “To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to secure life for the people, to perpetuate the lost teachings of the sages, and to bring peace to all generations.” This powerful calligraphy piece, created by prominent technology leader and former ITRI president Dr. Shi Qin-tai, reflects profound aspirations.
Dr. Lee Shih-kuang, Chairman of the TECO Technology Foundation, expressed his gratitude to the judging panel for their expertise and dedication. He extended his congratulations to the nine laureates and award-winning organizations. Dr. Lee also announced that "2024 marks the inaugural year of the Foundation’s Smart Service Initiative, which will now offer online services in 50 languages. hopes of collaborating with both domestic and international foundations to create a brighter future together.
TECO Chairman, Morris Li, extended his heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to each laureate, acknowledging their contributions to enriching Taiwan’s technological and cultural landscape. Referring to the "Shan Hai Zun National Greenway Smart Service APP," he stated, "As TECO celebrates 68 years rooted in Taiwan, this gift to the island honors Taiwan's cultural and natural beauty, inspiring those who traverse its paths to experience and share this heritage.”
The 31st TECO Award in the Technology category recognized achievements across four fields. In the Electrical Engineering, IT, and Telecommunications sector, awards were presented to Dr. Sun Chi-kuang, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at National Taiwan University’s Department of Electrical Engineering, and Dr. Yu Hsiao-hsien, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and AI Strategy Officer at the Industrial Technology Research Institute. In the Mechanical Engineering, Net-Zero Emissions, and Environmental Science category, the recipients included Dr. Tsai Hung-ying, Chair Professor at National Tsing Hua University and President of the National Applied Research Laboratories, and Dr. Dong Rui-an, Chair Professor at National Tsing Hua University’s Institute of Analytical and Environmental Sciences at National Tsing Hua University and Dean of the International College. In the Chemical Engineering and Materials field, the laureates were Dr. Lin Ching-hsuan, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at National Chung Hsing University’s Department of Chemical Engineering, and Dr. Deng Hsi-sheng, Chair Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at National Cheng Kung University’s Department of Chemical Engineering. In the Biomedical and Agriculture category, Dr. Liu Hao-li from National Taiwan University’s Department of Electrical Engineering at National Taiwan University was honored.
The Humanities Award, themed "Environmental Adaptation," was presented to Wu Mao-cheng, Executive Director of the Tainan Community University Taijiang Campus, and the Organization of Urban Reformers (OURs), which became the first institutional recipient in the history of the TECO Award.