Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute Wins Seven Edison Awards, Ranks First in Asia.

Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute announced on March 31st that seven of its technologies have been honored with the “2025 Edison Awards,” setting a new record and positioning the institute as the second globally and the first in Asia among corporate institutions.

The press conference held in San Jose was presided over by the institute’s president, Liu Wenxiong, who led a team including Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Lin Jiarong, Vice President and Director of Biomedical Department Zhuang Yaoyu, Southern Division Executive Director Cao Fanghai, North American General Manager Wang Mingzhe, and Director of Marketing and Communications Department Yang Guihua, among others. The General Manager of the Innovation Technology Transfer Company, Yu Wanru, and the Operating Director of Taiwan Optical Cover, Huang Yubin, also attended the event.

In attendance were also Deputy Consul General Zhu Yongchang and Group Leader of the Economic Department Chen Ailan from the San Francisco Consulate, showing their support and witnessing this important moment for Taiwan’s technological prowess on the international stage.

President Liu Wenxiong expressed that this marks the ninth consecutive year that the institute has been honored with this international award, showcasing the deep strength of Taiwan’s research capabilities.

He mentioned that the Edison Awards not only value innovation but also require technologies to have commercialization potential and market application value, aligning well with the institute’s mission of market-oriented research and development.

The key to this year’s awards lies in the long-term promotion of the “2035 Technology Strategy Blueprint,” which, through a comprehensive analysis of political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) factors, ensures that research and development closely follow industry trends, thereby increasing the success rate of technology commercialization. Currently, over 90% of the award-winning technologies from the institute have smoothly entered the market, including through technology transfer and the establishment of new ventures, achieving tangible results.

The seven highlighted technologies that won awards this year include:

– A groundbreaking AI laser welding method that breaks 50 years of traditional technological limitations, increasing productivity by 5 times, reducing costs by one-third, and lowering carbon emissions by 80%.
– AI real-time power scheduling to reduce grid burden by 50%, extend battery life by 20%, equivalent to a small to medium-sized power plant.
– A new biomedical material that can be injection-molded at low temperatures, quickly gelling inside the body to deliver various drugs for long-term therapy.
– Used in electroplating wastewater treatment, with metal removal rates exceeding 99%, a recovery rate of 90%, without generating sludge, promoting water resource circulation.
– With a recognition rate of up to 98%, applicable to water-deficient areas and various underground pipelines, including firefighting, wastewater, and industrial uses.
– Adopting a zero-trust architecture, requiring no manual operation, already deployed in medical and industrial fields, enhancing IoT cybersecurity.
– Introducing AI technology to manage refrigerators and air conditioning, reducing power consumption by 15%-20%, already implemented in over 3,000 convenience stores and stores across Taiwan.

To accelerate the internationalization of technology, the institute is actively expanding into the North American market. President Liu Wenxiong led the award-winning team to participate in the “ITRI Tech Day” held at the SkyDeck Accelerator in Berkeley, California, engaging in in-depth discussions with local industry and venture capital, exploring more technology collaboration and market entry opportunities.

The Edison Awards, known as the “Oscars of Innovation,” consider nomination as winning. In 2025, there were 82 technologies from the United States nominated, ranking first globally, with Taiwan at second place with 18 nominations, and South Korea at third with 13 nominations. Taiwan had nine institutions and enterprises competing this year.

The 2025 Edison Awards ceremony will be held on April 3rd in Fort Myers, Florida, where gold, silver, and bronze level awards will be announced. ◇