TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) hopes the new robotics research center in Tainan will become a hub for domestic robotics R&D, talent training, and industry-academia collaboration, per Economic Daily News.
The center, in the city’s Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City, connects more than 130 tech companies, including Asus, Pegatron, and Techman Robot. The facility will focus on central processing units, sensors, control systems, and communication devices used in robotics.
The center provides hardware modules and sensors, allowing algorithms developed by universities or companies to be tested on its robot prototypes. It also offers testing equipment, optical sensors, and simulation software for R&D use.
At the center’s opening ceremony on Friday, Lai said the center will cooperate with the local robotics supply chain to strengthen R&D and expand potential applications. He added the center will also integrate cybersecurity and AI computing power into robotics development.
Robots will be applied in everyday settings, including long-term care, food services, and manufacturing. Lai said Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductor manufacturing, ICT, and precision machinery have strong potential to support the development of its robotics sector.
Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said the Cabinet plans to develop Tainan into a national robotics R&D hub. He added the center will also work with the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s branch in Liujia District to advance R&D.
Tainan has integrated technology into city administration, Huang noted. The city government has used drones to inspect dengue mosquito larvae and partnered with companies to deploy robots to improve infrastructure inspection efficiency.
The National Science and Technology Council said the government will spend NT$20 billion (US$600 million) from this year through 2029 to enhance the robotics sector. The funding will support robotics startups and help expand Taiwan’s robotics industry output to NT$50 billion by 2030.
Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) added that Taiwan is experiencing labor shortages and an aging population. He stressed the need to develop collaborative robots for use in the service sector.
To meet rising AI demand, the government is building AI computing and data centers. It aims to train 500,000 AI-related talent by 2040.
