A total of 16 Taiwan innovations are shortlisted for the R&D 100 Awards, continuing the nation’s strong showing in the competition widely recognized as the Oscars of invention.
 
According to organizer U.S.-based R&D Magazine, eight of the entries were submitted by Industrial Technology Research Institute headquartered in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu County. These include automated gas leak recognition technology and an unmanned aerial vehicle police patrol system that coordinates smart charging and UAV shift changes.
 
Equally impressive is ITRI’s portable sterilizer that kills water-borne bacteria with ultraviolet-C light-emitting diodes. The device is the world’s first solar-powered flow-water sterilizer designed for emergency use.
 
Among the four competing entries from Taipei City-based Institute for Information Industry is the Hybrid MassLINK Bus Stop. The solar-powered system employs wide-area network transmission technology to provide real-time information for bus services in remote locations.
 
The other local organizations with shortlisted innovations are the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research under the Cabinet-level Atomic Energy Council; New Taipei City-based Hua-Chuang Automobile Information Technical Center Co. Ltd.; and Taiwan Main Orthopaedics Biotechnology Co. Ltd. headquartered in the central city of Taichung.
 
Established in 1973, ITRI is a government-backed nonprofit R&D body aimed at enhancing industrial competitiveness through conducting applied research and providing technical services. Also supported by the government, III was launched in 1979 to foster the information technology sector by advising on public policymaking, promoting research and training talent.
 
First presented in 1963, the annual R&D 100 Awards recognize revolutionary science and technology innovations. This year’s winners will be honored at a ceremony Nov. 16 in the U.S. city of Orlando. (SFC-E)
 
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