"ChiaYiRen Cross-Disciplinary Technology Innovation Center" Established to Boost Chiayi's Industrial Competitiveness

The Chiayi County and City governments, together with ITRI and National Chung Cheng University, jointly established the "ChiaYiRen Cross-Disciplinary Technology Innovation Center" on the afternoon of the 14th at the Innovation Building of National Chung Cheng University, integrating experts from industry, government, academia and research to conduct research and innovation in five major fields: smart machinery, electric vehicle operation, smart long-term care, new agriculture, and cultural and creative tourism. At the signing and unveiling ceremony, Chiayi City Mayor Twu Shiing-jer, Chiayi County Deputy Magistrate Wu Fang-ming, ITRI Vice President Liu Chun-ting and National Chung Cheng University President Feng Chan-hua jointly signed a letter of intent for cooperation and unveiled the ChiaYiRen Research and Development Center, which will enhance Chiayi's industrial competitiveness in the future.

Next year (2017), the central government will promote the "5+2" industries, namely the five major innovative industries of the Asia Silicon Valley, biotechnology and medical care, green energy technology, smart machinery, and national defense and aerospace, plus new agriculture and the circular economy. Wu Fang-ming stressed that the county government attaches great importance to the establishment of the "ChiaYiRen Cross-Disciplinary Technology Innovation Center," and jokingly described the "5+2" industrial policy that the government is about to promote as "5+1+1," a homophone for "having Chiayi County and Chiayi City," representing joint cooperation to create competitiveness.

Wu Fang-ming pointed out that the county government team has high hopes for this cross-disciplinary innovation center, believing that through the ChiaYiRen R&D Center, the introduction of R&D teams from ITRI and National Chung Cheng University, and assistance from experts in various fields, Chiayi County's industries can be transformed, technology can be rooted in the private sector, young people will be happy to return home to serve, more enterprises will be happy to invest in Chiayi, and Chiayi's children can find good employment in Chiayi, achieving the vision of three generations having dinner together.