Promoting the Taichung Industrial 4.0 Flagship Plan: City Government Signs Letter of Intent for Industry-Government-Academia-Research Strategic Alliance

Promoting the Taichung Industrial 4.0 Flagship Plan, Taichung City Government Acts as the Driving Force

To promote the "Taichung City Industrial 4.0 Flagship Plan," the Taichung City Government convened the third Economic Development Advisory Committee meeting on August 20. The meeting focused on the Industrial 4.0 Flagship Plan and industry-academia collaboration concepts, and a letter of intent for the "Central Taiwan Industrial 4.0 Industry-Government-Academia-Research Cooperation Strategic Alliance" was jointly signed by four parties: the City Government, the Industrial Technology Research Institute, the Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association and Smart Automation and Robotics Association, and 28 universities in central Taiwan. The aim is to integrate the industry-government-academia-research energy of the central region and comprehensively enhance the industrial technology and competitiveness of central Taiwan.

The meeting to promote the Taichung Industrial 4.0 Flagship Plan was attended by Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung, Deputy Mayor Chang Kuang-yao, Economic Development Bureau Director-General Lu Yao-chih, Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association and Smart Automation and Robotics Association Chairman Cho Yung-tsai, Industrial Technology Research Institute President Liu Chung-ming, and the presidents of 28 universities including National Chung Hsing University, Feng Chia University, and China Medical University. Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung stated that in the future, full efforts will be made to promote Taichung Industrial 4.0, introducing smart production and services into Taichung's primary, secondary, and tertiary industries as well as the Shuinan Smart City, to build Taichung into a livable capital and creative city.

Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung explained that Taichung is a major hub for precision machinery and manufacturing production, with a particularly high degree of customization, requiring rapid response to market demands. In terms of development characteristics, it is highly compatible with the development traits of Industrial 4.0. On the other hand, Taichung also has excellent universities and colleges that can form industry-academia alliances. In the future, it is hoped to combine the Shuinan Economic and Trade Park with Industrial 4.0, positioning it as a demonstration zone for smart, low-carbon, and innovation. Combining these conditions, the Taichung City Government will serve as a platform, uniting the strength of industry, government, academia, and research, and cooperating with the Executive Yuan's Productivity 4.0 policy, so that Taichung's success can drive Taiwan's international competitiveness in Industrial 4.0.

Regarding the difficulties faced by small and medium-sized enterprises in Taichung City, Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung stated that the City Government will integrate industry-academia collaboration, land acquisition, talent cultivation, and conference and exhibition center facilities, cooperate with the Executive Yuan's policies, seek central government funding subsidies, and create a win-win strategic alliance among industry, government, academia, and research to assist enterprises in overcoming economic difficulties.

Chairman Cho Yung-tsai also stated that Taichung City's precision machinery and machine tools are world-renowned. The City Government's promotion of Industrial 4.0 and industry-academia alliances aims to integrate central Taiwan's precision manufacturing industry and take this industry to the next level. Schools are the source of manpower cultivation and play a very important role. Industrial 4.0 aims to combine technological research and development with university curricula, becoming the strongest backing for central Taiwan's precision manufacturing industry.

Taichung City Economic Development Bureau Director-General Lu Yao-chih stated that the Shuinan Economic and Trade Park will serve as a demonstration zone, introducing smart production and services, and further promoting smart life services in Taichung City. In the future, Industrial 4.0 will also be expanded in industrial clusters such as the Precision Machinery Science and Technology Innovation Park, Taichung Industrial Park, Dali Industrial Park, and Central Taiwan Science Park. A Taichung City Industrial Development Fund will also be established to regularly award and subsidize Industrial 4.0 innovative research and development technologies and provide financing-related assistance.

Regarding Industrial 4.0 talent cultivation, the Taichung City Economic Development Bureau stated that universities and colleges can offer interdisciplinary Industrial 4.0 programs to cultivate students with cross-disciplinary capabilities in machinery, electronics, and information and communications. Enterprises can proactively engage in industry-academia collaboration with universities and colleges to cultivate the next generation of successor talent and shorten the industry-academia gap.

In addition, the Taichung City Government will actively invite enterprises in agriculture, industry, and services with Industrial 4.0 capabilities to join. In the future, they will be divided into groups by industry category - agriculture, machine tools, machinery, services, and medical care - as Industrial 4.0 groups for closer cooperation and concrete implementation of the Industrial 4.0 alliance.