ITRI Innovation Day Showcases 25 Cross-Domain Technologies and Advances Industry Collaboration

TAINAN, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) hosted ITRI Innovation Day in Tainan, bringing together research organizations and startups to showcase 25 innovations across four areas: Global Innovation, Empowering Sustainability, Intelligent Future, and AI-Powered Unmanned Vehicles. The event highlighted how emerging technologies can translate R&D into industrial applications.

ITRI President Pei-Zen Chang said technology development will increasingly depend on the integration of software, hardware, and AI. "Innovation can no longer rely on a single technology. By integrating expertise across disciplines and strengthening connections among research organizations and industry, we can create greater value," he said. "With Taiwan's strengths in manufacturing and R&D, ITRI Innovation Day connects technology, talent, and industry needs in southern Taiwan to foster further innovation and industry opportunities."

Keynote speaker Frank Bonafilia, CEO of the Edison Awards, presented "What It Takes to Win: Unleashing the Edison Spirit to Build the Future Together." He introduced the Edison Awards' work in recognizing outstanding innovations worldwide and compared the approaches taken by the U.S. and Taiwan to commercializing innovation and financing startups, offering insights into turning research outcomes into market impact.

In the technology showcase, the Global Innovation area featured Edison Awards-winning technologies. Sustainable Pavement Material Recycling enables 100% reuse of reclaimed pavement materials, while the Prognosis Monitoring System achieves over 90% prediction accuracy for rotating machinery. The AI-Driven Smart Water Leak Detection System uses AI-powered acoustic analysis to rapidly detect and pinpoint water leaks, contributing to annual water savings of approximately 21.87 million cubic meters. Other highlights included LigamiX™: Hybrid Regenerative Ligament Technology, which transforms cost-effective textile materials into advanced medical applications, and NaPoGlass, which creates high-value applications from waste glass. The Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC) also presented MagicABC, an AI-assisted language therapy solution that has helped improve language abilities in 81% of cases.

In Empowering Sustainability, the exhibition demonstrated how AI and advanced technologies support energy efficiency, smart manufacturing, agriculture, and aquaculture. The 3D Aluminum-Microchannel Thermosyphon Heat Sink addresses the cooling demands of high-power AI chips, while AI-Driven Precision Aquaculture Technology combines long-life dissolved oxygen sensing with AI-enabled automatic feeding. The Liquid-Borne Particle Counter for Wet Process Baths provides real-time monitoring of particle abnormalities during manufacturing, and Fruit Intelligent Grading Technology can reduce labor costs by 30% to 50%.

In Intelligent Future, we presented robotics technologies designed for industrial inspection, hazardous environments, and healthcare. The Intelligent Bionic Quadruped Robot operates in complex and high-risk environments, and the Formosa INSPECTOR—Smart Inspection Robot performs autonomous inspection tasks across multiple floors. The Livestock Guardian Robot integrates color imaging, night-vision thermal imaging, and AI recognition to conduct autonomous patrols. It monitors images, sounds, and locations in real time, enabling immediate detection and deterrence. In healthcare, UniCare Medbot helps reduce the burden of cleaning and disinfection for healthcare professionals, while MIRDC's SafeCare AI Collaborative Care Robot assists with patient repositioning and bedside care.

The AI-Powered Unmanned Vehicles showcase focused on autonomous flight, extended endurance, and intelligent sensing. The Low-Carbon Smart Fishing Fleet System triples fish-search efficiency, and ITRI ResilSwarm maintains stable data transmission over distances exceeding nine kilometers. For missions requiring greater endurance or payload capacity, the Long Endurance Fuel Cell Drone can carry a five-kilogram payload and remain airborne for three hours, while Drone Total Solutions With High-Payload and Long-Duration supports payloads of up to 50 kilograms. The showcase also featured technologies for sensing and navigation. The Edge AI Multi-Sensor Payload Module for Drones, which enhances all-weather target detection and tracking. The Inertial Sensor Fusion Autonomous Navigation Solution for GNSS-Denied Environments enables autonomous navigation when Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are disrupted or unavailable.

Beyond showcasing technologies, ITRI Innovation Day put collaboration into practice through on-site technology consultations and business matchmaking, enabling companies to engage directly with ITRI research teams. By leveraging the resources of three major industry associations in southern Taiwan, the event aimed to better match R&D results with industry needs and foster new partnerships.

About ITRI

The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is a world-leading R&D organization dedicated to innovating a better future. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan's industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. Over the years, ITRI has incubated hundreds of startups and spinoffs, including well-known companies such as UMC and TSMC. Headquartered in Taiwan, ITRI also operates offices in the U.S., Germany, the UK, Japan, and Thailand. For more information, please visit https://www.itri.org/eng.

SOURCE Industrial Technology Research Institute