The MIRDC Elite Awards is an annual event given to elite Centre staff for their contributions to Taiwan's metal industry. On November 22, the Metal Industries Research & Development Cauentre (MIRDC) held the seventh annual 2020 Elite Awards Ceremony. A total of 7 group awards and 6 individual awards commemorating excellence in technical achievements, visionary leadership, and outstanding services were presented to teams and individuals. Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association Advisor Woody Duh and National Chung Hsing University President Dr. Fuh-Sheng Shieu were invited to speak at the event in recognition of the award winners' effort and achievements as well as to demonstrate the human-oriented R&D focus of the Centre.
This year's group awards showcase the achievements of the Centre's dedication to advancing technology development and bettering industrial services. For example, the Technical Achievement Award was awarded to our colleagues at the Medical Devices R&D Service Department for their invention of the Controllable Hydro-Reactive Magnesium Alloy technology, which uses simulations to modify the mixing entropy value of the alloy to flexibly control the alloy's degradation rate based on application demands. This technology has been recognized with several international awards in 2020, including the Red Dot Design Award in Germany, the Golden Pin Design Award in Taiwan, and the R&D 100 Awards in the U.S., elevating the international status of Taiwan's industrial technology. The industry leader award was won by the team from the Micro/Meso Mechanical Manufacturing R&D Department for their invention of the "Vacuum Roll-to-Roll Sputtering" system that helped domestic vendors integrate eco-friendly sputtering for clothing buttons and is expected to lead to an investment of more than $NT300 million in a five-year timeframe. Furthermore, the team also won the 2021 R&D 100 Awards for their invention of the "Continuous Micro Parts Heat Treatment System Equipment." The technology has assisted Taiwanese manufacturers with entering the supply chain of Tesla, BOSCH, and other international manufacturers by enhancing their international competitiveness. A joint departmental team formed by the Medical Devices R&D Service Department and the Intelligence and System R&D Service Department also received an award for their invention of the "Fast Screening Kit Manufacturing Bonding" module. Using the module, the team helped domestic manufacturers with setting up automated production lines and new plants for COVID-19 Fast Screening reagents and gaining GMP certification. The technology allowed the manufacturers to increase their manufacturing capacity to 1 million kits in three months, cementing Taiwan's contribution in fighting the pandemic of the century.
The individual award category also had an impressive lineup. The Youth Innovator Award was won by Dr. Yen-Lin Huang, who is only 36 years old. Dr. Huang combined his professional background in metals and polymer materials into the development of heterogeneous hybrid materials. He developed a uniquely competitive lightweight and circular-economy compatible material that retains a metallic luster, which has led to leading domestic laptop manufacturers to enter a collaborative partnership with the Centre. For the industry service elite award, Project Manager Jia-Wei He utilized a "non-invasive nanoparticle-based mass spectrometry platform for digestive diseases detection" in combination with the AI Robot Base at the Southern Taiwan Science Park to integrate AI technology with biomedicine. The startup was able to quickly go from R&D to commercialization within six months, which led to the company successfully attracting $NT60 million in its second round of investor funding. For the service excellence elite award, Patent Engineer Yu-Jie Lin actively reached out to the client to understand the needs of their project and offer them tailor-made intellectual property innovation services. By using a patented big data approach to assess the copyrights needed for the completion of the project, the client was given the chance to fully utilize their technological capabilities on the international stage.
Dr. Ren-Yi Lin, the Chairman of the Board from MIRDC said that the Elite Awards highlights the effort that the MIRDC has put towards enhancing their research and development capabilities to lead the industry towards innovative, value-added, and local manufacturing. The awards recognize the dedication of the winners and teams in advancing metal technology and contributing to the industry. It is hoped that the award will also serve to encourage all MIRDC members to become unsung heroes behind Taiwanese excellence in various industries in the post-pandemic world, helping the nation to shine on the international stage.