AI Expands Across Industries as Technology Drives Industrial Upgrading in Central and Southern Taiwan
TAIPEI, Aug. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On August 28, the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), unveiled 31 innovative technologies at the “2026 Meet Greater South” event, under the theme “Meet Your BEST Solution: Connecting Local Businesses with Tech Solutions.” The showcase was presented in collaboration with startups and research institutions including the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), the Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC), the Institute for Information Industry (III), and the Food Industry Research and Development Institute (FIRDI).
This year’s pavilion highlights two key areas. The first echoes the theme of “AI Across Industries,” extending AI beyond high-tech manufacturing into fields such as architecture and construction, water quality monitoring, and food production. The second area, “Industrial Upgrading,” focuses on advancing industries in central and southern Taiwan through cutting-edge manufacturing processes and innovative technologies that boost both production efficiency and product quality. A number of these innovations have already been licensed to industry partners, helping companies including Ability opto-Electronics Technology, Li Xiang Machinery, HIWIN Technologies, and TBI Motion Technology secure orders from major international clients. These results demonstrate the tangible benefits of linking technology R&D with industry needs and helping companies expand into global markets.
AI-Optimized Metalens Imaging Breaks Into Global Supply Chains
In line with the government’s “AI Across Industries” policy, DoIT’s pavilion features a range of AI applications, demonstrating how artificial intelligence is being put to work across different sectors. One example is AI-optimized laptop camera lens imaging technology that enables a thinner lens while maintaining sharp image quality. ITRI’s Ultra-thin Structure NanoOptics Chip Technology for Visual Sensing Applications uses a monolithic metalens to overcome the bulkiness of traditional multi-element lenses. Combining semiconductor manufacturing processes with AI to enhance image clarity, the technology reduces lens thickness from the conventional 2.3–3mm down to just 1.3mm. It has already been adopted by Ability opto-Electronics Technology, a leading laptop lens manufacturer, which has integrated the technology into facial-recognition login modules for ultra-thin laptops. The solution has also been adopted by a major U.S. laptop brand. Looking ahead, the technology is expected to expand into visible-light and thermal-infrared imaging applications.
AI Reads Clam Shell Movements to Safeguard Water Quality for Over 2 Million People
AI is also being applied to water quality monitoring, turning clams into biological sentinels for water systems serving more than 2 million people. The Digital Twin Technology for Bio-Water Quality Sensing, developed by III, addresses the high cost traditionally associated with deploying multiple types of water quality sensors. The technology uses freshwater clams as biological sensors, taking advantage of their relatively stable behavioral responses. Cameras non-invasively monitor the clams’ shell movements, while AI analyzes subtle behavioral cues, opening-and-closing patterns, and abnormal group behavior to detect water quality changes in real time. The technology is already deployed at the Bansin Water Treatment Plant, the Sanxia River Pumping Station, and the Shoufeng Water Treatment Plant, which together serve more than 2 million people. It has also been licensed to KETECH Scientific Instrument, extending its use to water quality monitoring for critical processes in high-tech industries such as semiconductors, printed circuit boards, and precision machining.
Through the exhibition, DoIT aims to accelerate the adoption of more innovative technologies and bring new momentum into industrial upgrading across central and southern Taiwan.
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SOURCE Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI)
