Taiwan entries won a total of 124 medals at the International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 20-22.
The Taiwan delegation’s medal haul of 56 golds, 56 silvers and 12 bronzes marked a significant improvement over its performance at last year’s event.
The gold medal entries showcasing the ingenuity of Taiwan’s young inventors included Weight Scales, a stand-on scale; Touch Lock, a foot-operated door lock system; and multifunctional rainwear.
Asia University, Taiwan won the most medals for the delegation, taking home 11 golds, 11 silvers and 1 bronze with its 26 entries in the competition.
“All of the Taiwan student inventions have commercial potential,” said Chu Chieh-yang, chief executive of the university’s innovative design and invention center.
“Manufacturers who have seen the inventions have all become interested, believing that the products could quickly improve quality of life,” he noted.
“For example, Touch Lock could be used for restroom doors and stalls, thereby helping improve sanitation by allowing patrons to avoid contact with door handles,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Formosa University garnered the best innovative product award in the overseas category, marking the second straight year the Taiwan delegation has won the award after Far East University did so last year.
A total of 14 countries, including Canada, Poland and Russia, entered more than 700 products in this year’s ITEX, Malaysia’s largest invention fair. Taiwan had 165 inventions in the competition. (SB)