Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute was recently named one of the world’s top 100 innovative organizations by U.S. information service firm Clarivate Analytics, reflecting international recognition of the organization’s cutting-edge R&D capacity.
ITRI, based in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu County, is one of three government-run organizations that made the list, alongside France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission and Germany’s Fraunhofer.
The 2017 Top 100 Global Innovators Report said that state-sponsored ITRI “leads in digital computing, telephone and data transmission systems and memories, film and hybrid circuits,” adding that it is devoted to forward-looking and multidisciplinary R&D spanning quality health, smart living and sustainable engineering.
“This is the second time that ITRI has been selected since 2014 and represents yet another vote of confidence in our technology innovation and the increasing global influence of our IP portfolio,” ITRI President Liu Jonq-min said.
ITRI will continue its leading role in forging a technology cluster, Liu said, citing its newly launched Guangfu Innovation Campus in Hsinchu as an example of a co-creation model that leverages the talent and resources of nearby academic and industrial communities.
Founded in 1973, ITRI plays a vital role in fostering Taiwan’s innovation-driven sectors. It has obtained 28,598 global patents and helped incubate over 300 cutting-edge companies, including global integrated circuit powerhouse Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
The other entry from Taiwan on this year’s list is Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. The report commended New Taipei City-based Hon Hai for its “improvement in both globalization and influence,” saying that the company has been producing more impactful innovation over the last five years and is enhancing its international outlook.
Launched in 2011, the annual survey identifies the most innovative organizations around the world across 11 different sectors based on four criteria: overall patent volume, patent application-to-grant success rate, global reach of the portfolio and patent influence as evidenced by citations. (SFC-E)
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