ITRI Europe Office Marks 30 Years, Facilitates Nearly 100 Taiwan-Europe Tech Collaborations

By Chung-Hsing Chang, Hsinchu, May 15 (Central News Agency) – The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) Europe Office marks its 30th anniversary, having facilitated Taiwan's academia, industry, and research institutions in participating in over 20 European Union research and development programs, signed cooperation agreements with 14 European countries, and enabled nearly 100 Taiwan-Europe technology collaboration projects. These efforts have deepened cooperation from forward-looking technology exploration to joint R&D, field validation, and industrial implementation.

In a press release, ITRI Chairman Wu Cheng-chung stated that the 30-year milestone not only reflects the deepening of Taiwan-Europe technological collaboration but also symbolizes ITRI’s transformation from a technology observer to a co-innovator.

Wu emphasized that the key to technological collaboration lies not only in technology itself but also in long-term mutual trust. ITRI has collaborated with Germany’s Fraunhofer Society since 1992, and the two parties have recently renewed their Memorandum of Understanding for another five years. Building on existing cooperation in healthcare, ICT, and green energy, they will expand into emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and robotics, creating new opportunities for innovation.

To meet Taiwan’s industrial innovation and upgrading needs, ITRI established its Europe Office in Germany in 1996 as a strategic gateway to Europe’s innovation ecosystem.

Through multilateral cooperation mechanisms such as Horizon Europe and Eureka GlobalStars, ITRI has connected with innovation networks across Western, Central and Eastern, and Northern Europe. Over the past 30 years, it has supported Taiwan’s academia and industry in joining over 20 EU R&D programs, signed cooperation agreements with 14 European countries, and facilitated nearly 100 Taiwan-Europe technology collaborations, advancing cooperation from technology scouting to joint development, field testing, and industrial deployment.