National Yunlin University of Science and Technology Wins Five Gold Medals and One Special Award at the Archimedes International Exhibition of Inventions in Russia

The 29th Archimedes International Exhibition of Inventions was held from March 17 to March 19, 2026, at the Amber Plaza Exhibition Center in Moscow, Russia. This year’s exhibition brought together more than 500 innovative inventions from 24 countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Serbia. National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (YunTech) presented five projects, all of which received Gold Medals, with one additionally earning a Special Award—achieving a 100% award rate.

A research team led by Professor Yu-Hsun Nian from the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering developed an innovative technology: an electrospun fibrous membrane incorporating a visible-light-responsive CuWO₄/TiO₂/coconut shell biochar photocatalyst. This study successfully produced a highly efficient composite photocatalytic membrane responsive to visible light. By employing a sol–gel method to construct a CuWO₄/TiO₂ heterostructure, the team overcame the limitation of conventional titanium dioxide, which only absorbs ultraviolet light, enabling strong redox capability under natural light. The photocatalyst was integrated with polymers through electrospinning to form a “sandwich-structured” nanofibrous membrane. Leveraging the high specific surface area of coconut shell biochar, the design enables a dual mechanism of “adsorption followed by photocatalytic degradation.” This approach significantly enhances water purification efficiency while addressing challenges associated with catalyst recovery and secondary pollution, offering a practical and energy-efficient solution for water treatment. This technology was awarded a Gold Medal.

The same research team also developed another innovation: in situ self-assembled g-C₃N₄–TiO₂ heterostructured nanofibers fabricated via electrospinning for high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells. This method mitigates issues such as structural non-uniformity and excessive particle size caused by incorporating g-C₃N₄ nanosheets, which can hinder electron transport. The nanofiber structure also serves as a light-scattering layer to enhance the photovoltaic performance of TiO₂ photoanodes. When applied in dye-sensitized solar cells, the novel photoanode enables photovoltaic power generation under low-light conditions. This work received both a Gold Medal and a Special Award.

A team led by Professor Chih-Chieh Hsu from the Department of Electronic Engineering developed a high-performance resistive random-access memory (RRAM) device based on hafnium zirconium oxide (HZO) with a large memory window and excellent data retention. The study successfully fabricated a Cu/HZO/n⁺-Si memory device. As a ternary material, HZO features a high dielectric constant, effectively reducing leakage current and enabling a wider memory window. By tuning the thickness of the resistive switching layer and the concentration of oxygen vacancies, the team achieved a memory window as high as 10⁵, along with outstanding data retention performance. This research demonstrates the potential of HZO thin films as an active layer in RRAM, providing valuable insights and novel contributions to the field, and was awarded a Gold Medal.

Assistant Professor Ching-Ju Chen from the Department of Electrical Engineering led a team in developing SMART-SWEEP, an intelligent road-cleaning optimization system with dynamic road-weight prioritization. Addressing key challenges in urban sanitation, the system introduces a dynamic scheduling algorithm based on “dirt-weight” metrics. Moving beyond uniform cleaning approaches, it assigns different operational frequencies according to regional dust accumulation levels, such as industrial versus residential areas, while integrating water supply point planning to significantly reduce unnecessary travel distance. The system features a Web-GIS-based visualization platform, allowing administrators to preview dynamic routes, detect conflicts, and generate KML navigation files for drivers with a single click. Empirical results show a substantial reduction in idle travel, enabling data-driven precision governance and significantly improving dispatch flexibility and fuel efficiency. This innovation was awarded a Gold Medal.

Another research team led by Professor Hsi-Chao Chen from the Department of Electronic Engineering developed a sensing electrode for dopamine detection. This invention provides a rapid and highly sensitive electrochemical method for detecting dopamine concentration. The electrode consists of a conductive substrate with a sensing layer applied to the detection area. The substrate includes a conductive film divided into connection and sensing regions. The dopamine-detection layer is composed of iron-based metal–organic framework MIL-101(Fe) powder combined with noble metal nanoparticles, such as gold nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, or gold-core silver-shell nanoparticles. By utilizing the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of nanoparticles to modify the magnetic MIL-101(Fe) framework, the sensing performance is significantly enhanced. This technology enables fast and highly sensitive dopamine detection and was awarded a Gold Medal.

YunTech stated that it will continue to invest resources in cultivating outstanding research teams with strong innovation capabilities and practical application value. The University also encourages faculty members and students to actively engage with international platforms and competitions, broadening their global perspectives and increasing institutional visibility. Through these achievements, YunTech aims to accumulate further recognition, enhance Taiwan’s presence and influence in the global innovation landscape, and showcase the University’s research excellence and creative potential to the world.

I–V Characteristics of the RRAM Device with a Large Memory Window and High Data Retention Capability
(Department of Electronic Engineering, Prof. Hsu, Chih-Chieh)

SMART-SWEEP: An Intelligent Road Cleaning Optimization System with Dynamic Road Weight Prioritization
(Department of Electrical Engineering, Assistant Professor Ching-Ju Chen)

RRAM Device with a Large Memory Window and High Data Retention Capability
(Department of Electronic Engineering, Prof. Hsu, Chih-Chieh)

YunTech Exhibition Booth

Organizing Unit: Innovation and Technology Management Division, Office of Research and Development

Director: Lee Hung-Jen

Contact Person: Yi-Rong Yang

Tel: +886-5-534-2601 ext. 2513

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