AI-Driven Smart Mobility Talent Development Establishes a Hands-on Training Hub for Automotive Electronic Control Systems and Intelligent Cockpits, Connecting Central Taiwan's Industrial Cluster

National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (YunTech) has established the Regional Talent Development Center for Intelligent Electric Vehicle Control Systems under the Ministry of Education's Central Taiwan Automotive Components Industry Cluster Transformation and Upgrading – Regional Talent Development Center for Intelligent Electric Vehicle Control Systems Project. The university held the center's inauguration ceremony and achievement exhibition on July 13, 2026.

The event was attended by distinguished guests from government, industry, and academia, including Yu-Hui Yang, Director General of the Department of Technological and Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education; Li-Shan Chang, Magistrate of Yunlin County; Yi-Hao Yeh, Chairman of the Taiwan Electric Vehicle Association; and Dr. Sudhir Mehta, Chairman of India's eKa Mobility. Their presence marked the official launch of the center and demonstrated the shared commitment of the central and local governments, academia, and industry to advancing talent development and industrial upgrading in the intelligent electric vehicle sector.

Supported by the Ministry of Education with a total investment of NT$140 million, the project focuses on autonomous driving AI, automotive electronic control systems, and intelligent cockpits. By integrating interdisciplinary curricula, hands-on learning environments, AI computing facilities, and industry–academia collaboration resources, the center aims to cultivate next-generation smart mobility professionals equipped with expertise in system integration, practical application, and product development.

As the global automotive industry rapidly transitions toward electrification, intelligence, and AI integration, the automotive components sector is likewise evolving from traditional mechanical manufacturing to automotive electronics, sensor integration, intelligent cockpits, edge computing, and complete vehicle system validation. YunTech noted that the center addresses the transformation needs of Taiwan's automotive components industry cluster through four key strategies: industry-oriented talent cultivation, interdisciplinary curriculum integration, hands-on verification environments, and AI technology adoption. Students will progressively develop industry-ready competencies through coursework, module development, capstone projects, and full vehicle validation.

The project is jointly implemented by YunTech's College of Engineering and College of Design, bringing together 50 faculty members from six academic departments: Electronic Engineering, Computer Science and Information Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, Electrical Engineering, and Digital Media Design. Two interdisciplinary credit programs have been established: the Autonomous Driving AI and Electronic Control Systems Program and the Intelligent Cockpit Electronic Control and Mechanical Design Program. In addition, the Department of Electronic Engineering launched a new Intelligent Electric Vehicle Division in the 2025 academic year to provide undergraduate students with systematic training in intelligent electric vehicle control systems, autonomous driving AI, intelligent cockpits, and vehicle interior design.

The center features four specialized hands-on learning facilities: the Intelligent Electric Vehicle Systems Integration Laboratory, the Automotive PCB and Intelligent Cockpit Electronic Control Laboratory, the AITPC Fundamental Training Classroom, and the Intelligent Electric Vehicle Innovative Styling Design Center. Together, these facilities create a comprehensive practical training environment covering vehicle styling design, automotive PCB fabrication, cockpit electronic control module development, AI sensing and recognition, intelligent cockpit interaction, and complete vehicle system validation. Students can complete the entire process—from concept design and module development to system integration and testing—within a single integrated training center.

To strengthen AI-enabled education, YunTech has introduced advanced equipment through the Ministry of Education's AI Empowerment Program, including an intelligent electric vehicle platform, autonomous vehicle AI computing systems, an intelligent cockpit voice interaction training system, a low-speed autonomous navigation and signal-sensing unmanned mobility platform, and a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation testing system. These facilities establish a comprehensive learning environment spanning edge computing, AI model training, in-vehicle sensing, cyber-physical simulation, and complete vehicle validation. YunTech has also invested NT$3.3 million in institutional funding to further integrate AI technologies into intelligent electric vehicle education, research, and industrial applications.

The project has already demonstrated significant achievements. The two interdisciplinary credit programs have attracted strong student participation, with 135 students enrolled in the Autonomous Driving AI and Electronic Control Systems Program and 251 students in the Intelligent Cockpit Electronic Control and Mechanical Design Program. The newly established Intelligent Electric Vehicle Division in the Department of Electronic Engineering admitted its first cohort of 26 students. Between the 2023 and 2025 academic years, the five core laboratories offered 66 formal courses, serving a total of 3,195 student enrollments, with more than 1,000 students annually utilizing the laboratory facilities for practical training. During the same period, faculty supervised 104 capstone projects and graduate theses covering mechanical design, electronic control system integration, in-vehicle system development, electronics manufacturing, and complete vehicle validation, demonstrating that the center has progressed from facility construction to a mature stage of interdisciplinary education and operation.

YunTech has also established the Intelligent Electric Vehicle Industry Service and Talent Development Center as a platform for industry–academia collaboration and technical services. The center supports curriculum planning, instructional material development, industry partnership initiatives, technology research, and collaborative industry projects. In 2025, faculty members affiliated with the center and the two interdisciplinary programs jointly secured 31 industry–academia collaboration projects with a total value of NT$43,561,970. These projects encompass automotive control module development, electronic control system integration and validation, intelligent cockpit interaction design, in-vehicle electronic system testing, and manufacturing technology optimization, with technology development and validation conducted through the center's laboratory facilities.

To expand regional talent development, YunTech has also established partnerships with six universities across five counties and cities in central and southern Taiwan: National Chung Hsing University, National Formosa University, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Da-Yeh University, and National Chiayi University. Together, these institutions are promoting interdisciplinary education in intelligent electric vehicles through cross-institutional courses, faculty exchange, professional certification training, collaborative capstone projects, and shared facilities. This initiative extends the center's educational impact beyond YunTech, creating a regional alliance for intelligent electric vehicle talent development across Taiwan's higher education and technological education systems.

The inauguration ceremony also featured an achievement exhibition and laboratory tours. Highlights included the jointly developed 6-in-1 electric bus electronic system and cloud operation platform in collaboration with India's eKa Mobility, the YunTech ONE autonomous vehicle, an electric bus, intelligent cockpit technologies, vehicle computers, sensor integration systems, HUD display modules, CCU control modules, automotive PCB manufacturing, automotive component testing technologies, AI cloud data analytics, and intelligent cockpit voice interaction systems. These demonstrations showcased YunTech's accomplishments in intelligent electric vehicle electronic control systems, AI applications, and interdisciplinary talent development.

YunTech emphasized that the Regional Talent Development Center for Intelligent Electric Vehicle Control Systems represents more than the opening of a new teaching facility; it is a strategic platform for responding to regional industrial needs, advancing technological and vocational education, and strengthening industry–academia collaboration. Moving forward, the center will continue to focus on four core missions—education, hands-on practice, research and development, and industry services—providing students with opportunities to learn through authentic equipment, real-world challenges, and practical industrial settings while serving as a collaborative platform where industry partners can engage in technology exchange, talent cultivation, and research validation. Together, these efforts will establish a new hub for intelligent electric vehicle talent development and technological innovation in central Taiwan.

Group Photo at the Inauguration Ceremony of the Ministry of Education's Regional Talent Development Center for Intelligent Electric Vehicle Control Systems

Inauguration Ceremony of the Ministry of Education's Regional Talent Development Center for Intelligent Electric Vehicle Control Systems

Officials Take a Group Photo with the Unmanned Vehicle at the Inauguration Ceremony of the Ministry of Education's Regional Talent Development Center for Intelligent Electric Vehicle Control Systems

Group Photo with the YunTech ONE Intelligent Electric Vehicle at the Inauguration Ceremony of the Ministry of Education's Regional Talent Development Center for Intelligent Electric Vehicle Control Systems

Director Ching-Lung Su Guides Director General Yu-Hui Yang of the Ministry of Education and Distinguished Guests through the AI 6-in-1 Centralized Automotive Electronic System and Cloud-Based Bus Fleet Management System

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