The “AI Manufacturing 2026” National Creative Competition, organized by National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (NYUST) and fully sponsored by Chicony Power Technology Co., Ltd., attracted 109 teams in its first stage. Of these, 95 teams passed the eligibility review, representing 347 students from 44 universities and colleges across Taiwan, with 98 faculty members serving as advisors. Participating students included those from doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s, and five-year junior college programs. The competition adopted a two-round anonymous review process, with judges not provided with participants’ identities or background information. A total of 30 teams were ultimately selected to advance to the next stage.
On September 10, NYUST hosted the “AI Manufacturing Workshop and Industry Exchange.” The selected teams participated in project presentations and industry exchanges at NYUST before visiting Chicony Power’s Chiayi plant, officially marking the beginning of the competition’s second stage. The competition encourages students from different disciplines to form teams and focuses on three major themes: Smart Factory Operations, Generative Design, and Agent Workflow Governance. Smart Factory Operations focuses on recognition and real-time response; Generative Design explores the use of AI tools to shorten product design timelines; and Agent Workflow Governance focuses on applications in enterprise operational processes.
The AI Manufacturing Workshop invited Professor Chung-Hung Lee of the Department of Electrical Engineering at National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Assistant Professor Tsai Wei-Te of the Department of Industrial Design at NYUST, and Professor Cheng-Kui Huang of the Department of Business Administration at National Chung Cheng University to share their perspectives on applications related to the three competition themes. The “AI Manufacturing Industry Exchange” also invited Tzu-Hao Lin, Manager of the Business Process Reengineering Division at Chicony Power; Kuan-Ying Wu, Section Chief of the Production Technology Department; and Hsien-Kuan Wu, Engineer of the Equipment Engineering Section, to discuss with students the practical needs and on-site considerations involved in implementing AI in industry.
Following the workshop and industry exchange, representatives from the 30 selected teams visited Chicony Power’s Chiayi plant. Plant General Manager Hung-Ta Chen and Human Resources Manager Chung-Hui Lin also encouraged the participating teams during the visit. Students gained first-hand insights into production processes, equipment operations, and on-site management, allowing them to connect the workshop topics with their observations in an actual manufacturing environment and gain a deeper understanding of how the manufacturing industry operates in practice. These observations will also serve as references for subsequent ideation and cross-disciplinary discussions, enabling teams to approach the competition topics from different perspectives and explore potential applications of AI in manufacturing, design, and management.
Professor Chang Tsen-Yao, Director of Industry-Academia Collaboration and Principal Investigator of the project at NYUST, noted that with the support of Chicony Power, the competition brings together real-world industry issues, manufacturing environments, and cross-disciplinary learning, enabling students to explore practical needs and challenges directly from authentic industrial contexts. As the rapid development of AI continues to transform ways of working and the roles of professionals across different fields, future industries will require not only talent capable of applying AI tools, but also individuals who can integrate their professional expertise, collaborate across disciplines, and translate technology into practical solutions.
Through project presentations, industry exchanges, and visits to manufacturing facilities, the competition aims to help students reassess their original ideas from the perspectives of production processes, equipment conditions, and enterprise operational needs before entering the second-stage implementation. This process allows them to further clarify the relationship between identified problems and potential technological applications. During the subsequent implementation and validation process, teams will progressively develop their creative ideas into outcomes that can be tested and validated, while gaining experience in cross-disciplinary integration, problem-solving, and real-world industry applications.
Selected teams pose for a group photo with experts, scholars, and industry representatives at the workshop.
Professor Chang Tsen-Yao, Director of Industry-Academia Collaboration and Principal Investigator of the project at NYUST, delivers remarks at the AI Manufacturing Workshop.
Representatives of the 30 selected teams visit Chicony Power’s Chiayi plant and pose for a group photo.
Chicony Power Plant General Manager Hung-Ta Chen (center) encourages the participating teams during the visit.
Representatives of the 30 selected teams visit Chicony Power’s Chiayi plant to gain first-hand insights into the manufacturing environment and the industry’s frontline operations.
Organizing Unit: Brand Resonance Research Center
Director: Chang Tsen-Yao
Contact Person: Lin Tung-Yun
Tel: Ext. 2865
※The above is an AI-generated translation and may not be 100% accurate. For reference only — please double-check any important details.
