YunTech Partners with Chenbro to Cultivate Cross-Disciplinary AI Talent
The AI Manufacturing 2026 National Innovation Competition, organized by National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (YunTech) and fully sponsored by Chenbro Micom Co., Ltd., has brought together students from universities and colleges across Taiwan to explore applications of artificial intelligence in manufacturing.
In the first stage of the competition, 109 teams registered, with 95 teams passing the eligibility review. A total of 347 students from 44 higher education institutions across Taiwan participated, supported by 98 faculty advisors. Participants included doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s, and five-year junior college students. The competition adopted a two-round anonymous review process, with judges not provided with participants’ identities or backgrounds. Ultimately, 30 teams were selected to advance to the next stage.
On September 10, the AI Manufacturing Workshop and Industry Exchange was held at YunTech. Representatives from the selected teams participated in project presentations and industry discussions before visiting Chenbro’s Chiayi plant, officially marking the beginning of the second stage of hands-on development.
The competition encourages students from different disciplines to form teams and focuses on three major themes: Smart Manufacturing Sites, Generative Design, and Agent Workflow Governance. The Smart Manufacturing Sites theme focuses on recognition and real-time response; Generative Design explores the use of AI tools to shorten product design timelines; and Agent Workflow Governance examines applications of AI agents in enterprise operational processes.
The AI Manufacturing Workshop featured Professor Li Chun-Hung 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 YunTech, and Professor Huang Cheng-Kuei of the Department of Business Administration at National Chung Cheng University. Each speaker shared perspectives on applications related to one of the three competition themes.
The AI Manufacturing Industry Exchange also brought together Chenbro representatives, including Lin Tzu-Hao, Manager of the Business Process Reengineering Department; Wu Kuan-Ying, Section Manager of the Production Technology Department; and Wu Hsien-Kuan, Engineer in the Equipment Engineering Section. They discussed with students the practical needs and considerations involved in implementing AI in corporate and manufacturing environments.
Following the workshop and industry exchange, representatives from the 30 selected teams visited Chenbro’s Chiayi plant. Chenbro General Plant Manager Chen Hung-Ta and Human Resources Manager Lin Chung-Hui also encouraged the participating teams during the visit.
Through the site visit, students gained firsthand insights into production processes, equipment operations, and on-site management. They were able to compare the topics discussed during the workshop with their observations in an actual manufacturing environment, gaining a deeper understanding of how the industry operates in practice.
These observations will provide valuable references for subsequent idea development and cross-disciplinary discussions, enabling teams to examine the competition topics from different perspectives and explore potential applications of AI in manufacturing, design, and management.
Professor Chang Tsen-Yao, YunTech’s Vice President for Industry-Academia Collaboration and principal investigator of the project, noted that with the support of Chenbro, the competition integrates real-world corporate challenges, manufacturing environments, and cross-disciplinary learning. This approach enables students to begin with authentic industry contexts and develop a clearer understanding of the needs and challenges encountered in manufacturing operations.
As AI continues to develop rapidly, it is transforming the ways people work across professional fields and reshaping the roles of future talent. Industry will require not only individuals who can use AI tools, but also professionals capable of integrating their own expertise, collaborating across disciplines, and translating technology into practical solutions.
Through project presentations, industry exchanges, and visits to manufacturing facilities, the competition aims to encourage students, before entering the second stage of hands-on development, to reassess their original ideas in light of production processes, equipment conditions, and business needs.
This process will help teams further clarify the relationship between the problems they seek to address and potential technological applications. During the subsequent stages of development and validation, students will gradually transform their initial concepts into outcomes that can be tested and verified, while gaining valuable experience in cross-disciplinary integration, problem-solving, and real-world industry applications.
Selected teams pose for a group photo with experts, scholars, and corporate representatives at the workshop.
Professor Chang Tsen-Yao, YunTech’s Vice President for Industry-Academia Collaboration and project principal investigator, delivers remarks at the AI Manufacturing Workshop.
Representatives from the 30 selected teams visit Chenbro’s Chiayi plant and pose for a group photo.
Chenbro General Plant Manager Chen Hung-Ta (center) encourages the participating teams during the site visit.
Representatives from the 30 selected teams visit Chenbro’s Chiayi plant to gain firsthand insights into manufacturing operations and the realities of the industry.
Organizing Unit: Center for Brand Empathy Research
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.