National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan, and Academia-Industry Consortium for Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) jointly set up “Cheng Kung Club” to signify the start of academia-industry partnership and strengthen the interaction between universities and industries in Taiwan, announced the university recently.

The platform is expected to assist regional development in southern Taiwan and boost economic growth in Taiwan, according to NCKU president Hwung-Hweng Hwung who plays a key role in the club.

Jiun-Wei Chen, director general of STSP, President Jei-Fu Shaw of I-Shou University, President Chein Tai of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Bi-Lan Shen, gerneral manager of Firstep Bioresearch Incorporation , and Li-Fen Chen, chairman of the board of Chieftek Precision Company, attended the ceremony as they were prepared to become members of the club.

Academic institutions that establish relationships with industry can benefit greatly when the commercialization of the university research results is crucial in science-based collaboration between academia and industry, according to President Hwung.

Academic institutions that establish relationships with industry can benefit greatly when the commercialization of their research results is carried out through close collaboration between academia and industry, according to Hwung.

On the other hand, he added, enterprises that expect to thrive must cooperate with universities where academic capacity is abundant and make good use of the universities’ research results.

Academia-industry partnership will lead to “Cheng Kung” -- which means success in Mandarin Chinese, said Hwung, and NCKU with its thorough understanding of the needs of enterprise is capable of bringing out the best result from the collaboration.

The club will start with collaboration in the biotechnology industry which has seen a robust development of medical and biotechnology research in Taiwan.

The industry-academia research cooperation in Taiwan has been promoted by government, and yet many obstacles remain to be surmounted, according to Chen of STSP.

The recruitment successful businessmen and scholars into Cheng Kung Club is expected to enhance the partnership of southern Taiwan’s industry and eventually benefit the overall economy of Taiwan, according to Dr. Mi-Ching Tsai, director general of Research and Services Headquarters, NCKU, and chief secretary of STSP.