Innovation and Green Talent in Action: NCKU Leads Transformation

NSTC Outstanding Research Award

National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) continues to drive development through research innovation and talent cultivation, delivering strong results in academia–industry colaboration, intelectual property (IP), and sustainability education. According to the 2025 Patent Application and Grant Statistics released by the Taiwan Intelectual Property Office on February 26, 2026, NCKU ranked first among universities in Taiwan with 134 domestic invention patent applications, marking its fourth consecutive year at the top. In 2025, the total value of NCKU’s academia–industry colaboration projects reached NT$7.33 bilion, setting a new institutional record after NT$7.161 bilion in 2024. These achievements reflect NCKU’s continued strength in research commercialization, technology protection, and industry engagement, supported by an intelectual property strategy that emphasizes both quality and scale.

Optimizing IP Management to Strengthen Research Translation Capacity

Since launching its High-Quality Patent Program in 2016, NCKU has built a comprehensive patent strategy covering the ful research process, helping annual patent applications consistently exceed 100. In 2025, NCKU filed 134 domestic invention patent applications and ranked first among universities in total patent applications across invention, utility model, and design patents, with 154 filings. Since 2020, the university has recorded more than 100 patent applications annualy for six consecutive years, reaching a total of 715 and ranking first nationwide five times. The upgrade of the program from version 1.0 to 2.0 has further strengthened the link between technology deployment and practical application, becoming a key driver of technology transfer performance. Since 2009, NCKU’s technology transfer licensing revenue has exceeded NT$100 milion for 17 consecutive years, averaging NT$265 milion over the past decade and reflecting the strong market value and industrial potential of its research outcomes.

▲ NCKU’s research and academic events foster campus–industry collaboration

Launching Taiwan’s First Net-Zero Micro-Credit Program

Beyond its strong research performance, NCKU is also actively responding to Taiwan’s 2050 net-zero emissions target by promoting sustainability talent development and expanding the role of higher education in industrial transformation. Through coordinated planning, NCKU became the first university in Taiwan to launch a micro-credit program titled Net-Zero Transition: Strategy and Practice, formally incorporating the Ministry of Environment’s green talent training framework into the university’s credit system. The program offers students across disciplines and academic levels a structured opportunity to build knowledge in net-zero and sustainability.

Upon completing the program, students are eligible to take the Ministry of Environment’s certification exam for net-zero green talent. Those who pass will receive official certification, creating a direct pathway between campus learning and national credentials. Through this institutionalized curriculum and interdisciplinary approach, NCKU is actively cultivating net-zero transition talent in southern Taiwan with both sustainability awareness and practical skills. From research translation to sustainability education, NCKU continues to support industrial upgrading and social transformation through forward-looking initiatives and tangible outcomes.

▲ NCKU launches a Micro-Credit Program in Net-Zero green talent

▲ First semester of Net-Zero Green Program draws high student interest