TAINAN, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) today inaugurated the AI Robotics Innovation & Development Center (ARIDC) at its Southern Region Campus in Tainan. Aligned with Taiwan's Ten Major AI Infrastructure Projects, the center is built to develop and validate AI-powered robotics for real-world applications across four key sectors: healthcare, logistics, food services, and disaster response. It also serves as a hub connecting international startups with Taiwan's strong manufacturing and applied research ecosystem.

"The center has two core missions," said ITRI Chairman Tsung-Tsong Wu. "First, it accelerates the adoption of AI in industry and everyday life by integrating software and hardware through robotics and developing applications in healthcare, logistics, food service, and disaster response. This is not only about supporting Taiwan but also about advancing the global deployment of AI innovation. Second, as AI rapidly reshapes industries, ITRI will serve as a platform connecting industry needs with advanced technologies, working with research institutions and government agencies to develop forward-looking technologies for the next five to 10 years. The center will also focus on robotic intelligence, motion control, and swarm collaboration to build smarter, more connected systems and strengthen the global competitiveness of Taiwan's intelligent robotics industry."

"ARIDC provides a technology verification and testing environment that helps startups and small and medium-sized enterprises accelerate development and commercialization," said Ta-Hsin Chou, General Director of ITRI's Southern Region Campus. The center features dedicated incubation space and advanced computing infrastructure optimized for digital twin and collaborative robotics workloads. These systems support ray tracing, enable the simultaneous operation of multiple large-scale Universal Scene Description (USD) environments, and handle complex physics simulations. Beyond technical resources, ARIDC also supports team formation, market strategy development, and matchmaking with industrial partners and national investment funds.

Building on the long-standing technology development in southern Taiwan, ARIDC aims to foster collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions to advance AI and intelligent robotics. The center will serve as an open co-creation platform integrating robotics components, AI models, and full-system services to strengthen Taiwan's competitiveness in the global robotics market, while linking the capacities of the National Center for AI Robotics in Shalun and the nearby intelligent robot industry cluster in the Liouying Technology Industrial Park.

About ITRI

The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is a world-leading R&D organization dedicated to innovating a better future. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan's industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. Over the years, ITRI has incubated hundreds of startups and spinoffs, including well-known companies such as UMC and TSMC. Headquartered in Taiwan, ITRI also operates offices in the U.S., Germany, the UK, Japan, and Thailand. For more information, please visit https://www.itri.org/eng.