The Miaoli County Government has been actively promoting collaboration among government, industry, and academia in partnership with local universities, including National United University (NUU) and Yu Da University of Science and Technology, achieving remarkable results. At the 2026 International Invention Exhibition in Paris, an event with a history spanning more than 125 years, the Taiwan delegation presented a total of 64 inventions. Of these, 29 entries were submitted by companies, faculty members, students, and residents from Miaoli County.

The Miaoli delegation achieved an outstanding result of 5 gold, 7 silver, and 17 bronze medals, marking its best performance to date and demonstrating the county’s strong capabilities in innovation and research and development.

Miaoli County Magistrate Chung Tung-Chin stated that the county government will continue strengthening government–industry–academia collaboration with local universities. Through the Local Small Business Innovation Research (Local SBIR) Program, the county also aims to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to invest in innovation and R&D.

By first establishing a solid foundation in Miaoli and then connecting with international platforms such as Paris, local companies can gain access to markets in France and the wider European Union more effectively, bringing new momentum to innovation and industrial development in Miaoli.

At the 2026 Miaoli County Paris International Invention Exhibition Awards Ceremony, jointly organized by National United University, NUU President Ti-Kuang Hou emphasized the importance of the “Three Innovations” — creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship — as an educational approach closely aligned with the needs of industry.

This year, NUU presented 15 interdisciplinary industry–academia collaborative projects developed by faculty members and students at the Paris exhibition. Several projects received support from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Miaoli County Government through the Local SBIR Program, significantly enhancing both the speed and depth of research and development.

In addition, faculty and student teams from NUU’s Department of Industrial Design received support through a STEM education program funded by the Ministry of Education. With assistance from two central government ministries, NUU has successfully expanded its industry–academia training model into a high-level government–industry–academia collaborative training model with international competitiveness.

President Hou noted that cooperation between universities and local government can serve as an effective bridge between education and industry, helping address both companies’ demand for skilled professionals and students’ need for career opportunities.

The strong performance of Miaoli County at this year’s exhibition was also closely linked to the support of the Local SBIR innovation and R&D program.

According to the Director of the Industrial and Commercial Development Department of the Miaoli County Government, the program enables local enterprises to invest more confidently in research and development and transform innovative ideas into commercially viable products.

One example is a collaboration between Baolun Plastics Co., Ltd. in Gongguan Township and faculty and students from NUU’s Department of Industrial Design. With support from the Local SBIR Program, the team successfully commercialized a multifunctional plate designed to facilitate the stacking of tableware.

The invention won a gold medal at the Paris exhibition and attracted interest from companies in France and Belgium seeking potential distribution partnerships. By reducing the unnecessary use of plastic food wrap, the product also offers an innovative approach to reducing plastic waste and its impact on marine ecosystems. The concept received strong recognition from the French judging panel and brought international recognition to both Miaoli County and Taiwan.

Another project, jointly developed by Hong Sheng Metal Co. in Tongxiao Township and NUU’s Department of Industrial Design, received a bronze medal for its multi-way metal connector designed for convenient bamboo scaffolding assembly. With support from the Local SBIR Program, the patented concept was successfully developed into a full-scale prototype.

Meanwhile, Chien Hsin Precision Machinery Co. in Yuanli Township received a bronze medal for its external pneumatic-hydraulic booster pump. The product was developed through an industry–academia partnership with a research team from Yu Da University of Science and Technology. Supported by the Local SBIR Program, the team successfully developed a high-performance machine with considerable commercial potential.

Another notable success came from Fulongchang Water Purification Co. in Xihu Township, Miaoli County. Company founder and chairman Lin Chih-Lung transformed a reverse-osmosis drinking water system into a low-temperature beverage extraction machine.

The system operates within a dust-controlled environment and produces high-quality cold-drip coffee. During the Paris exhibition, its flavor impressed both judges and industry representatives from France. The innovation also attracted strong interest from a major French energy group seeking to become its European distributor. Representatives from the company are expected to visit Miaoli for further discussions on future cooperation.

Chairman Lin also learned about the Local SBIR Program through his participation in the Paris exhibition and, after returning to Taiwan, actively submitted an application for the current year’s program.

Hsu Chieh-Chung, who has served as the head of the Taiwan delegation to the Paris invention exhibition for seven years and regularly works with inventors and SMEs from across Taiwan, offered an outside perspective on Miaoli’s achievements. He noted that Miaoli County ranks among Taiwan’s leading regions in terms of its culture of invention and creativity.

One important reason, he observed, is the strong recognition provided by the Miaoli County Government. Each year after participants return from the Paris exhibition, the county government and National United University jointly organize an awards ceremony and press conference. Award-winning inventors and companies are publicly recognized by the county magistrate in a large-scale ceremony.

Such strong public recognition of local inventors and enterprises is relatively uncommon in Taiwan and has helped encourage an active culture of creativity and invention throughout Miaoli. This year’s ceremony also attracted inventors from other counties and cities, who attended to witness and celebrate the achievements of Miaoli’s innovators.

County Magistrate Chung stated that he was delighted to welcome award-winning inventors from Miaoli and other parts of Taiwan to the ceremony.

He emphasized that developing a successful invention is never easy. In addition to individual talent, passion, and creativity, a supportive research and development environment is equally important.

He expressed appreciation to the supervising agencies, faculty teams from the two universities, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Education, and the Miaoli County Government team for providing inventors with funding, resources, and assistance throughout the experimentation and research process.

The award-winning products this year demonstrated outstanding creativity and practical value. With five gold medals among the overall achievements, the results highlight the depth of innovative talent in Miaoli County.

Looking ahead, Miaoli County hopes to achieve another strong performance at next year’s Paris exhibition. These international awards represent not only recognition for the inventors themselves, but also a source of pride for the entire Miaoli community.