20th Hiwin Thesis Award – National Central University Wins Three Major Prizes
HIWIN Technologies Corp.
The 20th Hiwin Thesis Award ceremony was held on March 23. National Central University student Wei-Ting Li and Professor Cheng-Rong Ho won the Gold Award and a prize of NT$1 million for their research on “Ultrafast Laser Micro-Drilling of Thin Quartz Wafers.” The university recommended five theses for the competition, four advanced to the final review, and ultimately three won awards—Gold, Bronze, and Honorable Mention—making NCU the biggest winner this year.
A total of 90 theses were nominated for this year’s award, with 25 entries in the machine tool and component fields, demonstrating that the Hiwin Thesis Award has deeply influenced mechanical engineering departments across universities over the past 20 years. After a fair, impartial, and rigorous review process, 44 theses passed the preliminary round, 27 advanced to the finals, and 13 were awarded. The competition was intense, and winning was no easy feat—each recipient is a leader in the field.
Since 2004, Hiwin Technologies has organized the Hiwin Thesis Award, investing over NT$10 million annually to encourage graduate students and faculty to engage in precision machinery research. In addition to offering substantial prizes and public recognition, Hiwin also arranges for award-winning students and professors to visit Japan for major exhibitions and leading manufacturers, aiming to broaden international perspectives and enhance R&D capabilities. This year’s itinerary included visits to the 2023 MECT Nagoya Machine Tool Fair, iREX Robot Exhibition, and SEMICON Semiconductor Exhibition, as well as tours of world-class industrial giants such as OKUMA Corporation, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, and Makino Milling Machine Co. Networking events were also thoughtfully arranged, allowing participants to exchange ideas and spark innovation. These experiences not only expand horizons but also help integrate Taiwan’s research directions with global trends.
Over the past two decades, the Hiwin Thesis Award has inspired similar initiatives among other companies and has earned high praise from Taiwan’s mechanical industry and academia. It is now regarded as the “Nobel Prize of the mechanical industry,” continuously fueling passion among professors and students, attracting more young talent to the field of mechanical technology, and steadily building Taiwan’s innovation and R&D strength.
