NYCU Brings AI and Autonomous Vehicle Research to Penghu to Advance Smart Island Governance

(中央社訊息服務20260709 14:14:15)Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how governments deliver public services. As local administrations accelerate digital transformation, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) is expanding its research partnerships beyond campus to help address real-world challenges.

On July 3–4, an NYCU delegation visited Penghu County, where the university met with the Penghu County Government and signed a memorandum of understanding with National Penghu University of Science and Technology (NPU). The partnership will focus on AI governance, autonomous systems, smart healthcare, marine technology, and interdisciplinary talent development, combining academic expertise with regional needs to accelerate the adoption of smart technologies across Taiwan’s offshore islands.

Penghu Deputy Magistrate Chieh-Hsing Lin said that ferry services between the islands are frequently disrupted by adverse weather, creating challenges for transporting supplies and providing timely medical services.

To strengthen island resilience, the county plans to explore using autonomous surface vessels and drones to transport medical specimens, emergency supplies, and other essential goods between islands. The initiative aims to improve logistics efficiency while reducing operational costs. At the same time, in line with the Executive Yuan’s policy to integrate AI into public administration, Penghu is actively introducing AI technologies to improve government efficiency and support smarter public governance.

NYCU President Chi-Hung Lin said the university is developing a series of Agentic AI training programs tailored to the needs of local governments. Courses will be delivered either through online instruction or on-site in Penghu to help public-sector employees strengthen their practical AI capabilities.

Lin added that NYCU will integrate its interdisciplinary strengths in artificial intelligence, intelligent computing, robotics, autonomous systems, and smart healthcare to jointly develop applications in autonomous transportation, marine technology, and digital healthcare, enabling university research to address the needs of offshore communities directly.

In addition to meeting with the Penghu County Government, NYCU signed an MOU with National Penghu University of Science and Technology to establish a long-term collaboration framework.

The partnership will combine Penghu’s unique marine testing environment with NYCU’s research expertise to advance autonomous vehicle testing and validation, smart healthcare, marine technology, and interdisciplinary talent development.

During the visit, researchers from both universities shared their latest work in autonomous systems, AI-powered computer vision, and smart healthcare. The delegation also surveyed a potential autonomous vehicle testing site in Siyu Township, laying the groundwork for future joint research and field validation.

Looking ahead, NYCU will continue working with local governments and regional partners to translate interdisciplinary research into practical solutions. By leveraging local environments as real-world testing grounds, the university aims to accelerate the deployment of AI governance, smart healthcare, and other emerging technologies that strengthen public services and support sustainable regional development.