National Central University and Festo, a renowned company known for industrial automation, signed a cooperative agreement for the Training Center for Intelligent Manufacturing Talents (Left: Jing-Yang Jou, President of National Central University; Right: Yilin Xu, Vice President of Festo Greater China and General Manager of Festo Didactic).

In adapting to Industry 4.0 (subset of the fourth industrial revolution), National Central University signed an official cooperation agreement with Festo, the internationally operated company known for industrial automation, and hosted the unveiling ceremony for the Training Center for Intelligent Manufacturing Talents on October 23rd, to set up the first joint center for education, training, and research, in order to foster talent cultivation for Taiwan’s local intelligent manufacturing industry.

With government subsidy as well as funding from the College of Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University has invested close to 20 million NTD to bring in Festo’s Industry 4.0 software appliance, set up the “Festo Smart Factory” in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and became the first university in Taiwan that is equipped with FESTO Industry 4.0 teaching facility.

Festo, established in 1925, is a German company that devotes to achieving the vision of Industry 4.0. It is not only a global leading supplier of automation technology, but also one of the very few international enterprises that operates an independent educational training department. Yilin Xu, Vice President of Festo Greater China and General Manager of Festo Didactic, indicates that the organization of “Festo Smart Factory” has reached world-leading status in intelligent manufacturing, and hopes that “knowledge transfer” will be put into practice in the university (education sector).

Jing-Yang Jou, President of National Central University, noted that NCU has been actively pushing forward cross-discipline approaches to teaching and research in the area of intelligent manufacturing in adapting to the industry upgrade with smart machinery strategy, and has demonstrated outstanding performances through the founding of various teaching and research laboratories. In the near future, these learning facilities will develop cross-discipline courses in the field of intelligent manufacturing that accommodates the need of local industry, and cultivate students and high-level research and development personnel by offering Industry 4.0 lesson modules (developed in Germany), in combination with excellent faculty from the college of mechanical engineering, college of electrical engineering & computer science, and college of management. 

With “Festo Smart Factory,” National Central University becomes the first university in Taiwan that introduces industry 4.0 teaching facility.

Advanced automatic guided vehicle (AGV), robotic arm assembling room, and various work stations may carry out different tasks on the assembly line through manufacturing execution system (MES) software; the production line operation is manageable with simple clicks on the smart phone.

In the upcoming Industry 4.0 era, National Central University is at the forefront of establishing fields for talent cultivation and applicable platform for innovative research. NCU GLORIA (National Central University’s Global Research & Industry Alliance) has devoted continuing efforts in integrating on-campus resources and matchmaking innovative technology with relevant firms. Hence, the cooperative agreement with Festo in setting up the Training Center for Intelligent Manufacturing Talents in National Central University will lead to stronger engagement and potential collaborations between the university and commercial enterprises, where NCU GLORIA will serve as liaison between the parties to promote talent cultivation, educational training, and research development, to strengthen the local industrial network and ultimately realize the goals of talent cultivation and technology upgrade in intelligent manufacturing.