President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) met with the winners of the 2023 International Inventor Prize Friday morning. In her speech, she congratulated the award recipients, tying their accomplishments back to Taiwan’s efforts to promote its technology industry.
Among the winners was Yeh Hsing-chi (葉倖綺) a sixth grader who invented a “soft safety helmet” and “soft helmet structure” inspired by wanting to protect her younger brother from the falls he had while learning to walk. This invention won gold medals in shows in Japan and Germany. A fifth grader named Kuo I-hsuan (郭沂萱) also won a silver medal at the Seoul International Invention Fair 2023 for her “hair dryer strap” invention. This device securely hangs a hair dryer, inspired when Guo noticed her mother’s sore hands while helping dry her hair.
In her speech, the president congratulated the winners for standing out in the competition, and on the accomplishment of receiving the prize. Tsai pointed out that winning wasn't an easy task, and that both Yeh and Kuo had used creative problem-solving for issues in their lives. Further, President Tsai says that she hopes all the award winners will continue to use their ingenuity to create a better life for others and help lead the industry forward.
Taiwan ranks first in the world in R&D manpower per 1,000 people and the country’s technology industry will continue striving to occupy a leading position in the international arena.