This year, the Ministry of Education (MOE) selected 40 excellent works with potential for commercialization from 25 schools nationwide. Each piece came through hard work and with collaboration between teachers and students. Furthermore, innovations by Taiwan’s vocational and technological colleges and universities repeatedly stood out on the international stage. To help transform these prize-winning innovative products into commodities, the MOE collected these works at the MOE Pavilion. Through this intermediary platform, the MOE encouraged and praised the students’ innovative spirit. They are not afraid of failure and try to learn and grow from their setbacks s. The MOE hopes this platforom can raise the international visibility of these works produced from Taiwan.

The design of the MOE Pavilion showed a spirit of educational vitality. There were eye-catching three-leaf fans on the ceiling and interactive projections on the floor to offer visitors a whole new viewing experience. To make this event more exciting, the MOE held interactive performances and exhibited outstanding works onstage. There were also carnival games at the exhibition and a page on Facebook where people could vote for the best 2013 INST exhibit.

2013 INST focused on three subjects: environmental protection and energy saving, biomedical and healthcare, and smarter living. Practical inventions for daily life were featured, one of which was the “Stackable Desk” (梯形疊桌) from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (國立臺灣科技大學) in the “smarter living” category. The desk can be used for either dining or writing by adjusting a revolving plank. If people want to have a meal or put two desks side by side, the revolving plank can lift the desktop and make it level; if people want to write, they can adjust the revolving plank to tilt the desktop. The tilting desktop was designed to fit the human body and to take up 50% less storage space.

The invention from National Taipei University of Technology (國立臺北科技大學) teachers and students was the “Intelligent Nighttime Earthquake Alarm System With Self-Calibration Mechanism” (具自我校正機制之智慧型夜間地震警報器) , which can decrease the damage to life and property caused by nighttime earthquakes.

Nighttime earthquakes always cause serious damage to life and property. Thus, the National Taipei University of Technology (國立臺北科技大學) teachers and students invented “Intelligent Nighttime Earthquake Alarm System With Self-Calibration Mechanism” (具自我校正機制之智慧型夜間地震警報器) to decrease disaster risks.

It had a built-in earthquake alarm module. The module can trigger different alarms sound according to earthquake intensity (weak, intermediate, strong) to wake people up. Then the machine turns on the built-in energy-saving LED illuminator to help people see the exit easily and keep them from getting hurt by falling objects or broken glass. Moreover, 15 seconds after the earthquake it automatically turns on a built-in radio to keep people connected with outside world.

The “compound essential oil and cosmetic formulation with free radical fighting properties” (具有清除人體自由基功能的複方精油與化妝品配方) from Hungkuang University(弘光科技大學) was an exhibit in the “healthcare” category. It was created as a solution to the fact that most essential oils on the market contain toxic chemicals and artificial additives. In order to give daily-use cosmetics a healthy function besides the skin care, the teachers and students invented this formulation which is able to relieve stress, improve skin condition and strengthen the immune system.

The submission from Mackay Junior College of Medicine, Nursing, and Management (馬偕醫護管理專科學校) was the Nasogastric Tube Storage Mask (鼻胃管收納型口罩). They designed two nasogastric tube can be put in storage pouches with circular cuts on the left and right sides of the mask, any size of nasogastric tube. If nasogastric tube users or their caregivers accidentally pull down the tube in public, the mask would protect the users’ privacy and maintain their dignity.

The “Method for Enhancing the Biotransformation of Groundwater Contaminants” (加速地下水汙染物之處理方法) from Ming Chi University of Technology (明志科技大學) was an exhibit in the “energy saving and environmental protection” category. Groundwater remediation consumes a lot of time and energy, so the teachers and students found a way to use cheap compost to remediate groundwater and deal with different groundwater pollutants. Microbes inside tubes assists with the degradation of a specific kind of pollutant, and these special tubes can handle similar pollutants at other pollutant factories. This invention not only speeds up groundwater remediation, but also improves the polluted poenvironment.

There were many valuable and featured inventions on display at the MOE Pavilion at the 2013 INST. An the panties involved would benefit from future industrial cooperation and technical development. The MOE hopes to increase the market value and international visibility of these inventions through technology transfer and commercialization.