The winners are out for this year’s Edison Awards, which are known as the "Oscars of Innovation." The Industrial Technology Research Institute, or ITRI, claimed its highest number of awards yet: one gold and three silvers. It won gold for its pioneering eye drop therapy for glaucoma. ITRI said the awards are a testament to Taiwan’s strengths in biomedical, textile, and display technologies.

It’s an eye drop that effectively reduces eye pressure. This first-in-Taiwan technology, known as the Novel Dual-Targeted Therapy for Glaucoma, is shown to be three times more effective than existing medications on the global market. It also comes with fewer side effects. Already patented in Europe and the U.S., the therapy earned a gold medal at the 2024 Edison Awards, a first for any ophthalmic innovation from Taiwan.

Eric Chuang
Director of ITRI’s biotech lab
This award is proof of Taiwan’s research capabilities in developing new medications. We hope to break into a new ophthalmic drug market and compete at an international level.

Another award-winning technology is the Key Functional Cell Identity. Designed to support allogeneic cell therapy, it is a precise and standardized screening platform that quickly filters out unsuitable therapeutic cells. This technology can be applied to treat more than 40 medical conditions, including myocardial infarction and diabetes. It won a silver at this year’s Edison Awards.

Edwin Liu
ITRI president
Being recognized by the Edison Awards is no small feat. It requires not just innovative research and development, but most importantly, the ability to reach the commercial market.

Frank Bonafilia
Edison Awards executive director
You’re like an innovation factory. And you take not just the product that you’re looking at, but you’re looking at the entire process and how it fits within the supply chain, how it’s making people’s lives better. We couldn’t be happier for your attendance this year as well.

This is the eighth consecutive year that ITRI was honored at the Edison Awards. This year, the awards received nearly 400 submissions from around the world. ITRI won a gold and three silvers, its highest number of medals yet. The accolades testify to Taiwan’s strengths in biomedical, textile, and display technologies.

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