2026.04.14 — Commercial Times / Reporter Yuan Hao-Ting
The Pan Wen-Yuan Foundation also presented the 2026 ERSO Award this year to three distinguished industry leaders: Yi Chin-Liang, Chairman and CEO of Gallant Precision Machining Co., Ltd.; Shen Shang-Hung, Chairman of Taya Electric Wire & Cable Co., Ltd.; and Lee Yun-Li, Chairman and General Manager of PlayNitride Inc.. Pictured from left to right are Lee Yun-Li, Yi Chin-Liang, Foundation Chairman Shih Chin-Tay, Shen Shang-Hung, and Foundation CEO Luo Da-Hsien. Photo provided by Industrial Technology Research Institute.
Established by the Pan Wen-Yuan Foundation, the ERSO Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Taiwan’s semiconductor, electronics, ICT, optoelectronics, and display industries. This year’s recipients are Yi Chin-Liang, Shen Shang-Hung, and Lee Yun-Li. Foundation Chairman Shih Chin-Tay stated that over the past 20 years, the ERSO Award has honored 65 entrepreneurs who have made exceptional contributions to Taiwan’s industrial development. The three new awardees this year represent key sectors including semiconductor equipment and manufacturing, as well as power machinery and materials manufacturing, highlighting Taiwan’s strong capabilities in critical technologies and cross-disciplinary industrial strength.
Yi Chin-Liang previously served as Global Vice President and General Manager of the Customer Service Business Group at Applied Materials, overseeing operations across 19 countries and collaborating with more than 3,600 engineers. He was among the few senior executives from Taiwan serving at Applied Materials and received Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s Outstanding Contribution Award for two consecutive years. He led the Applied Materials team in supporting TSMC’s successful mass production of the 20nm and 16nm process generations, demonstrating significant contributions to advanced manufacturing support and supply chain stability.
Over the past decade, Yi has led Gallant Precision from being a supplier of semiconductor components, consumables, and equipment service solutions into the development and manufacturing of proprietary advanced semiconductor process equipment. He has promoted localized semiconductor equipment production, assisted customers with implementation, and strengthened after-sales service systems, enabling Gallant to better meet the needs of wafer fabs and critical processes, improve equipment delivery and service efficiency, and further reinforce the resilience and self-reliance of Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chain.
Shen Shang-Hung has led Taya from a traditional wire and cable manufacturer toward a diversified “power infrastructure + energy transition + venture capital investment” business model. On one hand, he strengthened the company’s R&D and quality systems for key materials such as ultra-high-voltage cables and enameled wires, supporting the security and localization capability of Taiwan’s power grid construction. On the other hand, he proposed a three-engine growth strategy centered on “wire and cable (core business) / energy (renewable energy and energy storage) / venture capital (startup investment),” enabling the company to maintain resilience and create new growth momentum amid economic cycles and industrial transformation.
At the same time, through investments in high-voltage cables and new application wires for low-earth-orbit satellites and drones, Shen has helped Taiwan build a more complete and controllable material supply chain from infrastructure to emerging applications, continuously strengthening Taiwan’s critical supply capabilities for energy and industrial development.
Lee Yun-Li founded PlayNitride in 2014, assembling a team dedicated to the R&D and commercialization of nitride-based MicroLED technology. He has continuously led efforts in key technology development and commercialization, transforming MicroLED from laboratory research into commercially available products and solutions. In recognition of these achievements, PlayNitride received the Special Recognition Award from the Society for Information Display, while also becoming the first company listed on Taiwan’s Innovation Board.
PlayNitride continues to expand its mass production lines and operational footprint, demonstrating a steadily maturing execution model centered on “R&D – mass production – customer implementation.” Through forward-looking investment in MicroLED technology, engineering and manufacturing capabilities for commercialization, and strong corporate governance and disclosure practices, Lee has helped establish Taiwan’s critical position and long-term competitiveness within the global MicroLED display supply chain.
In addition, the event also presented the “Hu Zhengming Semiconductor Innovation Award,” established through sponsorship by Professor Hu Zhengming, inventor of the 3D FinFET transistor technology and a key figure behind Taiwan’s global semiconductor leadership. This year’s award recipients were Tsai Ming-Hua of United Microelectronics Corporation and Lu Chun-Ming of the Industrial Technology Research Institute.
Source: Commercial Times
https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20260414701085-430502
