Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRT) announced on November 11 that Chairman of the Ruentex Group and founder of the Tang Prize Dr. Samuel Yin was elected laureate of the ITRT. President Ing-wen Tsai attended the award ceremony and presented the ITRT laureate diploma to Dr. Yin. In his acceptance speech, Dr. Yin mentioned that though the Ruentex Group has a diverse range of business investments, construction is the one that interests him the most. It has been his lifelong endeavor to upgrade Taiwan’s construction sector from a traditional industry to a high-technology one. He also noted that the ITRT is the most important international research institute in Taiwan devoted to the study of industrial application. Therefore, he felt immensely honored to become one of its fellows. But this honor comes with a sense of responsibility that will urge him to keep pushing important agendas on sustainable development, energy savings and reduction of carbon emissions, so as to further improve the wellbeing of all humanity.

When making her opening remarks, President Tsai praised Dr. Yin for not only playing a key role in the transformation of the business model of the Ruentex Group but also being one of the trailblazers in Taiwan’s precision engineering industry. The construction methods he pioneered have helped reduce construction time, lower costs, create a more manageable construction schedule, and make buildings stronger and safer. The factories of many of Taiwan’s technology companies were built using precast concrete automation technology, a construction process that reflects the active involvement of Dr. Yin and his team during these construction processes as well as the significant contributions they have made. They have enabled Taiwan’s high-tech industry to quickly meet market needs and successfully seize market opportunities worldwide.

Chairman of the ITRT Chih-kung Lee reminded those present at the ceremony that although Dr. Yin’s background is in the humanities, he not only became the first adjunct professor in the Department of Civil Engineering of the National Taiwan University but is also the inventor of the rebar processing automation technology employed in Taiwan and abroad, and currently holds hundreds of patents. He is, undoubtedly, one of the high-flying multi-hyphenates.

An eligible ITRT fellow has to have “practical experience in industrial management or research and technological development; outstanding achievements in technological innovation and industrialization; and significant contributions to the country’s industrial development as well as the wellbeing of its citizens.” Dr. Yin is one of the few entrepreneurs who excel in both industrial management and technology R&D. He is also the first person in Taiwan’s construction industry to be named laureate of the ITRT.

Dr. Yin is the chairman, chief engineer and director of the R&D department of the Ruentex Group. His tasks include taking on challenging tasks, bringing about a constant flow of innovations and breakthroughs, coordinating the efforts of different teams in actual construction work, ensuring that buildings are built faster, better, and more seismically resistant, and bringing creative drives to the world of civil & construction engineering. Moreover, he has always been happy to release to the public the 21 patents on construction-related inventions he has obtained, including a technique known as “continuously wound rectangular ties”.” With his inventions being incorporated into more and more high-quality construction projects nowadays, Dr. Yin has been able to share his knowledge in a way that can benefit society as a whole, and it has turned out to be a very rewarding experience for him. Besides, it gives him a great sense of satisfaction when he can provide customers with excellent services, promote the welfare of people around the globe, help Taiwan’s high-technology sector build factories and facilities quicker and better so as to ensure its leading position in the sector.

Having spent much of his life on technological innovation, Dr. Yin has seen more than 650 of his inventions patented in 19 countries and regions, including in Taiwan, China, America, Japan, Britain and the European Union.

Renowned and respected all over the world for his expertise in civil engineering, Dr. Yin has won numerous academic honors, including the Henry L. Michel Award for Industry Advancement of Research from American Society of Civil Engineers; Life Achievement Award for Professionals from the Chinese American Academic and Professional Society; the Engineering Prowess Award from the Russian Academy of Engineering; the Public Works Medal for Professionals from the Public Construction Commission of Taiwan’s Executive Yuan; first gold medal of the National Invention and Creation Award in the construction field from Taiwan's Ministry of Economics; and the Outstanding Entrepreneur Chair Honor from the College of Engineering of National Taiwan University. He is also an elected academician of the Russian Academy of Engineering. In 2019, he received an honorary doctorate from the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and was elected fellow of the US National Academy of Inventors in the same year. Seen in this light, the fellowship awarded by the ITRT is truly another honor well-deserved.

The ITRT also pointed out that apart from a distinguished career and enormous contributions to the engineering community, Dr. Yin is also lauded for his dedication to educational causes. He founded the Tang Prize with the aim of recognizing people who have influenced and made substantive contributions to the world. It has become a driving force behind the advancement of human civilization and sustainable development. 2022 marks the 10th anniversary of the Tang Prize. In this special year, Dr. Yin hopes the Tang Prize can continue to grow in importance and have increasingly greater impact on the way we think about sustainable development, in order to accomplish its mission of making the planet a better place to live. He also expects the Tang Prize to provide a platform for technological and cultural exchanges between Taiwan and the world. Thus, he encourages people of Chinese descent to work together to take on challenges facing humanity and strive to be an invaluable part of the international community.