National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT) and U.S.-based Sunbird Software have joined forces to establish the "Sunbird・NTUT Energy Management R&D Center." A signing ceremony was held today to formalize their industry-academia collaboration. Sunbird will continue its technical partnership with NTUT's Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, focusing on data center infrastructure management (DCIM) and smart energy solutions. Together, they aim to drive innovation in research and cultivate software technology talent.

NTUT President Sea-Fue Wang stated that both parties have maintained a close collaboration for years, with total project funding nearing NT$100 million. The partnership has also provided students with valuable opportunities to participate in research projects with a world-class company.

President Wang highlighted that their collaboration began in 2016, with the first five-year plan launched in October 2019, establishing a joint R&D center. In October last year, they initiated a second five-year plan, bringing total project funding to NT$100 million. Over the years, they have built a strong foundation of mutual trust and long-term cooperation.

Wang further emphasized the importance of talent cultivation in this partnership, stating, "Sunbird sends its managers and engineers to meet with our faculty and students every two weeks, discussing research progress and providing feedback." So far, over 100 master's and undergraduate students have participated in various technology R&D projects. Each summer, undergraduate students involved in the program have the opportunity to intern at Sunbird's Taiwan branch. More than 20 graduates have joined Sunbird as full-time employees. Looking ahead, NTUT hopes more faculty and students will engage in software development, energy efficiency, and AI-related cutting-edge research, contributing to Taiwan’s DCIM industry and increasing its global influence.

Sunbird Chairman Ching-I Hsu expressed the company's vision of establishing a global DCIM R&D hub centered in Taiwan. He acknowledged NTUT for nurturing many outstanding software talents, noting that 40% of Sunbird Taiwan’s employees are NTUT graduates. As a result, Sunbird aims to strengthen its industry-academia collaboration with NTUT, providing a platform for engineers to co-develop software with university faculty and students. This initiative will enhance students’ practical software development and testing skills, improve communication and collaboration with multinational engineers, and accelerate innovation in research and development. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance data center management efficiency and promote energy-saving solutions, positioning Taiwan as a key player in global software development for advanced DCIM systems.

Professor Chien-Hung Liu, Director of the Sunbird・NTUT Energy Management R&D Center, explained that the center focuses on agile development, automated testing, code refactoring, and performance optimization, along with training programs in these areas. Additionally, the center specializes in DCIM software stress testing and code quality analysis. Looking ahead, the center plans to integrate AI technologies into software development and data center management, further expanding its research capabilities.

Chinese Resource：https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/4925184