Zhen Ding, Chung Yuan University Establish Green AI-PCB Co-Definition Laboratory

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Driven by global AI demand and the imperative of green sustainability, Zhen Ding Technology Holding Limited held a donation and talent cultivation ceremony with Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) to establish the "Green AI-PCB Co-Definition Laboratory." This initiative addresses the technical challenges of high-speed AI transmission, advancing the development of optical waveguide green materials and pioneering R&D and talent cultivation for PCB optical interconnect technology.

CYCU President Ying-Ming Li stated that with the rapid evolution of AI, semiconductors, and quantum computing, the industry's need for critical technologies and cross-disciplinary talent is more urgent than ever. Leveraging CYCU’s strong foundation in education and industry linkages, the university will collaborate with Zhen Ding on international talent cultivation and cutting-edge R&D through specialized programs, hands-on training, and talent development mechanisms.

CYCU plans to integrate relevant departments to establish a "PCB Academy" as a platform, creating a blended learning environment that links course design, industry internships, and technical R&D. This includes launching 2+2 industry-academic special classes, 1+4 international programs, and cross-border talent cultivation mechanisms to nurture professionals with both practical skills and global perspectives. Through the co-definition laboratory, joint R&D center, seed teacher training program, and patent/certification mechanisms, a complete value chain from education to industrial application will be gradually established.

Zhen Ding President Chen-Fu Chien noted that AI development has reached a critical turning point, significantly impacting both the industrial ecosystem and higher education. He added that CYCU’s ethos of "faith and action" has produced many outstanding talents, making it one of Zhen Ding’s largest sources of management personnel. The establishment of the co-definition laboratory and talent cultivation platform, supported by R&D funding, equipment donations, industry internships, and scholarships, will accelerate advanced R&D and strategic talent cultivation in green AI-PCB manufacturing. This will drive Zhen Ding’s next phase of high-speed growth and sustainable development.

The "Zhen Ding-CYCU Green AI-PCB Co-Definition Laboratory" will integrate cross-disciplinary resources from CYCU as well as government, industry, and research institutions. Through collaborative R&D and validation, the lab will accelerate technology development and deployment. In the first phase, Dean Yeh, Associate Dean Chi, and Professor Tsai will lead a three-year project titled "Green AI Infrastructure: Design and Fabrication of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Polymeric Optical Waveguides for Short-Reach Optical Interconnects in PCBs." Zhen Ding has provided approximately NT$10 million in R&D funding and equipment donations and will further leverage resources from the National Science and Technology Council and the Ministry of Education to scale R&D capabilities.

Project leader and Dean of the College of Science at CYCU, Yeh, stated that AI is driving increasingly stringent requirements for high bandwidth, low power consumption, and low interference. AI computing and transmission are moving toward an "optics-in, copper-out" paradigm, prompting a comprehensive upgrade of PCB materials and processes. The collaboration will focus on five key areas: polymeric optical waveguide materials for green AI infrastructure, short-reach high-speed optical transmission in PCBs, low-power high-efficiency green transmission architectures, high-speed data transmission for next-generation AI servers, and the development of new materials that offer both stability and cost advantages—addressing the dual challenges of computing performance and energy efficiency in the AI era.

In response to global supply chain restructuring and the impact of AI on future employment, the Zhen Ding-CYCU Co-Definition Laboratory will serve as an innovative platform for cross-disciplinary integration, industry linkage, and value co-creation. President Chen-Fu Chien and President Ying-Ming Li jointly presented the "Zhen Ding Newcomer Package" to three students — Rui-jing Sun from the Department of Chemistry, Yu-han Liu from the Department of Electronic Engineering, and Jin-xuan Lin from the Department of Physics — to encourage students to participate in industry-academia collaborative research. The award encourages students to engage in industry-academia collaborative research, conduct practical research across different Zhen Ding facilities, and strengthen their core expertise and hands-on abilities through mentorship and diverse learning pathways.

Zhen Ding and CYCU jointly promote green AI-PCB industry-academia collaboration todevelop next-generation technologies and talent.