IEEE GLOBECOM 2020 in Taipei and Foxconn’s Newly Established Hon Hai Research Institute

By Chia-Han Lee - Chair of IEEE ComSoc Taipei Chapter, Taiwan

IEEE GLOBECOM 2020 was successfully held in Taipei. As the first GLOBECOM/ICC ever to be held in hybrid mode (due to the pandemic situation), IEEE GLOBECOM 2020 innovated the way the ComSoc flag conference is organized. Even though many attendees had to cancel their trips to Taiwan due to travel constraints, IEEE GLOBECOM 2020 provided a novel and enjoyable experience for every attendee, no matter whether they attended physically or virtually.

Inauguration ceremony for Foxconn’s Hon Hai Research Institute on Jan. 4, 2021. Fourth from the right is Terry Gou, the founder of Foxconn.

Among the six keynotes of GLOECOM 2020, three speakers were from Taiwan-based companies, MediaTek, Foxconn, and Chunghwa Telecomm. MediaTek and Foxconn are internationally well-known companies in design and manufacture of wireless products. MediaTek is the world’s fourth largest global fabless semiconductor company and became the biggest smartphone chipset vendor in 2020, while Foxconn is the world’s largest electronics manufacturer with business covering cloud computing, mobile devices, IoT, big data, AI, smart networks, semiconductors, robotics/automation, electric vehicles, and digital health. The CEO of MediaTek, Dr. Rick Tsai, gave a keynote speech, “Accelerating the Digital Economy Post Covid-19 Pandemic,” envisioning the trends of the technologies that help accelerate the digital economy during and even after the pandemic, and in particular, the role that IC design plays in achieving the technological advancement. Dr. Jay Lee, the Vice Chairman of Foxconn, virtually delivered a keynote speech on the theme of “Industrial AI for Smart Digital Transformation,” sharing his views on how to apply 5G, AI, IoT, and other emerging technologies in smart manufacturing to enhance industrial transformation. Both MediaTek and Foxconn also showcased their prowess in the design and manufacture of 5G equipment in the physical exhibition at GLOBECOM 2020.

The exhibition of Foxconn at GLOBECOM 2020 was arranged by the Hon Hai Research Institute (HHRI), a newly established research institute of Foxconn (note that the research institute is named following the alternative name of Foxconn Technology Group and the Hon Hai Technology Group). The establishment of the HHRI is an important step in Foxconn’s development strategy as the company moves one step closer to its “Foxconn 3.0” transformation. Dr. Jen-Ming Wu, a member of the IEEE ComSoc Taipei Chapter and a professor at National Tsing Hua University, was recently appointed as the director of the Next-Generation Communications Research Center, one of the five research centers of HHRI (the other four are the AI Research Center, Semiconductor Research Center, Information Security Research Center, and Quantum Computing Research Center). The Next-Generation Communications Research Center of HHRI focuses on the development of core technologies for B5G/6G and next-generation networks. The center explores ways to apply the research, combined with insights from intelligence and semiconductor technologies, to advanced communication technologies such as vehicle to everything communications and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications, with the end goal of setting new standards within the industries.

For those who missed the chance to visit Taipei for IEEE GLOBECOM 2020 due to the pandemic, here is good news for you: Taipei will host IEEE GLOBECOM 2025! The ComSoc Taipei Chapter, therefore, would like to invite you to attend IEEE GLOBECOM 2025 and visit beautiful Taipei City. You may also visit HHRI, and I am sure Dr. Wu would be more than happy to welcome you!