From left: The minister of Economic Affairs Chih-Hui Kuo, the chairman of Master Bus Ting-Fa Wu, and the chairman of ARTC Cheng-Chien Wang. Photo / Provided by ARTC
The first Level 3 autonomous electric bus in Taiwan, independently developed by the Automotive Research & Testing Center (ARTC), has won the prestigious Edison Award, often referred to as the ‘Oscars of the innovation field.’ This recognition marks a major milestone for Taiwan’s smart mobility innovation. At the ‘press conference of the Taiwanese Winners of the Edison Awards in 2025’ held on June 3 at the International Convention Center of NTU Hospital, Minister of Economic Affairs Chih-Hui Kuo announced that Taiwan had 18 technologies shortlisted this year, ranking second only to the United States. Among them, 14 technologies originated from the technology projects of the Ministry of the Economic Affairs, demonstrating the strong international competitiveness of Taiwan in innovation and R&D field.
This Level 3 AI autonomous electric bus features ARTC’s in-house developed decision-making and control software, integrating key functions such as sensor fusion, autonomous driving control, driver takeover judgment, and risk management decision-making. The system is fully compliant with the United Nations UN R157 Level 3 autonomous driving standard.
ARTC developed through the collaboration with Master Bus, and other leading Taiwanese companies. This project represents the first Level 3 autonomous electric bus in Taiwan, and wins the ‘Edison Award’, often referred to as the Oscar of the Innovation field. (Photo / Provided by ARTC)
Through years of dedicated research, development, and system integration, the Automotive Research & Testing Center (ARTC) has collaborated with a group of leading domestic enterprises, including Master Bus, ELAN Microelectronics, oToBrite, CubTEK, Rotatech, DFI Inc., Arcadyan Technology, and ChiMei Motor. From vehicle design, control logic, perception and decision-making, system safety to regulatory verification, everything was developed by the Taiwanese team.
The Edison Awards are among the most prestigious global innovation honors, with judging criteria that include technological innovation, market impact, and sustainability value. Past award winners include top international companies such as Tesla, Volvo, and BMW. ARTC’s recognition at the Edison Awards of this year represents the highest affirmation of Taiwan’s capabilities of autonomous driving technology.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs held the ‘press conference of the Taiwanese Winners of the Edison Awards in 2025’ at the International Convention Center of NTU Hospital. (Photo /Provided by ARTC)