History and Development

In order to promote international scientific and technological research and development, facilitate the exchange between domestic researchers and the international science and technology community, and strengthen opportunities for international collaboration, our university has established this degree program to enhance its status and visibility on the global stage.

Since artificial intelligence (AI) technology was officially defined at the Dartmouth Conference in 1956, the field has evolved significantly, particularly with the landmark match between AlphaGo and South Korean professional Go player Lee Sedol in 2016, which sparked a new wave of AI technology applications. With the advancements in various algorithms and a significant increase in processor performance, AI technology has now deeply penetrated various industries and every aspect of daily life, becoming the core of numerous intelligent applications, such as smart healthcare, autonomous driving, smart factories, smart cities, and smart homes. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly accelerated the digital transformation of enterprises, and the demand for AI has risen accordingly. Leveraging AI to enhance operational efficiency and meet evolving market demands has become one of the most discussed topics today.

According to Statista's data, the global AI market size was estimated at $22.59 billion in 2020, showing a 53.8% growth compared to $14.69 billion in the previous year. The market is expected to grow to $126 billion by 2025, providing an additional growth potential of over $100 billion in the next five years.

Since 2017, the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has been promoting the "Digital Nation and Innovative Economic Development Program (2017-2025)" (DIGI+ Plan), which serves as a blueprint for leading digital development and fostering innovation. This initiative aims to accelerate the integration of Taiwan's industries and daily life with AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and other smart technologies, while also capitalizing on Taiwan's strengths in being small yet efficient, agile in cross-disciplinary integration, and swift in adaptation, positioning Taiwan as a model for smart innovation.

To respond to the advent of the AI era, seize AI development opportunities, and meet the demands of industry digitalization and smart transformation, the government declared 2017 as the "AI Year" in Taiwan. In August of the same year, the "AI Research Strategy" was launched, followed by the commencement of a four-year "Taiwan AI Action Plan" on January 18, 2018 (2018-2021). This plan aimed to fully initiate the transformation of industries through AI and the industrialization of AI. However, facing a rapidly changing world, one question arises: where is Taiwan's AI talent, and how can they connect with the global community?

The Department of Industrial Development of the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Taiwan has analyzed the job functions to clarify the division of labor and job nature for AI talent in the manufacturing sector, summarizing five key positions necessary for the development of AI applications in the industry: AI Application Engineer, Domain-Specific Application Engineer, Data Engineer, AI and Data Scientist, and AI Project Manager.

According to a survey, among these five key positions, AI and Data Scientist is the most challenging role to recruit, with up to 45% of companies indicating that the average recruitment period for this position takes more than six months, a significantly higher percentage compared to other AI-related roles. The primary reasons for this difficulty are the high technical entry barrier for AI and Data Scientists and the current lack of mature and systematic talent development pathways. However, from the perspective of industrial practice, AI and Data Scientists are crucial to the development of AI applications in manufacturing.

The development of AI applications is closely linked to the future of the global industrial economy. The shortage of AI talent in the job market has a direct impact on the pace of AI development in some enterprises, which in turn affects the productivity improvements and economic growth that AI applications can bring. In other words, the current speed of AI transformation in industries is greatly constrained by the sufficient supply of professional AI talent. At present, around 80% of AI and Data Scientist positions in the job market require a master's degree or higher, indicating a timely opportunity to cultivate talent with both specialized technical skills and an international perspective. Therefore, the establishment of this degree program will enhance the international competitiveness of Taiwan's AI technology and application development.

Educational Purpose

The goal of this degree program is to cultivate students into high-level technical talents with specialized skills in AI.

By leveraging the university’s abundant research in marine resources and related specialties, the program actively promotes smart marine research and development, realizing the "Ecology, Safety, and Prosperity" vision of a marine nation and contributing to the sustainable development of Taiwan's marine sector. Additionally, it integrates the expertise of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (including departments of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Communications, Navigation and Control Engineering) and the College of Engineering (including departments of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, and System Engineering and Naval Architecture), leveraging interdisciplinary planning and teaching, offering a diversified and cross-disciplinary curriculum. This aims to enable students to develop capabilities in both knowledge and technology, meeting the needs of various industries, and ultimately becoming high-level AI technology professionals with comprehensive skills.

Future Outlook

The curriculum structure of this degree program is based on the application of artificial intelligence, integrating the marine characteristics of National Taiwan Ocean University, along with the disciplines of biotechnology, IoT technology, and smart navigation and communication technologies from the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Additionally, it combines practical and professional courses in mechanical manufacturing, optomechanical system design, and sustainable science from the College of Engineering. The program is delivered entirely in English, aiming to cultivate research and innovative talents that align with national development, meet international trends, and satisfy the needs of enterprises for both internationalization and intelligent innovation.