202510/22
To revitalize the rural economy and address the challenges of labor shortages and an aging population in mountainous areas, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) commissioned a team led by Distinguished Professor Lin, Wei-Chih of National Sun Yat-sen University, in 2022, to develop “Labor-Saving Machinery for Log-Cultivated Shiitake Mushrooms—“Log Transporter” and “Automated Spore Inoculation Machine.” These two machines were showcased at the “2025 Taiwan Innotech Expo and Invention Competition.” The “Log Transporter” won the Platinum Award, while the “Automated Spore Inoculation Machine” was awarded the Bronze Medal. The machines also received the “Special Enterprise Award” (from Hon Hai Technology Group), making them the only government-developed patented invention recognized by the industry, underscoring the technology’s maturity and market potential.
Competition Highlights: Testing Technological Prowess Against International Standards
The FANCA stated that the 2025 Taiwan Innotech Expo and Invention Competition is a flagship exhibition and competition showcasing patented technologies in Taiwan. The event features four distinct zones: the “Sustainability Pavilion,” “Innovation Economy Pavilion,” “Future Technology Pavilion,” and “Invention Competition Area.” Over 1,200 patented works were exhibited, with nearly 600 patents (including 73 international patents) gathered in the “Invention Competition Area.” Entries competed across 16 categories, including: Information Technology and Communications, Machinery and Materials, Smart Manufacturing, Biomedicine and Agriculture, and Green Energy and Environment. The selection process is rigorous, with a combination of written preliminary reviews and on-site presentation evaluations. The evaluation focuses on originality, innovative value, functionality and practicality, technical maturity, industrialization feasibility, and market potential, while also emphasizing safety standards and sustainability. Only 14 invention patents received the Platinum Award, an award rate of less than 3%. The winning patents symbolize cutting-edge innovation, feasibility, and industrial value.
Another major award at this event—the Special Enterprise Award—was presented by four companies: Delta Electronics, Wonderland Group, Micro-Star International, and Hon Hai Technology Group. These companies visited the exhibition as “mystery shoppers” and evaluated the entries from practical perspectives, including commercialization potential, supply chain integration, and business model feasibility. Each company selected four to five technologies and devices they believed offered the best commercialization and industrial value potential. Ultimately, less than 1% of the entries were recognized. The winning patents represent technologies poised for direct market entry with significant industrialization momentum. This year, a total of 19 Special Enterprise Awards were selected by the four companies. Recognized by Hon Hai Technology Group, the FANCA’s "Automated Spore Inoculation Machine" stands as the industry's only acknowledged government-developed patented invention, underscoring its maturity and market potential.
Despite the highly competitive selection process characterized by high thresholds and low award rates, the FANCA’s two patents still received both the highest honor and the Special Enterprise Award, proving that the research and development results are not only innovative, but also effectively connect with the industry, respond to actual needs, and drive practical economic benefits.
Under-Forest Economy Policy and Log-Cultivated Shiitake Mushrooms: The Main Engine Driving Mountain Village Economies
The FANCA pointed out that log-cultivated shiitake mushrooms are one of the most representative and mature operations in the current under-forest economy. They offer multiple benefits, including national land conservation, timber resource recycling, and the revitalization of mountain village economies. In recent years, driven by policy relaxation, field demonstrations and technical guidance, the under-forest economy has gradually expanded from single-crop management to a local green economy industrial system encompassing production, processing, sales, and experiences. Log-cultivated shiitake mushrooms, characterized by high added value, strong brand recognition, and stable consumer market, not only generate stable income for families in mountain villages, but also serve as the top choice for young farmers returning to their hometowns to engage in under-forest industries. Traditional log-cultivated shiitake mushroom production has long faced bottlenecks such as “high physical demands, significant risks, complex processes, and labor shortages.” In particular, key operational stages, including handling, drilling for spore inoculation, stacking, and relocation, place extreme demands on workers’ physical fitness and experience. The FANCA pointed out that the two award-winning labor-saving machines are designed with “safety, efficiency, and user-friendliness” as the core design principles, offering concrete solutions to the industry pain points. The Log Transporter effectively reduces the load and tipping risks during single-person operations, shortens moving routes, improves stacking stability, and reduces the probability of musculoskeletal injuries. The Automated Spore Inoculation Machine standardizes inoculation depth, spacing, and frequency, which improves product consistency and mycelium colonization success rates, while significantly reducing operation time and labor requirements.
On the production side, the introduction of labor-saving machinery can increase output per unit time and product yield, reduce dependence on weather and labor, and strengthen overall supply stability. On the employment side, the reduced operational threshold and occupational safety risks help expand the participation of older adults and women, creating local employment opportunities. At the societal level, the promotion of labor-saving technologies can significantly increase the willingness of young people to return to their hometowns and invest in under-forest industries. This can help foster local technological advancement and entrepreneurial energy. By integrating diverse values such as ecotourism, food and agriculture education, origin certification, and certification label promotion, these efforts create a virtuous cycle of co-prosperity between “industry, community, and the environment.”
From Industry-Academia Collaboration to Labor-Saving Solutions, Creating New Momentum for the Rural Economy
Distinguished Professor Lin, Wei-Chih of National Sun Yat-sen University stated, “A down-to-earth and flexible mindset is the core principle for driving effective policies.” In addition to supporting research and development funding, the FANCA actively participates in discussions, pays visits to forest owners to understand their needs, and assists in field testing during the research and development process, contributing a wealth of professional knowledge and experience. During the research and development process, students not only learn practical skills beyond textbooks, but also integrate local industry needs and social contexts into their design thinking. This experience not only strengthens the research and development capabilities of the young scholars, but also makes them more competitive in the future workplace. The R&D team will continue to pursue pragmatic innovation, combining industry-academia collaboration with local collective wisdom to develop more labor-saving machinery suitable for use in mountain villages. This will drive the development of sustainable green economy industries in communities and tribal villages, making sustainability economically viable.
The FANCA added that the triple honors, including the Platinum Award, Bronze Medal, and Special Enterprise Award for the labor-saving machinery, symbolize a milestone in the advancement of a “safe, efficient, low-carbon and resilient” production system. Moving forward, the FANCA will continue to collaborate with partners from all sectors to promote the commercialization and practical application of superior technologies, inject new vitality into mountain villages, and achieve the vision of mutual benefit and prosperity for forests and communities.