Tsing Hua University International Team "Renaisun" Wins 2025 Hult Prize Taiwan Competition with AI-Powered Solar Drying Innovation
The annual Hult Prize, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for Students,” aims to inspire global youth to become social entrepreneurs and mobilize innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. For the first time, the 2025 Hult Prize Taiwan Competition was held in Tainan, hosted by the Future Smart Factory Research Center of National Cheng Kung University. The international student team Renaisun from National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), mentored by Professor Huang Neng-Fu—current President of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology and former NTHU faculty member—emerged as the champion with their groundbreaking agricultural technology startup project.
Named after Swedish entrepreneur Bertil Hult, the Hult Prize challenges university students to develop business ideas that tackle urgent global issues such as food security, water access, energy, and education. This year’s Taiwan edition drew over 200 student startup teams from universities across the island, with 19 finalists advancing to the national competition. Projects spanned diverse fields, including biotechnology, climate tech, and healthcare, reflecting the innovative spirit and commitment of Taiwanese youth to solving global problems.
Renaisun’s award-winning project, an “AI Smart Solar Low-Carbon Drying System,” was developed by an international team of three men and three women from interdisciplinary backgrounds in information systems and business management. The system integrates solar energy, Internet of Things (IoT), and AI-based visual recognition to provide an efficient, energy-saving, and real-time monitoring drying solution for small- to medium-sized farmers. The goal is to improve the quality of agricultural products and increase farmers’ income.
Professor Huang Neng-Fu highlighted that Renaisun’s mission is to offer high-quality, low-cost, and low-carbon crop drying services, especially for rural farmers in Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, and other regions globally. The team plans to first establish an AI-focused startup in Taiwan to localize their technology. Once the product is refined, they aim to expand their services internationally.
Under the Hult Prize structure, Team Renaisun will go on to represent Taiwan in the Hult Prize Global Top 50, participating in the global accelerator program. They also have a chance to advance to the Top 25 and compete in the final round in the UK, where national champions from around the world will vie for the USD $1 million grand prize in seed funding.
(News source: CTIMES/SmartAuto, May 5, 2025, reported by Chen Jue.)