The National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC) today (August 25) celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS). National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Cheng-Wen Wu, Deputy Minister Chen-Kang Su, NSRRC Director General Meng-Fan Luo, and distinguished guests from Taiwan and abroad gathered to recognize TPS’s achievements and look ahead to its continued contributions to global scientific advancement.
In his remarks, Minister Wu highlighted TPS as a national research facility demonstrating Taiwan’s ability to design and build a world-class synchrotron light source. He noted that Taiwan’s long-term investment in R&D has increasingly translated into national competitiveness. He encouraged NSRRC to expand the use of TPS in promoting transdisciplinary research in semiconductors, quantum technology, precision medicine, and the net-zero emission, helping address global challenges while driving Taiwan’s technological advancement and sustainable development.
Since its commissioning in 2016, TPS has become one of the world’s brightest third-generation synchrotron light sources. Designed and integrated by Taiwanese teams, the facility reflects Taiwan’s expertise in precision engineering, ultrahigh vacuum technology, magnet systems, advanced power supplies and cryogenics. It has also helped foster a domestic supply chain for the accelerator technology.
Academia Sinica President Chien-Jen Chen offered his congratulations in a pre-recorded message. He recalled his involvement in the approval of the TPS construction project in 2007 while serving as Minister of the National Science Council and a member of the NSRRC Board. He was delighted to see TPS achieve exceptional operational performance and stability, enabling impactful research through close collaboration across academia and industry worldwide. President Chen expressed his hope that NSRRC will continue to lead cutting-edge research and direct its light toward major challenges in healthcare and sustainability.
Today, TPS operates 19 sophisticated beamlines and supports more than 7,000 user visits annually across academia and industry. Research at TPS results in nearly 400 SCIE-indexed papers each year, with almost 60% appearing in high-impact journals, highlighting TPS’s contribution to high-quality scientific work.
NSRRC Director General Meng-Fan Luo noted that, with long-term support from the government and NSTC, NSRRC has advanced accelerator and light-source technologies while facilitating outstanding scientific research. Looking forward, NSRRC will continue to push the boundaries of fundamental science and cutting-edge technology, support the development of national key technologies, deepen industry partnerships, and work together with its partners to build an even brighter decade of innovation.
The development of TPS began with the Executive Yuan’s approval of the Taiwan Photon Source Construction Project in 2007, followed by groundbreaking in 2010 and commissioning in 2016. A decade on, NSRRC will persist in harnessing its world-class facility to pursue frontier research, expand international and transdisciplinary collaboration, cultivate the next generation of scientific talent, and strengthen Taiwan’s position in the global scientific community.