The Ministry of Economic Affairs established the university level "Industry Economic Contribution Award" for the first time this year. The Award is divided into two types: the industry contribution award and the industry deep plough award. Applicants must be faculty or staff members employed on a full time basis at public or private colleges or universities, and must be recommended by domestic enterprises or corporate entities. For this year's award, the selection process underwent two stages: the primaries and the finals. At the end , four professors won the industry "deep plough" awards and three professors won the industry contribution awards.

Professor Kuang-chao Fan of the Department of Mechanical Engineering set foot in the Automatic Optical Inspection area starting from 1992. He felt that the high added value precision equipment industry was worthy of further development, so he started to integrate various research resources to foster the growth of AOI industry. Starting from 2000, he worked with the Center for Measurement Standards of the Industrial Technology Research Institute to establish a national AOI forum which helped domestic industry members to upgrade and to transform. After a few years, he established the AOI Equipment Association and was voted to become its Vice Chairman, using organization power to continue to push for the birth of AOI industry. As of 2002, the total national output of AOI industry was under N.T. 1 billion, but as of 2006, the total national output of the AOI industry has risen above 8 billion, and continues to grow rapidly.

The qualifications for the industry "deep plough" awardees are: those who have devoted themselves to the research and development of industrial technology, who have made outstanding performances in the development of common fundamental technologies relating to critical components, advanced materials, precision instruments, which are conducive to the technological independence of Taiwan through a continual deep-plough process. On the other hand, the qualifications for the recipients of the industry contribution awards are: those whose achievements in academic research made significant contributions to the development of industrial technology, to the cooperation between industry and university, to the innovation of industry operation modes, or to upgrading of the intangible assets of industry.