Wistron’s Chairman Simon Lin Awarded Honorary Doctorate in Engineering by NYCU

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University granted an honorary Doctorate of Engineering to Simon Lin, Wistron Corporation's Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, on March 28th. During the ceremony, Stan Shih, founder of Acer Inc. and an honorary doctorate recipient from NYCU, delivered a congratulatory speech. Shih recognized Lin's achievements and positioned him as the second most significant figure in Acer. He also commended Lin's innovative approach and effective implementation of AI that propelled Wistron Corporation, initially underestimated after its spin-off, to achieve a remarkable market value of 800 billion. Moreover, Shih disclosed Lin's role as one of Acer's co-founders and his contribution to the "Smiling Curve," a corporate competitive strategy proposed during Acer's restructuring. Apart from his professional achievements, Simon Lin has actively contributed to his alma mater and engaged in philanthropic initiatives.

Simon Lin concluded his acceptance speech with "You Raise Me Up" as a way to express gratitude to the supporters who had helped him throughout his journey. He also shared insights on managing both business and life, highlighting the importance of being 'outwardly gentle but inwardly stern' and advocating for sincerity, enthusiasm, humility, and altruism. The ceremony exuded festivity as Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and Acer collaborated. Several tech industry leaders, including John Hsuan; Emily Hong, Chair of Wiwynn Corporation; Jeff Lin, CEO of Wistron Corporation; Jeffrey Gau, CEO of Wistron NeWeb Corp; and philanthropic partner Stanley Yen, attended to offer their congratulations.

Lin received a recommendation for an honorary doctorate from the College of Computer Science and the College of Electrical and Computer Engineering. During the ceremony, President Chi-Hung Lin of NYCU made the recommendation and conducted the tassel-turning. President Lin noted that Simon Lin graduated from the Department of Computing and Control Engineering at NYCU. He began his career at Acer in 1979 and was promoted to the position of general manager in 1998. Lin led the establishment of Wistron Corporation after it separated from Acer in July 2001, as part of Acer's restructuring. Lin's extensive experience in OEM/ODM product development helped Wistron, under his leadership, become one of the Fortune Global 500 companies for eight years. In 2018, it was recognized as one of the Thomson Reuters Top 100 Global Technology Leaders. Additionally, it has maintained its position among the Forbes Global 2000 companies for 15 consecutive years. Currently, Wistron Corporation has ten manufacturing sites, eleven research and technical support centers, and fourteen customer service centers across Asia, Europe, and North America. By 2023, the business conglomerate's total market value surpassed NT$800 billion.

Apart from Wistron Corporation, Lin has also held the position of chairman in three listed companies within the Wistron Group: Wistron NeWeb Corp, Wistron ITS, and Wiwynn Corporation. Wistron NeWeb Corp specializes in wireless communication products, while Wistron ITS is a professional software and information outsourcing service firm with global delivery capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. Wiwynn Corporation, established in 2012, focuses on delivering solutions for products and systems in hyperscale data centers and cloud infrastructure. Since its official listing on March 27, 2019, Wiwynn Corporation has consistently performed well, with earnings per share rising from around NT$50 in 2020 and 2021 to NT$81.07 in 2022. With Wiwynn's stock price surging to NT$1000 and its revenue and market value continuously reaching new peaks, Lin resigned from his position as Chairman on July 13, 2023, finalizing the succession plan for all listed subsidiaries to transition to the new generation.

Lin believes that it is essential to invest in patents and build patent portfolios. The company is continuously expanding its investments in cutting-edge research and technology development. Wistron's focus extends to emerging fields such as healthcare, the metaverse, artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0, autonomous and electric vehicles. The investment in these areas exceeds NT$10 billion. Wistron acknowledges the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and the transformations in business models spurred by the intelligence revolution. Since 2017, the company has been actively implementing digital transformation. They established a specialized office for digital transformation to effectively steer and execute digital and AI integration across manufacturing and the entire company. During the ceremony, Lin mentioned that in 2011, Wistron Group's revenue range was from NT$500 to 600 billion, employing approximately 150,000 people. However, with the aid of AI, the company now generates around NT$1 trillion in revenue with fewer than 70,000 employees. Despite this remarkable achievement, Lin consistently stresses the importance of valuing scarce and diverse talents as crucial to Taiwan's ability to maintain its leading global position.

Wistron Corporation has made a significant donation to the NYCU Tainan Campus. They have donated over NT$40 million and have pledged an additional nearly NT$1 billion for the construction of a new building on the Tainan campus. This initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between industry and academia, creating an environment conducive to talent development. Since 2019, Lin has annually contributed NT$1.8 million to establish the "Wistron Junior Chair." This program invites globally renowned experts and scholars in the field of artificial intelligence to deliver lectures in Taiwan, fostering industry professionals with practical experience. Lin has also personally donated NT$150 million to National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, resulting in the establishment of the "H&J Global Chair." This project aims to attract Nobel Prizewinning scholars to Taiwan as visiting professors, aiding Taiwanese students in integrating into the international arena and reinforcing the establishment and exchange of research among key talents. Furthermore, Wistron Corporation, which owns two factories that joined Lighthouse Network of World Economic Forum, collaborated with NYCU to establish the "Joint Industrial Innovation Center for AI and Green Energy (JCAG)" in June 2023. This collaboration aims to redefine the concept of an advanced ICT smart factory by exploring the upcoming era of smart manufacturing and the challenges of smart green energy. It seeks to establish a model for Taiwan's industry.

During his honorary doctorate ceremony, Lin gave a speech in which he reminisced about his student days when he was not very diligent, often skipping classes and organizing dance parties. However, he was prompted by an instructor's question, "What's your purpose in attending college?" and his exposure to Buddhism at the time. This led him to adopt the principle of "outwardly gentle but inwardly stern." This principle emphasized the importance of harmonious conduct and a strong conscience, which helped him navigate interpersonal relationships effectively and gain the support of mentors, peers, and business associates, ultimately contributing to his present achievements. When asked by younger students, Lin encouraged them to pursue their academic goals and advised aspiring entrepreneurs to first evaluate whether they possess the innate inclination to challenge the status quo and possess the interpersonal skills necessary for success. Lin also emphasized the importance of exploring the humanities, including literature, music, history, and philosophy, to foster diverse thinking. Regarding the most concerning AI issues, Lin recognized the indispensable role of AI in corporate governance. Although not an AI expert himself, he acknowledged the good timing of aligning with the AI trend and stressed the ongoing need to seek suitable collaboration partners. Lastly, echoing Jensen Huang's address at Stanford University, Lin urged younger students to step out of their comfort zones, develop resilience in the face of adversity, and bravely confront the challenges of the future.