Driving Transformation and Opening a New Chapter of Sustainable Innovation, College of Management, NTNU
In the face of rapid global industrial shifts and the accelerating rise of AI technologies, enterprises anticipate future trends, strategically position themselves, and foster sustainable innovation. On April 20, the EMBA Alumni Association of the College of Management at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) was honored to host Shuang-Lang Peng, Chairman of AUO, as the keynote speaker for the lecture.
The event brought together distinguished EMBA alumni and faculty members, including Dean of the College of Management, Shih-Chuan Tsai, Vice Dean Shu-Jou Lin, and Dr. Shih-Ju Wang, for a deep dive into corporate transformation and leadership strategy.
From Environmental Crisis to Circular Economy Leadership
In his speech, Chairman Peng used the 2004 'Xiaoli Creek Pollution Incident,' as an example to share how AUO turned a crisis into an opportunity under the pressure of public opinion. AUO had established an LCD panel plant upstream of Xiaoli Creek. Faced with the pollution of the Xiaoli River occurred in 1999, AUO did not shy away, but actively launched remediation actions. By December 31, 2015, AUO had completed a major project of 'total wastewater recycling and zero discharge,' completely eliminating pollution. Since then, AUO has built on this foundation to invest in the development of water resource recycling technologies. Subsequently, they established an environmental technology subsidiary, 'Yupei,' which focuses on professional water treatment and circular economy. This successful transformation has made AUO a provider of environmental solutions and a model for the Taiwanese technology industry in implementing ESG and sustainable development.
Dual-Axis Transformation for Economic and Industrial Resilience
Peng shared his own experience of stepping in as AUO Chairman in 2012, during a period of significant financial distress (NT$115 billion in cumulative losses over two years). Under his leadership, AUO underwent a dual-axis transformation that led to six consecutive years of profitability.
This transformation emphasized two key dimensions:
Corporate Operations: Technological innovation, digital transformation, and talent development; and Corporate Governance: Compliance, turning crisis into opportunity, and ESG integration. These efforts included:
Establishing technical and digital advisory committees, investing over NT$10 billion annually in R&D, advancing Micro LED, AI vision, and big data capabilities, launching AUO University 2.0 to cultivate interdisciplinary talents, strengthening industry-academic partnerships with leading universities, and so on.
Deepening Industry-Academic Collaboration
This lecture aligns closely with the mission of the College of Management—to cultivate future leaders who are both sustainability-minded and people-oriented—while also supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: “Decent Work and Economic Growth.” Through the exchange platform provided by the EMBA Alumni Association, the College of Management looks forward to future collaboration with AUO in areas such as internships, employment, and research, aiming to jointly enhance the international competitiveness of Taiwan’s management and technology talents.
In addition, the College of Management is committed to nurturing global professionals. In support of this goal, not only are English-taught programs available at the graduate level, but a new undergraduate English-taught program—the BA-ETP (Business Administration, English-Taught Program)— is launched in 2025. The college aims to collaborate closely with industry partners to meet the growing global demand for internationally competent management talent in an increasingly interconnected world.