To foster international academic and technical collaboration, a delegation from the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) visited the Tainan Experimental Center of the Architecture and Building Research Institute (ABRI), Ministry of the Interior, on March 18, 2026. The visit was organized and led by Distinguished Professor Hung Chung-chan from the Department of Civil Engineering at National Cheng Kung University.
The Tainan Experiment Center, which encompasses the Fire Laboratory Center, the Performance Laboratory Center, and the Mock-up Testing and Wind Tunnel Laboratories, hosted a diverse group of academic researchers and industry representatives. The delegation’s expertise spanned civil engineering, materials engineering, and smart building technologies, with a primary focus on building fire safety, material performance evaluation, and the digital transformation of the construction industry.
During the visit, ABRI officials provided a comprehensive briefing on the center’s overall facilities and its extensive research capabilities. The delegation was given an in-depth guided tour of the center's state-of-the-art experimental equipment, including:
•Fire Resistance Furnaces: Specifically the door/wall furnace and the composite beam-column furnace used for structural integrity testing.
•Wind Generators: Advanced equipment within the Wind Rain and Wind Tunnel Lab for simulating extreme weather conditions.
•Semi-Anechoic Chamber: A specialized facility within the Performance Experiment Center for acoustic and building performance research.
These demonstrations offered the international guests a profound understanding of ABRI’s advanced testing technologies and their practical applications in enhancing building safety and performance.
The visit also served as a platform for a productive exchange of views regarding building fire safety, building performance, and smart building applications. Members of the CTU delegation expressed high praise for the scale and technical expertise of the Tainan Experiment Center, noting they were deeply impressed by the facility’s rigorous standards. Both parties expressed a shared commitment to deepening their cooperative relationship and exploring further opportunities for international partnership in the future.