The Real-life Protagonist of "Makers of Mountains" Wins Again: Feng Chia University Board Member Zhi-Yuan Lu Receives the 2025 Future Science Prize

“At that time, we were like the Foolish Old Man who moved mountains. No one believed we would succeed, and even talking about dreams felt shameful.” This statement, which sparked heated discussion among viewers of the documentary "Makers of Mountains—A Century’s Gamble," was spoken by Dr. Zhi-Yuan Lu, Board Member of Feng Chia University and a heavyweight in the semiconductor industry. Now, the real-life protagonist of the documentary has achieved another milestone. With his groundbreaking work in non-volatile semiconductor memory technology, Dr. Lu has been awarded the 2025 Future Science Prize in Mathematics and Computer Science, becoming the sole recipient of this year’s award.

Established by the Hong Kong Future Science Prize Foundation in 2016, the "Future Science Prize" aims to recognize scientists from China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan who have made significant international impacts. The prize covers three major categories: Life Science, Material Science, and Mathematics & Computer Science, and is hailed as the "Nobel Prize of China’s scientific community." To date, 46 pioneering researchers have been honored, and Dr. Lu’s achievement brings further international recognition to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry.

Dr. Zhi-Yuan Lu graduated from Columbia University with a Ph.D. in Physics. He previously served as General Manager of Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation and is currently the General Manager of Macronix International Co., Ltd. and Chairman of King Yuan Electronics Co., Ltd. Dr. Lu has long been dedicated to semiconductor physics and technological innovation. He led his team to successfully develop the world’s first 1Gb Flash chip with 4 bits per cell, and utilized 3D NAND/NOR technology to create ultra-high-density non-volatile memory equivalent to sub-3nm levels. This has advanced memory-centric computing architectures, solid-state drive applications, and high-spec memory solutions integrating AI and in-memory computing.

In the film, Dr. Lu recalls the origins of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry—in 1976, he was one of the engineers appointed by then-Premier Yun-Suan Sun to be among the first group sent to RCA in the United States to learn integrated circuit technology. Alongside industry pioneers such as former ITRI President Chin-Tay Shih, TSMC founding member Fan-Cheng Tseng, and MediaTek founder Ming-Chie Tsai, they shouldered the mission of “only success is allowed, failure is not an option.” This resilience, starting from scratch and breaking into the global market, not only enabled Dr. Lu to promote DRAM localization while leading the "Submicron Project" at ITRI, but also became the driving force behind his record-setting technical achievements at Vanguard and Macronix.

Since becoming a member of the Board of Trustees at Feng Chia University in 1999, Dr. Lu has provided invaluable advice for the university’s development and has actively promoted industry-academia collaboration and talent cultivation. He has facilitated deep partnerships between the university and companies such as Macronix International Co., Ltd. and King Yuan Electronics Co., Ltd., allowing students to directly engage with cutting-edge semiconductor technologies and practices, and to develop industry-ready skills through internships and research projects. In addition, as a Distinguished Chair Professor at the College of Information and Electrical Engineering, Dr. Lu has shared insights on quantum technology, AI, and the metaverse with faculty and staff, inspiring students and serving as a role model for all at Feng Chia University.

Dr. Lu has received numerous top international and domestic honors, including the George E. Pake Prize from the American Physical Society, the IEEE Millennium Medal, the Pan Wen-Yuan Outstanding Research Award, the IEEE Frederik Philips Award, the Presidential Science Prize, and the TWAS Engineering Sciences Prize. He also holds distinctions such as APS Fellow, IEEE Fellow, and ITRI Fellow. This Future Science Prize not only reaffirms his scientific achievements but also brings the pioneering spirit of the semiconductor industry, as depicted in "Makers of Mountains," to the world stage once again.

The 2025 Future Science Prize award ceremony will be held from October 22 to 26 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, where top scientists from around the globe will gather to share cutting-edge research and future technological prospects.