Taiwan Ocean Research Institute (TORI) of NIAR was established 2008. TORI actively engages in the independent design and R&D of marine exploration equipment and innovative technologies that serve the research needs of government, academia, and research institutes. By facilitating scientific research, marine engineering, and land investigation missions, TORI strives to propel the development of the marine industry. Moreover, TORI aims to reduce Taiwan’s dependency on imported marine exploration equipment by acquiring core development technologies through independent R&D processes, which will also allow for more diverse research that goes beyond the constraints of commercial tools. This self-developed exploration equipment can contribute to research vessel exploration with greater precision. By realizing the "backing science with technology" strategy, TORI is devoted to developing and maintaining core facilities as well as managing the exploration teams essential for marine research and exploration.

As an island surrounded by the ocean, the deep cultivation of marine science and technology research and development is the cornerstone of Taiwan’s sustainable development. The government’s vision is “Blue Revolution: How the Ocean Prospers Our Nation”. The purpose of this vision is to develop and implement nationally funded world class ocean marine technology projects.