Established in June 2003, the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL) has combined eleven national laboratories into an independent non-profit institute. The establishment of NARL creates a new era in the development of national laboratories in Taiwan.

The NARL consists of National Nano Device Laboratories (NDL), National Laboratory Animal Center (NLAC), National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE), National Space Organization (NSPO), National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC), National Chip Implementation Center (CIC), Instrument Technology Research Center (ITRC), Science & Technology Policy Research and Information Center (STPI), National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR), Taiwan Ocean Research Institute (TORI) and Taiwan Typhoon and Flood Research Institute (TTFRI). The research areas of NARL are the critical technologies foreseen by the nation. 

2003  NARL is established
  
6 labs become member laboratories of the NARL
•National Nano Device Laboratories (NDL)
•National Laboratory Animal Center (NLAC)
•National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE)
•National Space Organization (NSPO)
•National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC)
•National Chip Implementation Center (CIC)

2005  2 labs become member laboratories of the NARL
•Instrument Technology Research Center (ITRC)
•Science & Technology Policy Research and Information Center (STPI)

2008  TORI is established
•Taiwan Ocean Research Institute

2011  TTFRI is established
•Taiwan Typhoon and Flood Research Institute