Media Releases

PolyU International Future Challenge (Qianhai Regional Final) advances top four teams to Grand Final

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) hosted the PolyU x CSCEC Science and Industry International Future Challenge (Qianhai Regional Final) in Qianhai, Shenzhen, yesterday (20 August 2026). 16 innovative startup teams competed for a range of awards and cash prizes, with the top four teams advancing to the Grand Final scheduled to be held in Hong Kong in January 2027, joining winners from eight other regional competitions. During the competition, Dr LAM Tai‑fai, PolyU Council Chairman, led the University’s representatives to meet with Ms WEN Ping, Member of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone Work Committee of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee cum Deputy Director General of the Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen Municipality (Qianhai Authority) and representatives of the Authority. With a view to further deepening collaboration between Hong Kong and Qianhai, they engaged in in‑depth exchanges on crucial topics that included translation of PolyU research outcomes in Qianhai, startup incubation, industry‑academia‑research collaboration and Shenzhen‑Hong Kong integration. The PolyU International Future Challenge (PolyU IFC) Qianhai Regional Final was hosted by the PolyU-Qianhai Disruptive Technology and Innovation Research Centre (QHRC), with China Construction Science and Industry Corporation Ltd. (CSCES Science and Industry), a leading enterprise in China’s steel structure industry, serving as the strategic partner. The competition was supported by several key organisations, including Qianhai FinNet, Shenzhen Angel FOF, the Qianhai Global Investor Network, Qianhai International Talent Service Center, Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub, the PolyU Shenzhen Research Institute, and the PolyU CEO Club. Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation) remarked, “PolyU has been actively integrating itself into overall National development, consistently leveraging its innovation strengths and innovative spirit to help realise the Nation’s strategic goal of achieving high‑level self‑reliance and strength in science and technology. PolyU IFC serves as a key initiative in advancing innovation and entrepreneurship and unlocking the potential of our young people. It is truly encouraging that the teams participating in the PolyU IFC Qianhai Regional Final have not only demonstrated impressive innovation capabilities but also embodied the Qianhai spirit of ‘being enterprising and pioneering’. We look forward to more young innovators setting off from Qianhai’s innovation hub to translate technological achievements into ventures that empower the future while creating further technology and innovation success stories.” The PolyU IFC Qianhai Regional Final focused on cutting edge fields including Life Sciences and Healthcare, Advanced Manufacturing and Microelectronics, Smart City and Green Living, as well as Aerospace and Aviation Technology. The competition attracted over 100 teams, clearly demonstrating the vitality and appeal of Qianhai as an innovation and technology hub. Prior to the competition, participating teams joined a series of exchanges and site visits, including tours to QHRC, the Qianhai Shenzhen Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub, the Qianhai R&D and Service Platform for Smart Manufacturing, as well as enterprises founded by PolyU alumni, such as EcoFlow Inc. and BOTINKIT. These visits helped participants gain in depth insights into Qianhai’s entrepreneurial resources and market landscape. In addition to the cash prizes, the top four teams will gain access to entrepreneurial resources from PolyVentures, the University’s startup ecosystem, and be admitted to the high quality incubator at QHRC to accelerate their expansion into the Chinese Mainland market. Furthermore, winning teams may secure tuition sponsorship for the PolyU Master of Technology Entrepreneurship programme. Following a rigorous evaluation by the judging panel and on site voting, the winning teams of the PolyU IFC Qianhai Regional Final were as follows. Award Team/Company Project Cash Prize Diamond Cupe Easenory Technology Limited World-Leading Stretchable Textile PCB RMB 100,000 Gold Award Shenzhen ChengshengRuize Technology Co., Ltd RIS intelligent metasurface, a key component for 6G full-area coverage and space-air-ground integration RMB 60,000 Silver Award Shenzhen Orisys Technology Co. Ltd. Ultra-Thin Visuotactile Sensors based on Microfabricated Compound Eye Array RMB 40,000 PolyU CEO Club Bronze Award TouchSense Technology Co., Limited Low-cost, Scalable Triboelectric Tactile Sensors for Robotics and AIoT RMB 20,000 Best Student Team Award Zhicun Technolodgy Research and Industrialization of Next-Generation General-Purpose Novel Memory Technology RMB 10,000 Best Student Team Award Chorosight (Hong Kong) Limited Chorosight AI Smart Vision Tester RMB 10,000 Best Presentation Award Easenory Technology Limited World-Leading Stretchable Textile PCB RMB 10,000 Best Presentation Award Aiyovita Technologies Limited AI-Powered Personalized Auricular Therapy System RMB 5,000 Best Innovation Award Shenzhen ChengshengRuize Technology Co., Ltd RIS intelligent metasurface, a key component for 6G full-area coverage and space-air-ground integration RMB 5,000 Best Innovation Award Easenory Technology Limited World-Leading Stretchable Textile PCB RMB 5,000 Most Popular Award CobotAI Limited Universal Embodied Intelligence Data Collection System and Skill Platform RMB 5,000 Most Popular Award MetaBridge Digital Intelligence Technologies Limited A 3D Gaussian Splatting and Blockchain Platform for Cultural Heritage RMB 5,000 As the University’s flagship innovation and entrepreneurship competition, the PolyU IFC is strategically aligned with the Nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan and “Artificial Intelligence (AI)+” initiative. This year, an overseas region was introduced for the first time, meaning the inclusion of nine competition regions in total: Saudi Arabia, Qianhai, Hong Kong, Wuhan, Nanjing, Jinjiang, Hefei, Hangzhou and Wuxi. Leveraging the cross border network of the PolyU Mainland Translational Research Institutes and in collaboration with local government authorities and leading enterprises, the competition focuses on “AI+” to foster precise alignment between research projects and regional industrial resources. To date, over 1,400 competition applications have been received from across the nine competition regions. Registration for the Jinjiang, Hefei, Hangzhou and Wuxi regions is currently open. For further details, please visit the official PolyU IFC website.   ***END***

PolyU Junior Researcher Mentoring Programme 2026 concludes, nurturing future research talent through innovative thinking

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to fostering the holistic development of young people, and nurturing socially responsible professionals and leaders with a strong sense of national pride and a global perspective. This year, PolyU held the sixth “Junior Researcher Mentoring Programme” (JRMP), attracting 210 high school students from 79 local and international schools. Under the expert guidance of PolyU scholars, students undertook a series of impactful research projects, deepening their research interests and spirit of exploration. The Programme closing ceremony was held today (20 August), with over 200 school principals, teachers, students and guests from various sectors attending to witness the students’ remarkable research achievements and learning journey. This year’s programme featured 35 research projects spanning diverse disciplines, including industrial and systems engineering, health technology and informatics, social sciences, biomedicine, design, as well as fashion and textiles. Over the programme period, students conducted individual or group research, engaging in research design, data collection, literature review and results reporting, thereby acquiring essential specialist knowledge and research skills. Beyond gaining invaluable practical research experience, participants visited PolyU laboratories and teaching and research facilities. This gave them first-hand experience of the University’s vibrant research atmosphere and a deeper understanding of PolyU’s diverse undergraduate programmes, laying a solid foundation for their future academic pursuits. Prof. Wing-tak WONG, PolyU Deputy President and Provost, said, “The JRMP is designed to empower outstanding secondary school students by pairing them with world-class PolyU scholars for hands-on, university-level research. I hope this journey has helped students develop a strong understanding of research methodologies, thereby enhancing their analytical skills, leadership potential and confidence to pursue excellence on their future academic and professional pathways. I look forward to welcoming them back to PolyU, either as our students or as researchers, and witnessing them drive impactful innovation for our future.” Under the guidance of Prof. Carmen LEE, Associate Professor of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and her team, four students from Yew Chung International School of Hong Kong, ESF Island School, ESF West Island School and Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong conducted research titled “Application of Mobile Robotics with Artificial Intelligence Image Processing”. They successfully developed a functional handwriting robot that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) vision, real-time image processing and high-precision mechanical motion control. The students shared that, “This invaluable experience has benefited us greatly. With the meticulous guidance of our mentors, we have mastered image processing and AI model training, successfully integrating software and hardware to achieve robotic control. This project has not only enhanced our research capabilities and logical thinking, but also deepened our passion for AI and engineering, reinforcing our determination to pursue relevant disciplines at university.” Meanwhile, two students from Harrow International School Hong Kong and The Independent Schools Foundation Academy completed a research project titled “A ‘One Health’ Approach to Investigating Drug-Resistant Yeast on Fruit Epicarps Across Hong Kong’s Wet Markets and Supermarkets”, under the guidance of Dr Franklin CHOW, Research Assistant Professor of the Department of Health Technology and Informatics, and his team. They systematically collected and tested samples of various fruits available in Hong Kong, providing crucial baseline data regarding fruit as an environmental host for drug-resistant pathogenic yeasts. The students said, “The Programme provided us with access to a university laboratory and allowed us to experience the complete research workflow from sample collection to fungal identification. We gained a profound understanding of the challenges inherent in scientific research and the importance of teamwork. This practical experience provided a valuable foundation for our future academic and career development, and we hope to pursue further studies at university to continue exploring the world of research.” PolyU launched the JRMP in 2021 to encourage high school students to explore broader research fields and disciplinary knowledge, igniting their passion for research and nurturing a new generation of innovation and technology talent for Hong Kong. Since its inception, the Programme has attracted nearly 900 secondary school students from local and international schools, who have successfully completed 213 research projects. Looking ahead, PolyU will continue to deepen its collaboration with the secondary education sector and invite more schools and students to participate in the Programme. Applications for the next cohort are expected to open early next year, with the Programme running from April to August. For further details about the Programme, please visit the PolyU Junior Researcher Mentoring Programme website. ***END***

PolyU develops Hong Kong’s first screening tool to detect social frailty in seniors

Loneliness and social isolation are widely recognised as harmful to elders’ health, yet frontline care workers have long lacked a simple, objective way to identify those most at risk. Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have developed a set of community-based, preventive approaches to addressing social frailty among seniors, including a new screening tool and nature-based interventions in care facilities. This work responds directly to the Government’s policy shift from treatment towards prevention and community-based care. Social frailty refers to a state of vulnerability arising from a lack of social support, resources, connectedness and the fulfilment of basic needs. It is linked to poorer health and may increase the risk of physical frailty. Until now, the absence of standardised terminology and objective measurement tools has made these subjective experiences difficult to consistently assess. To close this gap, the team led by Prof. Jed MONTAYRE, Associate Head (Strategy) and Associate Professor of the School of Nursing, developed the Social Frailty 10-Item screening tool (SF-10). Brief in design for busy clinical settings, it helps enable frontline workers to identify at-risk older adults early and direct them to appropriate help. Supported by the General Research Fund of the Research Grants Council, the study was published in Contemporary Nurse, and social workers in non-governmental organisations and community clinics have already adopted the tool. Prof. Montayre said, “Recognising social frailty as a risk factor opens up a more holistic understanding of ageing. It positions social well-being on par with physical health, acknowledging that the two are inextricably linked and that addressing social risks can profoundly improve overall health outcomes.” In developing SF-10, the team used a co-design approach to make it both rigorous and non-stigmatising, conducting two rounds of workshops with 40 diverse stakeholders, including older adults, family caregivers, social workers, occupational therapists, nurses and doctors. 234 community-dwelling seniors were evaluated with the resulting tool, which demonstrated promising reliability and validity, with further validation currently under way. SF-10 assesses five domains: general resources, social participation, social connections, interpersonal relationships and self-management. Each is rated on a five-point scale, with higher scores signalling greater risk. The results guide practical next steps: low scores for general resources can trigger referral to financial or healthcare support, while low social participation scores can point individuals towards community programmes or social prescribing  — a holistic approach promoted by the World Health Organisation of referring people to non-medical community activities to improve their well-being. “SF-10 serves as a practical instrument for longitudinal care tracking in fast-paced environments like primary care, community services and home-based care, providing a solid foundation for social prescribing,” said Prof. Montayre. “By administering periodic screening, care networks can track how an individual’s social risk profile changes over time. We hope it will eventually become a standardised assessment across Hong Kong.” In related work that reinforces the importance of social connectedness, Prof. Montayre’s team also conducted a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of nature-based interventions for reducing agitation in older people with dementia in care settings. Drawing on global evidence from both direct nature experiences, such as garden visits, and indirect exposures, such as circadian lighting, natural sounds or scents, it identifies physical settings and social interaction as the two critical drivers of clinical effectiveness. The relevant work is published in Healthcare.    Indoor interventions proved more effective than outdoor ones, while interventions involving social interaction outperformed those without. Notably, unregulated outdoor stimulation sometimes had negative effects, demonstrating that environmental designs must keep residents of care facilities engaged but not overwhelmed. “Non-pharmacological measures such as nature-based interventions can enhance social well-being and help prevent social frailty, particularly among those experiencing cognitive decline,” Prof. Montayre noted. “Having the space to socialise through such programmes significantly enhances social connectedness among older adults.” The findings offer practical solutions for high-density cities like Hong Kong, laying the groundwork for future dementia-friendly design guidelines. Because individuals with dementia respond differently depending on their tolerance for stimulation, Prof. Montayre stressed that environmental support must be tailored to the person. The research team is continuing to expand validation of SF-10 and to work with community partners to translate these findings into routine practice, contributing to a more preventive, sustainable and person-oriented model of care for Hong Kong’s ageing population. ***END***

PolyU research team develops trustworthy AI framework TRUECAM to enhance reliability of pathology AI in cancer diagnosis

Cancer diagnoses directly affect treatment decisions and prognosis and can even have life-altering consequences. Traditional pathological diagnosis primarily relies on pathologists examining and analysing tissue slides under a microscope and making judgements based on their professional experience. In recent years, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in pathology diagnosis (pathology AI) has advanced rapidly, helping to improve diagnostic efficiency and support clinical decision-making. However, many existing AI models still lack a complete and verifiable mechanism to ensure the reliability of diagnostic outcomes, limiting the application of such technology in high-stakes clinical settings. To tackle this challenge, Prof. ZHANG Xiaoge, Assistant Professor of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), and his research team have developed an integrated AI framework named TRUECAM (TRustworthiness-focused, Uncertainty-aware, End-to-end CAncer diagnosis with Model-agnostic capabilities). Applied to whole-slide image analysis for non-small cell lung cancer subtyping, the framework ensures both data and model trustworthiness, laying an important foundation for the safe application of pathology AI in cancer diagnosis. TRUECAM is designed to enhance the reliability of AI-assisted cancer diagnosis. It can assess the level of the AI’s confidence in its diagnostic outputs and proactively prompt pathologists to review cases when uncertainty is high or when input data fall outside the model’s scope. At the same time, the framework is model-agnostic, supporting the complete analysis pipeline from pathology images to diagnostic outcomes and helping healthcare professionals apply AI-generated diagnoses more reliably. The framework is applied to whole-slide imaging, a process that digitally scans glass tissue slides into high-resolution digital images and provides “virtual microscopy”, allowing pathologists to review pathology samples on a computer. The findings show that TRUECAM is applicable not only to non-small cell lung cancer subtyping, but can also be extended to breast, brain, and kidney cancer subtyping tasks, as well as a 46-class pan-cancer slide-level classification setting, demonstrating its broad application potential and clinical translational value. As a general framework, TRUECAM can be integrated into pathology AI models of various sizes, architectures, purposes and complexities to support responsible clinical applications. The framework has three core functions: detecting out-of-scope inputs, automatically eliminating highly ambiguous and difficult-to-judge image regions, and applying conformal prediction to keep diagnostic error rates within an acceptable range. The research team conducted a systematic evaluation of the framework across multiple cancer datasets using two types of AI models: specialised models designed for particular tasks and foundation models with broad application potential. Their computational experiments indicate that TRUECAM-wrapped models consistently outperformed their unwrapped counterparts in classification accuracy, robustness, interpretability, data efficiency and fairness. Prof. Zhang said, “TRUECAM strikes a sound balance between fully pathology AI-powered and purely pathologists-led cancer diagnosis. When the model’s confidence in its diagnostic outputs is high, the system can help handle clear-cut cases, while uncertain cases are flagged and passed on to pathologists for further review and clinical judgement. This AI–pathologist collaboration helps improve diagnostic efficiency, lighten pathologists’ workloads, enhance diagnostic reliability and scale up diagnostic capacity.” Prof. Zhang added, “While the published study focuses mainly on whole-slide images, we are further exploring additional modalities, such as molecular profiles including RNA-sequencing and diagnostic reports, to broaden the framework’s potential scope. TRUECAM provides a systematic solution to building trustworthy pathology AI and strengthens the foundation for deploying it in real-world settings.” This research has been published in the internationally renowned journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, and received funding support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Shenzhen Science and Technology Program. ***END***

Seven elite HKSAR teams snatch eight National awards at “3Chuang Competition” National Finals

The National Finals of the 16th National E-commerce “Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship” Competition for College Students (3Chuang Competition) concluded on 11 August. Seven elite teams from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) that had advanced to the National Finals snatched eight National-level awards. Six teams were led by PolyU students, among them the “HK Knowledge-in-Action Innovation Team” and “Dr.Fresh”, both winners of the National First Prize. The former also stood out from over 300 teams in the Regular Track as one of the 20 recipients of the National Best Innovation Award. This year’s 3Chuang Competition saw the first Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Contest, with PolyU as the organising university. After regional contests, over 1,100 teams qualified for the National Finals. The seven Hong Kong teams comprised members from 10 higher education institutions from across Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and overseas. In addition to the Hong Kong universities, prestigious institutions such as Jinan University, Southern University of Science and Technology, and the University of Toronto in Canada were represented. The teams travelled to Zhengzhou in Henan Province, Lingshui Li Autonomous County in Hainan Province and Ningbo in Zhejiang Province to compete in different tracks of the National Finals, winning one National Best Innovation Award, three National First Prizes and four National Second Prizes. Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation), remarked, “As the sole organising university of the HKSAR Contest of the 3Chuang Competition, PolyU is pleased to see students from different regions fostering cross-regional and cross-institutional innovation through this competition platform and achieving outstanding results in the National Finals. The teams addressed real-world needs and industry pain points by developing feasible solutions through innovative thinking, demonstrating the social value of youth innovation. Teams participating in the National Finals in Ningbo encountered severe weather conditions caused by Super Typhoon Dolphin. Despite various unforeseen difficulties, they persevered and completed the competitions, displaying remarkable tenacity that is equally worthy of commendation.” Prof. Chao encouraged all teams to continue striving for excellence, refining their innovative projects and persevering in their entrepreneurial journeys, thereby contributing to society and the Nation. Receiving the National Best Innovation Award, the project “Smart Sandplay Therapy System for Children with Autism”, developed by the “HK Knowledge-in-Action Innovation Team”, addresses problems commonly faced by children with autism, including difficulties in emotional expression, inadequate social interaction and low continuity of family intervention. Through sandplay therapy, the project integrates multimodal sensing, intelligent assessment and a digital companion service to build an end-to-end integrated service system. The other recipient project, “Space Mold Prevention Expert: Full-Chain Moisture & Mold Control Management and Optimization for Warehousing”, created by “Dr.Fresh”, combines calcium chloride technology with a visualisation window to address the problem of low efficiency in humidity control in e-commerce warehouses. It significantly reduces the risk of moisture damage to high-value goods during transportation and storage in cross-border logistics, redefining green supply chain standards for cross-border e-commerce with a low-cost, zero-energy approach. The results of the HKSAR teams at the National Finals of the 16th 3Chuang Competition are as follows: Track Award Winning Team Applying College Collaborating College(s) Winning Project Regular Track National Best Innovation Award; National First Prize HK Knowledge-in-Action Innovation Team The Hong Kong Polytechnic University City University of Hong Kong Smart Sandplay Therapy System for Children with Autism National First Prize Dr.Fresh The Hong Kong Polytechnic University N.A. Space Mold Prevention Expert: Full-Chain Moisture & Mold Control Management and Optimization for Warehousing National First Prize OnAn Technology Hong Kong Metropolitan University The Hong Kong Polytechnic University AI and 3D Printing-Based Posthumous Facial Restoration Platform National Second Prize AIOFEYE The Hong Kong Polytechnic University The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Jinan University; Southern University of Science and Technology; Huai’an University AI-Powered Retinal Imaging Screening for Community Eye Health Management: Building a Closed-Loop Service of Screening, Risk Stratification, Referral and Follow-up International Track National Second Prize giveme_5 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University University of Toronto; The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Lingnan University “SilverLink” Smart Elderly Care Solution Platform Business Big Data Analysis Practical Track National Second Prize Bebear The Hong Kong Polytechnic University University of Science and Technology of China Security Equipment Market Sales Data Analysis and Business Strategy Research Big Health E-commerce Practical Track National Second Prize The Pear Ideals Four The Hong Kong Polytechnic University N.A. AkkMore Prebiotic: Healthy, Tasty, Low-Carbon and Digital Storytelling Founded in 2009, the 3Chuang Competition is a national entrepreneurship competition endorsed by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. With the aim of fostering among tertiary students an innovative mindset, creative thinking, entrepreneurial capabilities and team collaboration in practical scenarios, it is one of the largest and most influential innovation and entrepreneurship competitions focused on e-commerce for the Nation’s tertiary students. The Competition has attracted numerous aspiring student entrepreneurs over the years, and this year alone saw over 280,000 teams from nearly 1,500 universities nationwide across 34 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and Special Administrative Regions sign up. For more information, please visit the official website. ***END***

PolyU develops AI-powered virtual patient simulation system integrating multimodal data to advance personalised cancer treatment

A research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed a patient-centric “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Virtual Patient Simulation System”, overcoming the limitations of conventional static diagnosis. By dynamically integrating multimodal patient data, including genomic data, medical imaging and clinical records, the system creates a continuously updated “digital twin” model. It can not only track changes in a patient’s condition in real time, but also predict the potential effectiveness of different cancer treatment options, helping healthcare teams formulate more precise and personalised medical solutions. Other medical AI tools often rely on a single CT scan, genomic report or static clinical data for analysis, making it difficult to gain a comprehensive understanding of dynamic changes in a patient’s condition. Led by Prof. Lawrence CHAN, Associate Professor of the PolyU Department of Health Technology and Informatics, the team has developed the “AI Virtual Patient Simulation System”, based on a patient-centric digital twin platform. Combining a platform for healthcare professionals with a patient-facing mobile application, the system can conduct predictive analyses in response to real-time changes in a patient’s condition and simulate the effectiveness of different treatment options. It provides intelligent support for clinical diagnosis, condition monitoring and treatment assessment. The system is particularly suitable for cancer and critical care, where disease progression can be complex, treatment options diverse and medical costs high, injecting fresh impetus into the development of precision medicine. The system’s core strength lies in the close collaboration it enables between healthcare professionals and patients. The dedicated healthcare platform integrates multimodal data, including genomic data, medical imaging, pathology reports, laboratory test results and clinical records, helping doctors gain a comprehensive overview of a patient’s condition, enhance diagnostic and treatment decision-making, and streamline multidisciplinary consultations and referral processes. Meanwhile, the patient-facing mobile application enables patients to upload medical records, log daily symptoms, and track their health status. Through an encrypted Deep Feature QR code, medical data can be securely transferred across different clinics, hospitals and devices, enhancing data-sharing efficiency while safeguarding privacy. With the system, patients can shift from passively receiving treatment to actively participating in their health management, further strengthening doctor-patient collaboration. To advance the application of this technology in cancer care and treatment decision-making, the research team has introduced a clinical, data-driven, multi-scale AI framework for predicting immunotherapy response in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The multimodal approach effectively integrates histopathological image features with clinical data, including gene expression profiles and cancer-type text. Named the Visual-Global Relation Fusion Network (ViGNet), the novel framework incorporates both a multi-scale visual encoder and a gene-driven encoder, enabling AI to analyse image and genomic features that are closely related to cancer treatment response. In qualitative and quantitative evaluations, ViGNet outperformed baseline approaches in response classification, achieving 82.55% discrimination performance in predicting immunotherapy response. This ground-breaking research enables more efficient integration of multi-source data and supports the practical deployment of AI methods in clinical settings, providing important insights for personalised treatment and clinical decision-making. The study has been published in the international journal Medical Image Analysis. Prof. Chan said, “The AI Virtual Patient Simulation System is an innovative and comprehensive platform that integrates diagnosis, monitoring and treatment assessment. In addition to identifying subtle yet crucial pathological connections across multimodal data, the system can also act as a ‘monitoring sentinel’, alerting healthcare teams when a patient’s biomarkers or symptoms show abnormalities. This transformative technology helps to shorten diagnosis and assessment times, supporting healthcare professionals in developing more precise, effective and personalised treatment plans for patients with cancer or other critical illnesses.”  This breakthrough research achievement was recently showcased at the Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, Spain, where, in recognition of its outstanding technical innovation, it was shortlisted as a finalist for the 2026 Global Mobile Awards in the category of Best Mobile Innovation for Connected Health and Wellbeing. This achievement demonstrates PolyU’s international influence in health technology and AI applications. The project has received funding from the PolyU Micro Fund and Seed Fund, as well as the GBA Innovation and Entrepreneurship Incubation Programme. It has also been conditionally accepted into the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park’s Incubation Programme and is now advancing into a new stage of commercialisation and industrialisation. As the system is steadily deployed in clinical settings, the real-world data it collects will inform drug development, clinical trials and treatment plan optimisation, further enhancing the medical innovation ecosystem and benefitting more patients. ***END***

PolyU develops wearable microneedle patch to empower conventional ultrasound for continuous glucose monitoring

Long-term diabetes management requires continuous blood glucose monitoring to detect abnormalities early and intervene in time. However, conventional fingertip blood sampling is both painful and inconvenient, while most continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) products currently available on the market rely on biological enzymes — requiring regular replacement, incurring higher costs, and demanding stringent storage conditions. A research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed an enzyme-free, wearable, acoustically readable microneedle patch “ARMPatch”. Once applied to the skin, it can be read by a standard ultrasound probe to continuously reflect changes in blood glucose levels. The research was led by Prof. SU Zhongqing, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Chair Professor of Intelligent Structures and Systems at PolyU, together with Prof. MENG Long of the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Prof. Jae-Woong JEONG of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and their research teams. The findings have been published in Science Advances, with Mr ZHANG Wanglinhan, a PhD student in PolyU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, as the first author. Prof. Su said, “The ARMPatch that we have developed serves as a blood glucose monitoring accessory for any regular ultrasound probe, achieving minimally invasive, cost-effective, long-lasting, and stable continuous blood glucose monitoring. This approach offers a novel solution to enzyme-free CGM and expands the application of ultrasound technology in the fields of wearable biosensing and human health monitoring.” The working principle of the ARMPatch is simple. The patch is made from a glucose-responsive hydrogel based on phenylboronic acid (PBA). Once applied to the skin, its microneedles swell in response to blood glucose fluctuations. The higher the glucose level, the greater the swelling, and ultrasound detects these changes to determine glucose levels. This is precisely what makes the ARMPatch “acoustically readable”. The team conducted a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. In vitro, the team demonstrated a good linear response across a glucose concentration range of 0–40 mM, sufficient to effectively monitor hyperglycemia, and delivered stable readings for up to 56 days — far outperforming enzyme-based devices that require frequent replacement. During in vivo tests, the degree of microneedle swelling read by ultrasound accurately reflected changes in blood glucose levels; the patch successfully monitored blood glucose for seven consecutive days on a freely moving nude mouse, remaining firmly attached and unaffected by the animal’s movement, with no inflammation or scarring on the skin after removal — confirming its biocompatibility and minimally invasive nature. Many people with diabetes already use portable or wearable ultrasound devices for long-term home monitoring of complications such as heart disease and kidney disease. For them, the ARMPatch requires no additional custom hardware — existing devices can be used to continuously monitor blood glucose. The team noted that, by adjusting the hydrogel composition, the same platform could in principle be extended to the continuous monitoring of various biomarkers such as pH, proteins, and bacteria. The team hopes to develop microneedle patches that are capable of monitoring multiple indicators simultaneously, turning wearable ultrasound devices into a one-stop tool for home health monitoring. Prof. Su added, “This study not only presents a novel wearable device that enables conventional ultrasound to be used for enzyme-free CGM, but also opens up a new avenue for monitoring diverse physiological information via standard ultrasound in a minimally invasive manner, using customised hydrogel microneedles.” This research was supported by the NSFC/RGC Joint Research Scheme along with additional funding from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the National Research Foundation of Korea. The PolyU University Research Facility in Materials Characterization and Device Fabrication and University Research Facility in Life Sciences also provided assistance. ***END***

Yiwu delegation visits PolyU

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PolyU expands innovation footprint in Fujian with two major I&T agreements and new Fuzhou Centre for Knowledge Transfer

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) continues to integrate into national development strategies, signing two major scientific research cooperation agreements at the 5th Fujian-Hong Kong Cooperation Conference held recently in Fuzhou on 22 June. Witnessed by Mr John LEE, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China; Mr ZHOU Zuyi, Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Fujian Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of Fujian Provincial People’s Congress; Mr ZOU Jinsong, Director of Bureau III of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council; and Mr ZHAO Long, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Governor of Fujian Province, Prof. Christopher CHAO, Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, signed a cooperation agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of the University with Mr CHEN Dengfeng, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Fuqing Municipal Committee, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Mayor of Fuqing Municipal People’s Government, and Prof. WANG Shuguo, President of the Fuyao University of Science and Technology (FYUST). This milestone marks a significant step forward for PolyU in deepening Fujian-Hong Kong innovation and technology (I&T) collaboration and research commercialisation. The agreements include a cooperation pact with the Fuqing Municipal People’s Government to jointly establish a key provincial-level novel research and development centre, the PolyU Fuzhou Centre for Knowledge Transfer. Initiated and driven by the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Fujian Provincial People’s Government, the Centre is located in the Fuqing Rongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone and aims to establish a direct pathway for industrialising cutting-edge technologies from Hong Kong universities in Fujian. PolyU also signed an MoU with FYUST to establish a long-term, stable strategic inter-university partnership. The institutions will leverage PolyU’s international research vision alongside Fujian’s robust industrial foundation to achieve complementary academic strengths and resource sharing, and set a benchmark for collaborative higher education initiatives between Fujian and Hong Kong. Marking a breakthrough in turning Fujian-Hong Kong cooperation into tangible outcomes, the PolyU Fuzhou Centre for Knowledge Transfer successfully obtained its business licence on 20 July. Having completed all industrial and commercial registration procedures, the Centre now has independent, market-oriented operational status. Working in close synergy with the PolyU-Jinjiang Technology and Innovation Research Institute, the Centre will align with the provincial government’s overarching plan to serve the entire Fujian province. It will focus on strategic emerging industries such as optoelectronic chips, semiconductors and the low-altitude economy, while supporting diverse sectors including microelectronics, textile innovation, healthcare and elderly care, and cultural tourism innovation sector spanning Fujian Province. Moving forward, PolyU will continue to deepen joint university-enterprise research and development, technology transfer and talent cultivation, leveraging the complementary strengths of Fujian and Hong Kong to jointly drive high-quality regionally integrated development. ***END***

PolyU and TaxChina join hands to establish Joint Research Centre for AI Taxation, advancing innovative applications of AI in fiscal and taxation services industry

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and TaxChina Intelligent Technology (TaxChina) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 3 August. Combining PolyU’s outstanding research strengths in fields such as AI, federated learning and data science with TaxChina’s extensive experience and rich application scenarios in the fiscal and taxation services industry, the two parties will establish the “Joint Research Centre for AI Taxation” (the Research Centre). The Research Centre will advance innovative applications of AI in the fiscal and taxation fields and promote intelligent development of the tax services industry. The signing ceremony was held on the PolyU campus. Witnessed by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President and Mr XU Zhaohong, Founder and Chairman, TaxChina, Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation), and Mr LYU Pin, Chief Executive Officer, TaxChina (Beijing) AI Technology, signed the MoU on behalf of the two parties. Following this, the two parties held a plaque unveiling ceremony for the “Joint Research Centre for AI Taxation”. The ceremony was officiated jointly by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG; Prof. Christopher CHAO; Prof. YANG Qiang, Director of the PolyU Academy for Artificial Intelligence, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Chair Professor of Artificial Intelligence; Mr XU Zhaohong; Ms MA Xiaoman, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President, TaxChina; Mr LYU Pin; and Mr MA Ning, General Manager of Ecosystem Partnership Development Department, TaxChina, among others. The ceremony marked the official establishment of a dedicated AI taxation research and development platform between a higher education institution in the Asia-Pacific region and a leading tax services enterprise, opening a new chapter in industry-academia-research integration and intelligent transformation for the global tax services industry. The Research Centre will focus on three core directions: first, building a collaborative framework that “combines vertical large models with industry-specific professional models” to enhance intelligent decision-making capabilities in taxation scenarios; second, leveraging PolyU research strengths in federated learning to advance the application of privacy protection and collaborative training technologies while ensuring that “data never leaves the premises”; and third, deepening collaborative innovation across industry, academia and research to build a sustainable innovation ecosystem for AI-assisted taxation. Prof. Jin-Guang Teng said, “This collaboration deeply integrates TaxChina’s vast volume of high-quality data and its insightful industry practices with PolyU’s world-leading research strengths in AI and federated learning. We truly believe that this powerful partnership will lead the innovative development of intelligent taxation and fiscal technology, transforming the industry and delivering broader benefits to society. I hope that the Joint Research Centre will become a model for collaborative innovation across industry, academia and research, contributing to the high-quality development of the Nation’s digital economy, industrial transformation and upgrading, and the cultivation of high-calibre talent.” Mr Xu Zhaohong said, “With the arrival of the era of ‘digital tax administration’, corporate tax compliance has shifted from reactive response to proactive prevention, and the market displays strong demand for intelligent tax solutions that can adapt to global tax regimes. We strongly believe that this partnership with PolyU will narrow the gap between technology and application scenarios, developing the Research Centre into an internationally leading hub for AI taxation innovation, and cultivating interdisciplinary talent who possess expertise in both AI and taxation, thereby contributing to innovation in global tax governance.” As the intelligent economy accelerates, the global economic and trade landscape and governance systems are being reshaped, and the intelligentisation of taxation has become a significant trend in the industry’s development. AI is not merely a tool for enhancing efficiency; it is gradually becoming a key factor that drives the modernisation of tax governance, reduces cross-border compliance costs and enhances enterprise decision-making capabilities. At present, tax authorities around the world have widely applied AI in areas such as risk identification, intelligent auditing and data governance, while enterprise demand for intelligent compliance, automated tax calculation, and policy analysis and assessment is also growing rapidly. PolyU and TaxChina will empower professional tax services with cutting-edge AI technologies, driving the tax industry’s advancement from “digitalisation” to “intelligentisation”, and providing innovative solutions for global tax governance, corporate compliance and the upgrading of tax services. The Research Centre will establish a closed-loop research and development model in which “needs come from industry and results return to industry”, facilitating effective alignment between academic research and industrial application, and promoting the practical implementation of research outcomes. PolyU has a solid disciplinary foundation in the development of AI, as well as in frontier research and research translation. The University has established the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and, last year, founded the PolyU Academy for Artificial Intelligence. It has achieved internationally leading research outcomes in key areas such as natural language processing, large model algorithms and data governance, and possesses an extensive international academic network and rich experience in interdisciplinary research collaboration. In April this year, PolyU further established the Research Institute for Federated Learning, dedicated to tackling frontier challenges such as data privacy, cybersecurity and collaborative intelligence, and to advancing the development of secure and trustworthy AI technologies. Looking ahead, PolyU and TaxChina will leverage the Research Centre to advance ongoing deep integration of AI with the fiscal and taxation profession, cultivate interdisciplinary innovation talent, promote the translation of high-level research outcomes and contribute to the intelligent development of the fiscal and taxation industry and to innovation in global tax governance. ***END***