From 7 to 8 February 2026, the conference “Carbon-Free Energy Utilisation Empowered by AI”, supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (RGC) under the NSFC/RGC Joint Research Scheme, was successfully held at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The conference was jointly organised by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and attracted more than 120 participants from leading institutions. These included senior scholars, early-career researchers, and students from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, as well as representatives from research institutes and organisations such as the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology and Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong). The two-day programme of presentations and discussions was co-chaired by the conference’s two organising co-chairs, Professor Yu Guan of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Professor Xi Xia of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
The conference focused on the deep integration of AI and carbon-free energy utilisation, fostering in-depth discussions on cutting-edge research directions and technological innovations, and bringing together valuable insights to advance green and low-carbon technologies. Among the attendees were Professor Christopher Chao, Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Conference Chair; Professor Hau-chung Man, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; and Professor Wen-Hua Chen, Interim Head of the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
At the opening ceremony, Professor Christopher Chao, Conference Chair, delivered the opening remarks. He addressed that targeting climate change and advancing sustainable development have become shared global priorities, with carbon neutral technologies playing a central role in this transition. He further emphasised that AI is rapidly transforming research paradigms, and that its integration with carbon neutral technologies can significantly accelerate both technological development and real-world application. Professor Chao also expressed his hope that the conference would strengthen academic exchange between Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, foster innovative thinking, and help translate research ideas into practical solutions toward a sustainable and intelligent energy future.
In his welcome address, Professor Chih-Yung Wen, Steering Co-Chair of the Conference Organising Committee, noted that the carbon neutrality strategies of Chinese mainland and Hong Kong reflect an inevitable global transition toward clean energy systems. He further observed that AI plays a critical role in driving innovation in energy technologies, and that the integration of AI with carbon-free energy lies at the heart of the conference. Beyond fostering academic exchange between Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, the conference also placed strong emphasis on engaging and supporting early-career researchers, with the aim of fostering interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration through the conference.
Over the two-day programme, the technical sessions were rich in content and highly engaging. Renowned scholars, including Professor Zhuyin Ren and Professor Bin Yang from Tsinghua University, Professor Kun Luo from Zhejiang University, Professor Meng Ni from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Professor Minhua Shao from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, delivered keynote presentations. Their talks highlighted key technological developments and applications of AI in carbon-free energy systems, including hydrogen and ammonia, and shared state-of-the-art research findings and innovative perspectives, which sparked lively discussions among participants. During the conference, participants also visited the Aviation Services Research Centre and the Aviation Engineering Laboratory at PolyU. Participants expressed strong interest in PolyU’s research achievements and capabilities in aviation-related research.
“零碳能源利用及其 AI 賦能”學術會議在香港理工大學圓滿落幕
2026年2月7日至8日，由國家自然科學基金委員會與香港研究資助局聯合科研資助基金支持的“零碳能源利用及其AI賦能”學術會議於香港理工大學成功舉辦。會議由香港理工大學與上海交通大學聯合主辦，匯聚了來自北京大學、清華大學、浙江大學、香港大學、香港中文大學、香港科技大學等多所高校，以及航天推進技術研究院、香港地球之友等機構的資深學者、青年科研人員及學生代表，共計一百二十餘位嘉賓參會。為期兩天的研討由本次會議的兩位共同執行主席－香港理工大學關昱教授與上海交通大學夏溪教授分別主持。與會者圍繞人工智慧與零碳能源利用的深度融合展開前沿探討，共同為綠色低碳技術發展貢獻智慧。香港理工大學高級副校長（研究及創新）趙汝恒教授、工程學院院長文効忠教授、航空與民航工程學系暫任系主任陳文華教授等亦應邀出席。
香港理工大學高級副校長（研究及創新）趙汝恒教授以大會主席身份出席開幕式並致辭。他表示，應對氣候變化、推動可持續發展已成為全球共識，碳中和技術是這場轉型的核心引擎。人工智慧正在重塑科研範式，其與碳中和技術的結合能夠加速可落地技術的迭代與孵化。期望本次會議能搭建起內地與香港的學術橋樑，激發創新靈感，共同構建可持續、智慧化的能源未來，將創新理念轉化為切實可行的應用技術。
會議共同程序主席、香港理工大學航空及民航工程學系溫志湧教授在歡迎辭中指出，內地與香港的碳中和戰略藍圖印證了全球能源向清潔化轉型的必然趨勢，而人工智慧為能源技術創新提供了關鍵支撐，二者的深度融合正是本次會議的宗旨。會議不僅致力於促進內地與香港的學術交流，更著重凝聚青年科研力量，希望以此次論壇為紐帶，構建跨界合作新生態，助力青年人才成長。
在為期兩天的會議中，報告環節內容充實、亮點頻出。來自清華大學的任祝寅教授、楊斌教授，浙江大學的羅坤教授，香港理工大學的倪萌教授，香港科技大學的邵敏華教授等多位知名學者，圍繞人工智慧在氫、氨等零碳能源領域的關鍵技術開發與應用，分享了前沿研究成果與創新見解，引發了與會者的深入交流與熱烈討論。會議期間，嘉賓們還參觀了香港理工大學航空服務研究中心與民航工程實驗室，對理大在相關研究領域取得的成就給予了高度評價。
最後，會議共同程序主席、上海交通大學齊飛教授致閉幕辭。他首先代表組委會祝賀本次會議取得圓滿成功，並向各支持單位及全體與會同仁的傾力投入表示衷心感謝。齊飛教授指出，本次會議以「人工智慧與零碳能源」的深度融合為核心議題，匯聚多方智慧，圍繞前沿技術路徑與關鍵科學問題開展了富有成效的對話。透過深入交流，與會專家不僅進一步凝聚了共識，也發掘出諸多具有潛力的共同研究方向與合作契機，為推進後續實質性的科研協同與技術轉化奠定了紮實基礎。展望未來，他期望以此次會議為起點，持續加強內地與香港在相關領域的互聯互通與協同創新。
