Robots, as a core force of next‑generation intelligent technologies, are driving a profound revolution in industry and society. They possess operational precision and environmental adaptability that surpass human capabilities, and are now advancing toward a strategic leap in embodied intelligence. With the continuous enhancement of key competencies, robots are expected to exert transformative influence across scientific research, manufacturing, and public services, reshaping modes of production, service delivery, and social structures. The widespread deployment of robots addresses structural challenges in the labour force, acting as a strategic driver for advancing productivity, optimising resource allocation, and reducing societal costs. As a critical engine of future development, robots will fundamentally reshape the global industrial landscape, strengthen national competitiveness in technological innovation, and elevate the strategic position and sustainable development capacity of Hong Kong and Macau.
In pursuit of the next wave of robots with human‑level competence in the physical world, the University of Macau (UM) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) jointly establish the Joint Research Centre for Robotics and Embodied Intelligence (UM‑PolyU CREI). The Centre frames its comprehensive research agenda around four highly coordinated pillars: Robotic Intelligence, Perception and Embodied Computing, Safe Robotics and Autonomous Systems, and Applied Robotics. These key domains respectively serve as the consciousness nexus, the foundation carrier, the execution guarantor, and the adaptability amplifier, which collectively pioneer the development of robotics and its related disciplines. Beyond its core research strategy, the Centre will establish a dual‑degree PhD program in Robotics and Embodied Intelligence, designed to strengthen deep institutional collaboration while cultivating versatile talents capable of advancing disciplinary frontiers, driving industrial transformation, and catalysing societal progress. Through these initiatives, the Centre envisions developing a long‑term, sustainable ecosystem of academic excellence. By harnessing intelligent, resilient, and safe robotic systems, it seeks to accelerate industrial innovation and drive a revolutionary transformation in societal applications.
The Centre is poised to transform the frontier of robotics, catalysing a seminal phase in which research serves as a driving force for technological and societal advancement. By realizing human‑level machine intelligence, constructing physically compatible integration infrastructure, strengthening model‑informed functionality assurance, and deploying environmentally resilient application ecosystems, the Centre propels the systematic iteration of robotics while fostering multifaceted talents with international vision to lead the field. The proliferation of intelligent robotics will upgrade manufacturing and public services, fuelling economic growth. Robotics‑driven intelligent services and resilient infrastructures will permeate society, elevating well‑being and sustainability. With a global innovation ecosystem, Hong Kong and Macau will consolidate their role as hubs of world‑leading technological advancement, reinforcing international impact and leadership in cutting‑edge robotics and contributing to the global reshaping of industrial landscapes.
