National Center of Technology Innovation for Intelligent Design and Numerical Control (Hong Kong Branch)

NCDC-HKB

About Us

In response to national major demands and to advance key core technologies in industrial software, NCDC was proudly established by Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in 2022, led by Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). With a long-term commitment to addressing key technological challenges in industrial software for intelligent manufacturing, HUST hosts national-level platforms, such as NCDC and the National Engineering Research Center for Enterprise Information Application Support Software.

Recognizing their complementary strengths, HUST and PolyU discussed potential collaboration directions and signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on July 24, 2025, to establish a Hong Kong Branch of the NCDC. It is aimed to further explore the co-development framework of the NCDC - Hong Kong Branch, facing the main battlefield and major needs of the national economy, giving play to Hong Kong's location advantages and international cutting-edge innovation capabilities, and cooperating to complement each other and overcome critical challenges. This initiative aligns with the national objective of accelerating industrial software competitiveness and supports the Hong Kong SAR Government’s strategy to develop Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology hub. Furthermore, both parties agree that Hong Kong, as a global hub for technological innovation, and Wuhan, with their complementary strengths in high-end manufacturing and intelligent equipment, provide a solid foundation for collaboration.

Vision: Align with NCDC, we aim to establish a world-class research center on advancing the next generation industrial software for intelligent manufacturing.
Mission: To boost the nation’s strategic plan on intelligent manufacturing, by introducing/developing advanced manufacturing and robotic system solutions, artificial intelligence methodologies, and digitalized systems/tools.
Our Strategic Values: Actively responding to the national positioning and deployment for Hong Kong as an "International Innovation and Technology Center", focusing on the major industrial software demands and key technologies that are currently lacking in China, we will carry out basic theoretical and common technological innovations, forming leading advantages in the fields of intelligent manufacturing. At the same time, leveraging Hong Kong's unique advantage of "backing the motherland and connecting the world", we will provide a cross-border platform for the construction and promotion of China’s manufacturing power.

Through joint research programmes, academic exchange, PhD co-supervision, student internships, industry workshops and international partnerships, the NCDC-Hong Kong Branch is committed to cultivating future talent with interdisciplinary expertise and global vision.

Major Milestones in NCDC Development / Key Milestones of NCDC (滚动图)

NCDC-milestones

NCDC – Hong Kong Branch Steering Committee

Professor Christopher CHAO

Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Professor Liang GAO

Vice President, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST)

International Academic Advisory Board

Prof. Ji ZHOU

Member and former President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; International Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK), and International Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences; Professor and former President of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Prof. Peigen LI

Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Professor and Former President of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China

Prof. Weiming SHEN

Fellow of CAE and IEEE; Professor of Intelligent Manufacturing at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China & Fuyao University of Science and Technology, China

Ir Prof. H.C. MAN

Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering, LIA and IOM3; Cheng Yick-chi Chair Professor in Manufacturing Engineering and Dean of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

Prof. Jianguo LIN

Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering; Member of the European Academy of Sciences; Chair Professor of Materials Technologies and Director of the Research Centre for Materials Processing Technologies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

Ir Prof. Guoquan HUANG

Fellow of IEEE, IISE, ASME, HKIE, IET and CILT; Chair Professor of Smart Manufacturing and Director of the Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

Prof. Lihui WANG

Fellow of the CAE, AET, CIRP, SME and ASME; Chair Professor of Sustainable Manufacturing and Director of the Centre of Excellence in Production Research (XPRES), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

Prof. Duc Truong PHAM

Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Learned Society of Wales, SME, IET and IMechE; Chance Professor of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

Prof. Xun XU

Fellow of ASME, SME and Engineering New Zealand; Professor of Smart Manufacturing, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

Prof. Charlie WANG

Fellow of ASME and SMA, Professor and Chair in Smart Manufacturing, Director of Digital Manufacturing Lab, Department Head of Research, University of Manchester, UK

Prof. Jörg Krüger

Fellow, CIRP Professor of Industrial Automation Technology at the Institute for Machine Tools and Factory Management Technische Universität Berlin, Germany

Directors

Ir Prof. H.C. MAN (Director)

Ir Prof. Pai ZHENG (Executive Director)

Fellow of ASME; Associate Professor and Wong Tit-Shing Endowed Young Scholar in Smart Robotics; Director of the NCDC Hong Kong Branch, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

Core Members

Prof. Jianguo LIN

Chair Professor of Materials Technologies, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Prof. George Q. HUANG

Chair Professor of Smart Manufacturing, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Prof. Zhiheng ZHAO

Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Prof Xiaoge ZHANG

Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Prof. Zhe PENG

Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Dr Ruiqiang ZHANG

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Dr Liqiao XIA

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Dr Wei WU

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Dr Jiaxin LV

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Main Theme

Industrial Embodied Intelligence
Intelligent Manufacturing Process
Smart Manufacturing Systems

Laboratory Facilities


Industrial Embodied Intelligence Lab CF402 & Industrial Centre, PolyU	Smart Manufacturing Lab CF403, PolyU

International Collaborators

- Joint Laboratories/hub (MoU/NDA/LoU signed)


Human-Robot Symbiotic Manufacturing Systems	Smart Manufacturing Systems

Smart Manufacturing	Human-Robot Systems for Industrial Sustainability
PolyU - NOKOV Joint Laboratory on Spatial Intelligence and Motion Capture
PolyU - North Star Advanced Recycling Joint Laboratory on Smart Green Equipment
PolyU - Rhein Köster Joint Laboratory on Smart Manufacturing

- Major Industrial Partners

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