PolyU wins 37 awards at 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva; Earning global recognition for frontier research excellence
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) seized a total of 37 accolades at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (Geneva Inventions Expo), a widely recognised annual event dedicated exclusively to inventions. The remarkable achievement demonstrates the University’s research excellence and global influence in frontier technology development.
A total of 32 PolyU winning innovations received 37 accolades, including two Special Awards, six Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury, 14 Gold Medals, 10 Silver Medals, two Bronze Medals, one Special Prize and two Special Merit Awards. Among them, two were led by the InnoHK Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), a partnership between PolyU and the University of Waterloo.
The project titled “PD-001R: A First-in-Class Candidate for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases”, developed by the research team led by Prof. Simon LEE Ming-yuen, Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Biomedical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Innovation, Chair Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, and Founder of PolyU startup AIM Pharmaceutical International Limited, in collaboration with Dr ZHAO Chen, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Food Science and Nutrition and Chief Technology Officer of AIM Pharmaceutical International Limited, won the Prize of Korea Invention Promotion Association and a Gold Medal. PD-001R is a first-in-class, novel small-molecule drug candidate for Parkinson’s disease (PD), derived from Alpinia oxyphylla Fructus and synthesised as a new molecular entity. Its primary mechanism of action is the promotion of pathological α-synuclein aggregate degradation. Preclinical studies show that PD-001R efficiently crosses the blood–brain barrier and exerts neuroprotective effects in animal models of PD and Alzheimer’s disease. It also exhibits favourable oral bioavailability and safety.
The project titled “Revolutionising Power Generator Inspection: The Baffle-compatible Autonomous Robot”, developed by the research team led by Prof. TAM Hwa Yaw, Chair Professor of Photonics, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, in collaboration with CLP Power Hong Kong Limited, won the Thailand Award for the Best International Invention & Innovation and a Gold Medal. This low-profile autonomous robot is designed for inspecting electrical generators. With a thickness of 36mm, it can pass through the gap between the stator and rotor without the need to dismantle the multi-ton rotor. The robot efficiently reduces costs and downtime, and supports proactive maintenance while enhancing generator reliability. Additionally, the robot carries a fibre-optic condition monitoring system that continuously assesses the health of its critical components, providing early indication of failures and ensuring inspection safety.
This year’s award-winning breakthroughs demonstrate strong transformative potential and address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. These ground-breaking innovations span diverse fields, including life sciences, healthcare, vision health, aerospace, artificial intelligence, robotics, sustainable energy, green applications, engineering, advanced materials and sustainable textiles. They are poised to create a tangible impact for society and build a smarter, healthier and more sustainable future.
Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation), commended the award-winning teams and startups, stating, “PolyU teams’ exceptional performance at the Geneva Inventions Expo this year is a testament to the strong international recognition of the University’s research excellence and innovation capabilities. Their accomplishments affirm PolyU’s steadfast commitment to advancing frontier research innovation and translating research outcomes into impactful real-world solutions. We will continue to nurture world-class researchers and startups, strengthen industry-academia-research collaboration and deepen knowledge transfer, creating lasting impact for Hong Kong, the Nation, and the world.”
Prof. DONG Cheng, PolyU Associate Vice President (Mainland Research Advancement), attended the exhibition and award ceremony in Geneva, where he supported the participating teams and startups. He also presented the “Prize of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University” and the “International Strategic Technology Alliance (ISTA) Global Innovation and Invention Award”.
Prof. Dong Cheng presented the “Prize of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University” on stage.
Prof. Dong Cheng presented the “International Strategic Technology Alliance (ISTA) Global Innovation and Invention Award” on stage.
As a pioneer in innovation and entrepreneurship, PolyU actively fosters a vibrant startup ecosystem. Among this year’s award-winning teams, 11 were PolyU startups supported by “PolyVentures”, the University’s flagship startup ecosystem. To date, over 600 active startups, including 2 listed companies, 3 unicorns and 26 ponies, have been nurtured in this ecosystem, underscoring the University’s leadership in research commercialisation and entrepreneurial impact.
The 51st Geneva Inventions Expo attracted over a thousand entries from about 40 countries and regions. PolyU’s impactful award-winning projects are listed below. For details, please refer to the Appendix or visit the website of the PolyU Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship Office.
Project
Principal Investigator(s)
Award
PD-001R: A First-in-Class Candidate for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Prof. Simon LEE Ming-yuen
Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Biomedical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Innovation; Chair Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Food Science and Nutrition; Director, PolyU-BGI Joint Research Centre for Genomics and Synthetic Biology in Global Ocean Resources; Founder, AIM Pharmaceutical International Limited (a PolyU startup)
Dr ZHAO Chen
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Food Science and Nutrition; Chief Technology Officer, AIM Pharmaceutical International Limited (a PolyU startup)
Prize of the Korea Invention Promotion Association
Gold Medal
Revolutionising Power Generator Inspection: The Baffle-compatible Autonomous Robot
Prof. TAM Hwa Yaw
Chair Professor of Photonics, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Associate Director, Photonics Research Institute
Thailand Award for the Best International Invention & Innovation
Gold Medal
Viromids: A Redosable, Low-Cost Gene-Delivery Platform for Ocular Therapy
Prof. Roderick SLAVCEV
Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo; Principal Investigator, InnoHK Centre for Eye and Vision Research
Prof. HUANG Chien-ling
Associate Professor, Department of Health Technology and Informatics, PolyU; Principal Investigator, InnoHK Centre for Eye and Vision Research
Special Prize of “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania
Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury
oka³y! Personalised Freeform Orthokeratology Contact Lens with AI-guided Astigmatic Asymmetric Design
Prof. KEE Chea-su
K.B. Woo Family Professor in Optometry; Head and Professor, School of Optometry; School of Optometry; Associate Director, Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV); Co-founder, GOOD Vision Technologies Co., Limited (a PolyU startup)
Special Merit Award from CORNELIUGROUP Association
Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury
Proactive Early Warning System for Structural Health Monitoring of Wind Turbine Blades and Towers
Prof. YU Changyuan
Chair Professor of Photonic Information System, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Director, PolyU-Jinjiang Technology and Innovation Research Institute;
Scientific Advisor, Xiaoma Technology Limited (a PolyU startup)
Ms MA Zhiqin
PhD Candidate, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Founder, Xiaoma Technology Limited (a PolyU startup)
Special Merit Award from “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania
Gold Medal
Stairio: Automated Staircase Safety Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance Robot with Handrail-affixed Locomotion System
Prof. HSU Li-ta
Associate Professor, Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering; Limin Young Scholar in Aerospace Navigation
Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury
Anti-ageing Beauty and Healthcare via Advanced Microfluidics
Dr XIE Fengjia
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Applied Physics; Co-founder, X Beauty Technology Limited (a PolyU startup)
Dr TSOI Chi Chung
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Applied Physics; CDO, X Beauty Technology Limited (a PolyU startup)
Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury
Determination of Airframe Coating Degradation by Hyperspectral Imaging Correlation with Offline Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
Dr TANG Hon Ping
Principal Research Fellow and Project Lead, Aviation Services Research Centre
Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury
AI-driven Third-generation Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Design
Dr ZHOU Xin Yu
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury
LEO C-NAV: A Spaceborne Payload for Low-Earth Orbit Communication and Navigation Services
Prof. WEN Chih-yung
Chair Professor of Aeronautical Engineering, Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering; Director, COMAC-PolyU Research Institute for Large Aircraft; Director, Research Centre for Unmanned Autonomous Systems; Associate Director, Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology
Prof. XU Bing
Assistant Professor, Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering
Gold Medal
Magnetophages: A New Class of Programmable Viral Nanocontainers with Active Control
Prof. CHUA Song Lin
Associate Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology
Dr MA Yeping
Scientific Officer, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology
Gold Medal
OmniCare: A Magic PGLADMA Platform for Advanced Wound Management
Prof. ZHAO Xin
Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology;
Limin Young Scholar in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering; Founder, ReNew Biotechnology Limited (a PolyU startup)
Gold Medal
Dragonfly Vision: A Mini Camera for Instant 180° Imaging
Prof. ZHANG Xuming
Associate Head and Professor, Department of Applied Physics; Advisor, Dragon Vision Technology Limited (a PolyU startup)
Dr JIANG Heng
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Applied Physics; Co-founder, Dragon Vision Technology Limited (a PolyU startup)
Gold Medal
A Mechanical Cleaning Method for Semiconductors and Electronics Using Ice
Prof ZHAO Jiong
Professor, Department of Applied Physics; Co-founder and Scientific Advisor, Clean2D Co., Limited (a PolyU startup)
Dr LIU Haijun
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Applied Physics; Founder, Clean2D Co., Limited (a PolyU startup)
Gold Medal
Construction Robot for Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) and Steel Structure
Dr HAN Xiao-Zhou
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Gold Medal
Green Energy-driven Electrochemical Upcycling of Urban Solid Wastes
Prof. ZHANG Shipeng
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Associate Director, Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality
Prof. POON Chi Sun
Michael Anson Professor in Civil Engineering; Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering;
Director, Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality
Gold Medal
Latching-based Smart Control System for Mitigating Ultra-low-frequency Vibrations: Inspired by Wave Energy Converters
Prof. ZHU Songye
Interim Head and Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering;
Interim Director, Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Steel Construction (Hong Kong Branch)
Mr WANG Hao
PhD Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Gold Medal
WING: Wireless Infrastructure for Next-generation EV Charging
Prof. CHAU Kwok-tong
Chair Professor of Electrical Energy Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Gold Medal
Fast-charging Anode-free Sodium Metal Batteries
Prof. XU Zheng Long
Associate Professor, Department of Industrial Systems and Engineering
Dr LYU Lin Long
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Industrial Systems and Engineering
Gold Medal
Adaptive Freeform Eyeglass for Instant Refractive Control
Dr Elie Aymard Jonathan de LESTRANGE-ANGINIEUR
Research Fellow, School of Optometry
Prof. George WOO
Emeritus Professor and Senior Advisor, School of Optometry
Gold Medal
Safety-assured AI-driven Drone System for Cleaning Building Exteriors
Prof. WEN Weisong
Assistant Professor, Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering; Founder, CeresRobotics.ai Limited (a PolyU startup)
Silver Medal
Hydrogel Dressing for Drug-resistant Bacterial Infection via Sonodynamic Therapy
Prof. HAO Jianhua
Head and Chair Professor of Materials Physics and Devices, Department of Applied Physics; Associate Director, PolyU-Wuhan Technology and Innovation Research Institute
Silver Medal
ProMuki: Wearable Ultrasound Monitoring and Analysing of Muscle Activities for Fitness, Sports and Rehabilitation
Prof. ZHENG Yongping
Henry G. Leong Professor in Biomedical Engineering;
Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering;
Director of Research Institute for Smart Ageing; Director of Jockey Club Smart Ageing Hub
Silver Medal
Nanocarbon-coated Conductive Aggregates (NCCA) for Smart, Sustainable Asphalt Pavement
Prof. LENG Zhen
Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering;
Associate Director, Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality
Silver Medal
Next-generation Electric Vehicles Based on In-motion Wireless Resonant Charging Technologies
Prof. NIU Shuangxia
Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Silver Medal
DermaScan AI
Prof. CAI Jing
Head and Chair Professor of Medical Physics and Intelligent Oncology, Department of Health Technology and Informatics; Technical Advisor, InsightRT Limited (a PolyU startup)
Dr MA Zongrui
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Health Technology and Informatics; CEO, InsightRT Limited (a PolyU startup)
Silver Medal
Intelligent Driving Training and Evaluation System for Heavy-duty Trucks
Prof. FU Xiaowen
Head and Chair Professor of Logistics Engineering, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Dr TANG Yuk Ming
Senior Lecturer, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Silver Medal
Intelligent Ankle Rehabilitation Robt
Prof. ZHANG Dan
Chair Professor of Intelligent Robotics and Automation, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Director of PolyU-Nanjing Technology and Innovation Research Institute
Silver Medal
Carbon Dioxide Reduction Device
Mr TAN Qian
Alumnus, Department of Management and Marketing;
CEO, Huaxia Gallium Carbon Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd (a PolyU startup)
Silver Medal
FlavoTear - Baicalein: A Novel Disease-Modifying Agent for Dry Eye Disease
Prof. Chi-wai DO
Associate Professor, School of Optometry; Associate Director, PolyU-Nanjing Technology and Innovation Research Institute;
Principal Investigator, InnoHK Centre for Eye and Vision Research
Prof. Emmanuel HO
Associate Director, Graduate Studies and Research, University of Waterloo; Principal Investigator, InnoHK Centre for Eye and Vision Research
Silver Medal
Oral-motor Assessment and Rehabilitation Mobile App (ORAR App)
Dr Winsy WONG
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Language Science and Technology;
Clinical Consultant and Co-inventor, Feelings Group Ltd (a PolyU startup)
Miss YIP Chi Hay
Founder, Feelings Group Limited (a PolyU startup)
Bronze Medal
Sustainable Long-lasting Rewritable Textiles for On-demand Pattern Customisation
Prof. XU Bingang
Professor, School of Fashion and Textiles
Bronze Medal
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Achievements
Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship Office