PolyU secures first-time win of the First Prize at HICOOL 2026, while also holding the PIIRS Beijing roadshow to deepen I&T matching between Hong Kong and Jing-Jin-Ji region

Project

Principal Investigator

Award

Introduction

High-Power Anti-Reflection Laser Scanning Galvanometer for New Energy and High-End Manufacturing

Mr Mingchun ZHENG
CEO of Precision Scan Inc. (PolyU startup)

First Prize

This project addresses industry pain points including inadequate anti‑reflection capability, low transmittance of optical components and unsatisfactory operational stability for high‑power laser scanning welding, and is dedicated to achieving domestic substitution and industrial upgrading of high‑end galvanometers. It delivers technological breakthroughs via three core dimensions: anti‑reflection structural design, lens material selection and coating processes, and high‑efficiency composite heat dissipation which effectively mitigate problems such as focal shift, lens cracking and galvanometer self‑excitation. The product specifications benchmark those of international market leader SCANLAB, and its overall technology has been recognised as internationally leading through authoritative review. The project has finished R&D and entered mass‑production, with products already adopted by leading enterprises in consumer electronics, new‑energy vehicles and 3D printing.

Lawrence Legal and Compliance Digital Employee

Prof. LU Haitian
Hong Kong Sustaintech Foundation Professor in Accounting and Finance of the School of Accounting and Finance, Director of Mainland Development Office, and Founder of WiseLaw
(PolyU start-up)

Winner Prize

Lawrence is a legal and compliance digital employee developed by WiseLaw on its proprietary Law-as-Code technology foundation. Unlike a conventional chatbot, Lawrence is designed to understand work objectives, select and use professional tools, execute multi-step tasks, and produce results that can be reviewed and traced. It supports enterprises, financial institutions, and law firms across practical workflows such as multi-jurisdiction legal research, regulatory searches, contract review, compliance checks, and document processing. By connecting legal knowledge with day-to-day business processes, Lawrence helps users move from receiving information to completing actual work. The product is available through desktop and web interfaces, as well as a dedicated hardware device, allowing teams to access its capabilities in different working environments. Lawrence combines multi-jurisdiction knowledge resources with permission controls, audit mechanisms, and source traceability to support secure and reliable use. It can be configured with role-specific skills and workflows for different legal, compliance, and business scenarios. Rather than replacing professional judgment, Lawrence assists human teams by handling repeatable and information-intensive work, preserving an auditable record and escalating matters that require human review. This enables professionals to focus on strategic judgment, client communication, and complex decision-making. Through this digital-employee approach, WiseLaw aims to make professional legal capability more accessible, standardised, and continuously available, helping Chinese companies respond more efficiently to the legal and compliance challenges of international expansion.

Proactive Early Warning System for Structural Health Monitoring of Wind Turbine Blades and Towers

Prof. YU Changyuan

Chair Professor of Photonic Information System of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Director of the PolyU-Jinjiang Technology and Innovation Research Institute, and

Scientific Advisor of Xiaoma Technology Limited (a PolyU startup)

Ms MA Zhiqin

PhD Candidate of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Founder of Xiaoma Technology Limited (a PolyU startup)

Winner Prize

The project focuses on intelligent operation and maintenance of wind turbines and provides an integrated “Hardware + AI” solution for renewable energy infrastructure. Unlike conventional electrical sensors, which suffer from limited monitoring coverage and may affect the original mechanical properties of blades, the system adopts customised fibre Bragg grating sensing technology with an integrated embedding process. The optical fibre sensors can be embedded into critical blade structures, including main beams, webs and bonding interfaces, without affecting structural integrity. A single optical fibre enables continuous monitoring of blades up to 50 m in length, providing multi-parameter measurements with strain resolution ≤1 με and temperature resolution ≤0.1 ℃, allowing early identification of micro-deformation and structural degradation.

To withstand harsh offshore conditions, including high salinity, humidity and vibration, the project has developed a dual-layer protective packaging technology based on polytetrafluoroethylene and stainless steel. The system also integrates finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics, and multi-physics simulation to build digital models covering blades, gearboxes, generators, and towers, improving wind turbine operating condition reproduction capability from less than 70% in traditional empirical models to over 95%.

Combining physics-based modelling with data-driven AI algorithms, the system performs adaptive threshold adjustment, fault localisation (error ≤3 cm) and remaining useful life prediction. It provides a complete workflow from monitoring and analysis to early warning and maintenance decision support, reducing unplanned downtime and offshore maintenance costs.

Project Kontemp: Temperature-Controllable Modular Vest

Mr PUN Chi Hang, Valen

Founder of Project Kontemp Limited

(a PolyU startup)

Winner Prize

Project Kontemp: Modular Temperature-Controlled Vest" offers customisable heating and cooling, enabling users to adjust temperatures to their personal preference. Co-developed in garment collaboration with the Hong Kong Design Institute, this innovative product combines stylish design with expert tailoring to meet diverse lifestyle needs, ensuring versatile application across various scenarios and user groups. Powered by advanced semiconductor technology, the vest precisely delivers the user’s designated temperature, performing effectively in both extreme heat and freezing cold. This functionality helps alleviate discomfort, reduce health risks such as heatstroke and boost focus and performance in extreme environments.