Research/Specialist Centres, Initiatives, and Laboratories
Faculty of Business
Centre for Business Innovations & Technology (CBIT)
The Centre for Business Innovations & Technology caters to the needs of both industry and academia. The Centre aims to: a) provide a platform for collaboration between our faculty members, external experts, and other stakeholders interested in business innovations and technology; b) develop business technologies underpinned by AI(GC), blockchain, DS, LLM in business, finance, information systems, and others; c) produce high-quality and impactful academic research on business technology and innovations; and d) promote and share knowledge and research findings related to business innovations and technology through education, training, and consultancy.
Director: Prof. Jimmy Jin (LMS)
Co-Directors: Dr Bing Zhang (WeBot Limited & Pionex Securities Ltd), Prof. Katherine Feng (MM), Prof. Jie Cao (AF) & Prof. Shuaian Wang (LMS)
Centre for Digital Assets and Innovation (CDAI)
The Centre for Digital Assets and Innovation (CDAI), established in June 2025, is a flagship platform for advancing research and innovation in blockchain, digital assets and Web3 technologies. The Centre brings together academic expertise and industry partnerships to drive the development of Hong Kong’s digital economy.
Leveraging the University’s academic strengths and strong industry partnerships, the Centre focuses on areas such as real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation, stablecoin development, and the building of Web3 ecosystems. As part of Hong Kong’s technology and innovation hub, CDAI conducts cutting-edge research, provides consulting services and policy analysis, and supports the commercialisation of research outcomes. Through these efforts, the Centre contributes to Hong Kong’s ambition to become a leading global centre for digital asset innovation.
Director: Prof. Katherine Feng (MM)
Co-Directors: Prof. Joanna Tang (AF) & Prof. Jimmy Jin (LMS)
Centre for Innovation Commercialisation
The Centre for Innovation Commercialisation is dedicated to bridging the gap between research innovation and real world impact. It advances knowledge transfer by transforming promising research into viable products, services and ventures. It addresses the critical “valley of death” in innovation by integrating business expertise with scientific and technological development, enabling ideas with proven potential to achieve successful commercial outcomes.
Through an interdisciplinary platform, the Centre connects researchers, industry partners, investors and policymakers to support the full innovation lifecycle—from opportunity identification and market validation to business model development and commercial deployment. Its work spans research, executive education and industry engagement, while also contributing to policy development and best practices in commercialisation. By fostering collaboration and building capabilities across sectors, the Centre positions PolyU as a regional leader and serves as a catalyst for turning innovation into sustainable economic and societal value.
Director: Dr Justin Law (AF)
Co-Director: Mr Terence Yuk Fai Cheung (Billion Industrial Group Limited)
Centre for Retail & Marketing Innovations
The Centre for Retail & Marketing Innovations provides a collaborative platform for faculty members, external experts and relevant parties working on advances in retail and marketing. It focuses on developing technologies powered by AI generated content, virtual avatars, data science , intelligent recommendation algorithms, and others.
Its mission is to produce high-quality, impactful research in retail and marketing innovations, and to share this knowledge through education, training and consultancy initiatives.
Director: Prof. Yanping Tu (MM)
Co-Director: Prof. Bill Pao (MM)
Faculty of Business Digital Transformation Centre (DTC)
The DTC caters for the needs of individuals and organizations, the academic and business communities and society as a whole. It promotes and enhances the understanding and management of technology innovations and digital transformation mainly through research, training and consultancy. It provides a platform for collaboration and partnership, sharing expertise and resources.
Director: Prof. Xin Xu (MM)
Deputy Director: Prof. Li Jiang (AF)
PolyU Business School Case Centre (PBSCC)
Case study takes a vital role in business education as it enables students to solve multi-faceted business problems faced by managers in a classroom setting. Recognising such importance, the PolyU Business School Case Centre (PBSCC) is set up to promote business education through developing high quality business cases studies and technical briefs on latest business issues and state-of-the-art management practices.
Director: Dr Justin Law (AF)
Deputy Directors: Prof. Anthony Pang (LMS) & Dr Pamsy Hui (MM)
PolyU Faculty of Business - Li Jinglong Specialist Centre for New Retail Business
The PolyU Faculty of Business – Li Jinglong Specialist Centre for New Retail Business brings together academic, industry and government partners to explore innovative pathways in new retail, where online and offline experiences converge through technology. The Centre serves as a collaborative hub for developing practical, forward-looking solutions that support the sector’s high-quality development. Through specialised workshops and programmes, it equips retail professionals with the skills needed to thrive in rapidly evolving environments, empowering them to lead transformation across the industry.
Director: Prof. Chelsea Jiang (FB)
Co-Directors: Prof. Xin Xu (MM), Prof. Jimmy Jin (LMS) & Prof. Gui Li (Wotuo Commercial Trading Limited)
PolyU Faculty of Business - TGG Innovation Centre for Stablecoin and Real-World Assets
The PolyU Faculty of Business - TGG Innovation Centre for Stablecoin and Real-World Assets focuses on the convergence of compliant stablecoins and real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation. Grounded in Hong Kong’s 2025 Stablecoin Ordinance and the Policy Declaration on Digital Assets Development 2.0, the Centre combines the Faculty’s strengths in fintech regulation, AI-driven asset valuation, and market analysis with TGG Digital’s expertise in blockchain finance and deployment. The result is a world-leading hub that integrates research, education, incubation and industry collaboration.
The Centre’s mission is to advance research and commercialisation in stablecoin–RWA integration, leveraging Hong Kong’s regulatory advantages and AI technologies to build a trusted ecosystem for asset tokenisation.
Director: Prof. Xiaowei Mei (MM)
Co-Director: Dr Jianing Yu (TGG Digital Limited)
School of Accounting & Finance
PolyU School of Accounting and Finance – Quant Cloud Centre for AI in Accounting and Finance
The PolyU School of Accounting and Finance – Quant Cloud Centre for AI in Accounting and Finance is a research initiative dedicated to advancing the application of artificial intelligence in the accounting and finance disciplines. It focuses on harnessing large language models and advanced natural language processing technologies to extract market signals, transform them into robust sentiment factors, and generate measurable value for both academic research and professional practice.
Director: Prof. Jingran Zhao (AF)
Co-Director: Prof. Walter Yao (AF)
Research Centre for Digital Economy (RCDE)
The vision of the Research Centre for Digital Economy is to activate data resources from economic and social activities, integrate these data resources into the real economy and everyday life, explore patterns of innovative development, drive the development of the digital economy in Hong Kong, and encourage interdisciplinary research on the digital economy and society.
Directors: Prof. Nancy Su (AF) & Dr Pang Paul Wang (AF)
Co-Director: Prof. Pengcheng Song (Xi'an Jiaotong University)
Research Centre for Environmental, Social, and Governance Advancement (RCESGA)
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is more critical than ever in advancing sustainable development. The Research Centre for ESG Advancement is dedicated to four key areas that support governments and society in achieving long-term sustainability goals:
(1) Green finance, ESG reporting, and standards
(2) Sustainable logistics and supply chains
(3) Circular economy solutions for urban renewable energy
(4) Sustainable social policies
The Research Centre for ESG Advancement (RCESGA) serves as a collaborative platform that brings together ESG researchers across disciplines, fostering interdisciplinary research to address ESG challenges in Hong Kong, mainland China, and around the world, ultimately contributing to the resilience and betterment of society.
Director: Prof. Qiang Wu (AF)
Co-Director: Prof. Mike Lai Kee-hung (LMS)
Research Centre for Web3.0 AI
The research center aims to investigate the intersection of Web3, asset tokenisation, and AI to develop innovative solutions that will transform the way assets are managed and traded. The center will focus on researching how decentralised systems enabled by Web3 technologies and asset tokenisation can be enhanced by AI to create more efficient, secure, and transparent asset management networks. The research will cover a range of topics, including decentralised finance, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralised exchanges, and decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs). The center will bring together experts in Web3, asset tokenisation, and AI from academia, industry, and government to collaborate on cutting-edge research projects. The center seeks to contribute to the advancement of Web3, asset tokenisation, and AI technologies and their applications in various domains, such as finance, art, and real estate. The ultimate goal of the center is to create a more inclusive and equitable financial system that empowers individuals and communities to access and manage assets in new and innovative ways.
Director: Prof. Brian Kei (AF)
Deputy Directors: Prof. Xin Xu (MM) & Prof. Jimmy Jin (LMS)
Cross-Border Data Flow Laboratory (CBDFL)
The Cross-Border Data Flow Laboratory at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is a platform dedicated to research on cross-border data transmission, privacy protection, network security, and compliance. The laboratory aims to promote data flow in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and internationally, while ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations such as China's Data Security Law, Personal Information Protection Law, and the EU's GDPR. The vision of the proposed data cross-border flow lab is to activate data resources in the Chinese mainland will be better distributed to Hong Kong, even to other countries around the world, and the global data and Hong Kong data will be better distributed to Chinese Mainland. Make Hong Kong be a hub for cross-border international data and a true international data port. The operation of this lab is with the expectation to maintain Hong Kong’s position in data era and promote social welfare for her civilians to deep integration of digital economy and real economy.
Director: Dr Pang Paul Wang (AF)
Cross-Border Credit Technology Laboratory (CBCTL)
Cross-Border Credit Technology Laboratory at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is a platform dedicated to research on cross-border data transmission, cross-border credit, privacy protection, network security, and compliance. The laboratory aims to promote credit technology and cross-border credit in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and internationally, while ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations such as China's Data Security Law, Personal Information Protection Law, and the EU's GDPR. The vision of the proposed cross-border credit technology lab is to activate enterprise credit resources in the Chinese Mainland will be better distributed to Hong Kong, even to other countries around the world, and the global data and Hong Kong data will be better distributed to Chinese Mainland. Make Hong Kong be a hub for cross-border international data and a true international data port. The operation of this lab is with the expectation to maintain Hong Kong’s position in data and credit era and promote social welfare for her civilians to deep integration of digital economy and real economy.
Director: Dr Pang Paul Wang (AF)
PolyU Asklora FinTech Adoption Index (FAI)
The FAI is a locally developed index that measures Hong Kong’s consumers' digital adoption across three dimensions: user types, FinTech sectors, and impact categories. The index covers over 1000 individuals across all demographics every quarter to represent the Hong Kong population and is the first native index that emphasizes the consumer aspect of FinTech adoption by directly going to the retail user.
Department of Logistics & Maritime Studies
CY Tung International Centre for Maritime Studies (ICMS)
The ICMS advances research and education activities in different fields of shipping and logistics operations at national and international levels. It conducts pioneering research on container port productivity, port policy, shipping operations and management, and low carbon logistics, in addition to promoting collaboration between industries, government agencies, and academic organizations. It provides comprehensive maritime education and training that offer employees and organizations insights into different professional settings.
Director: Ir Prof. T. L. Yip (LMS)
Deputy Director: Dr Judy Tong (LMS)
Logistics Research Centre (LRC)
The LRC promotes and facilitates applied research in logistics. It also provides research, consultancy and training to the logistics and related industries as well as organizes seminars and conferences with an emphasis on collaboration. Members of the research team come from various PolyU departments with a wide range of expertise.
Director: Prof. Daniel Ng Chi-to (LMS)
Deputy Director: Prof. Eric Ngai (MM)
Network of Empirical Operations Management (NEOM)
The NEOM advances rigorous and impactful empirical research in operations and supply chain management by connecting a global community of scholars, doctoral students, industry partners, and leading academic journals. NEOM promotes methodological excellence and high-quality evidence based on primary data, field experiments, and real operational settings. While NEOM engages researchers and journal communities worldwide, the network conducts its core scholarly and industry engagement activities in the Asia-Pacific region. Through these efforts, NEOM strengthens the link between global research excellence and Asia-Pacific operational practice and impact.
Director: Prof. Chris Lo (LMS)
PolyU-FHS Centre for Inclusive Innovation (PFCII)
The PolyU–FHS Centre for Inclusive Innovation advances interdisciplinary research and innovation translation to promote social inclusion and service transformation in the social welfare sector. Jointly established by PolyU and Fu Hong Society, the Centre conducts applied research on inclusive technology adoption, rehabilitation technology, service operations, impact evaluation and sustainable social impact models. It promotes collaboration between academic researchers, social welfare organisations, industry partners, government agencies, frontline staff and service users to co-create, pilot and optimise evidence-based solutions in real-world community and rehabilitation settings. The Centre also develops standards, knowledge-transfer platforms and professional training activities to support the wider adoption of inclusive innovations and strengthen Hong Kong’s role in advancing social inclusion in Asia.
Co-Directors: Prof. Chris Lo (LMS) & Dr Chi-wood Woo (Fu Hong Society)
PolyU Maritime Data and Sustainable Development Centre (PMDC)
The PMDC, incorporating the Data Centre, provides services to PolyU faculties and students, the maritime community and the government. The Centre is aimed at providing analyzed maritime data for the government and the maritime community and, committing to provide maritime education and training programs for industry professionals to enhance the position of Hong Kong's maritime industry. The Centre consults THB and the Marine Department on research and development projects and co-operates with them in promoting research and development to meet industry needs.
Director: Prof. Dong Yang (LMS)
Deputy Director: Prof. Hans Wang (LMS)
Shipping Research Centre (SRC)
The SRC is a multidisciplinary unit comprising researchers with extensive expertise in shipping and logistics management. It facilitates collaboration between academic researchers and industry practitioners to generate and disseminate information on solutions to industry’s problems, develop new business models, and promote innovative management in the shipping and related industries. The Centre hosts and manages an SSCI scholarly journal, publishes several book series, carries out research in the shipping and logistics areas, conducts consultancy and funded research projects, and organizes international conferences and academic and professional seminars.
Director: Prof. Mike Lai Kee-hung (LMS)
Deputy Director: Prof. Dong Yang (LMS)
Department of Management & Marketing
Asian Centre for Branding and Marketing (ACBM)
ACBM aims to promote professionalism and excellence in the areas such as consumer behavior, digital marketing, social media communication, and B2B marketing. We advocate an integrated approach to the advancement of research, executive training and management consulting. ACBM serves as a knowledge sharing platform which facilitates the exchange of innovative ideas and best practices among marketing professionals, business communities, and academia. With the vision to nurture, inspire and empower ethical leaders, we are committed to developing collaborative networks and making a positive impact in the wider society.
Director: Prof. Fang Flora Gu (MM)
Deputy Director: Prof. Ming Wai Celine Ho (MM)
Centre for Leadership and Innovation (CLI)
The CLI draws on the diverse expertise of the Faculty as well as the knowledge and experience of the local and international academic and business communities. It adopts an integrated approach to the advancement of research, teaching and consultancy in the areas of entrepreneurship, leadership and strategic management. The Centre organizes research activities and provides service to industry. Such activities include seminars, workshops, and collaborative projects within and outside the university. Its services include consultancy, management training and executive coaching.
Director: Prof. Krishna Savani (MM)
Behavioural Research Lab (BRL)
The BRL is dedicated to the understanding of human behaviour in markets and organizations. Research conducted in this lab explores some of the most fascinating and complex questions regarding how people understand the world, interact and make decisions.
The BRL offers world-class software (Qualtrics, eye tracking software, face reading software, etc.) and a range of services, and includes 20 cubicles, 2 general research rooms, a computer lab, a sound-isolated PC Cube and a meeting room. The space can be adjusted to meet the needs of studies conducted in a controlled environment. Researchers are able to conduct a variety of studies using a broad range of research methods, including computer-based surveys, tasks or games and discussion-based experiments and focus groups in this lab. Participants learn about important social scientific questions and techniques while being compensated for their time.
