PolyU secures RGC Theme-based Research Scheme funding to develop cost-effective and sustainable Co-GenAI model

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to driving cutting-edge research that creates societal impact and technological advancement. Prof. YANG Hongxia, Executive Director of the PolyU Academy for Artificial Intelligence, Associate Dean (Global Engagement) of the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, and Professor of the Department of Computing, has received funding from the Theme-based Research Scheme 2025/26 under the Research Grants Council for her pioneering project, “Collaborative Generative AI (Co-GenAI)”.

The project has been awarded total funding of HK$62.6 million, with HK$41.79 million provided by the RGC and the remaining amount matched by PolyU and other participating universities. This initiative is aimed at reshaping the landscape of GenAI through a decentralised way. The research holds significant potential to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a global leader in GenAI development, with real-world applications in healthcare and technology.

Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation), said, “We are delighted that our scholar has received this significant support. This pioneering project exemplifies the University’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge AI research, alongside our emphasis on inclusive and sustainable technological development. PolyU will continue to leverage its world-class research capabilities to make a profound impact on the future development of Hong Kong and the global community. With the launch of the PolyU Academy for Artificial Intelligence, we are poised to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and unlock new frontiers in AI applications.”

The project, led by Prof. Yang Hongxia, aims to develop a novel collaborative GenAI paradigm known as Co-GenAI. The system evolves through the integration of several hundred domain-specific models to create a foundation model designed to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI) with significantly reduced centralised computational demand. By addressing the current constraints imposed by graphics processing unit (GPU) monopolies, this innovative approach is set to democratise AI development and enable broader participation in GenAI research and deployment.

Co-GenAI is tailored to enhance different domains and collaborations, with the long-term goal of creating a versatile platform for the next generation of GenAI ecosystem. The project’s key tasks include the development of domain-adaptive continual pre-training infrastructure and the design of a robust, generalisable model ranking methodology. In addition, an advanced model fusion approach will be implemented to merge heterogeneous top-ranked domain-specific models.

Prof. Yang expressed her gratitude for the RGC’s support and said, “Backed by a team of world-renowned researchers with extensive expertise, we believe Co-GenAI will play a transformative role in advancing the democratisation of AI, expanding its accessibility across disciplines and enhancing cost-effectiveness. We are confident that this novel paradigm will spark greater innovation and diversity in the field, ultimately paving the way for the development of a global foundation model that is both sustainable and inclusive.”

To evaluate Co-GenAI, the research team will implement and deploy the system across a wide range of applications in collaboration with industry partners including Cyberport, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Alibaba, and leading hospitals such as Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, Shandong Cancer Hospital, and Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center.

The RGC’s Theme-based Research Scheme aims to pool the academic research efforts of UGC-funded universities to conduct research on topics of strategic importance to Hong Kong’s long-term development. Evaluation criteria include qualification as world-leading by international standards and the potential impact on Hong Kong.

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