News

Southeast University delegation visits PAIR

Prof. ZHONG Wenqi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Southeast University (SEU), led a delegation to visit The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) on 11 December 2023. The delegation was warmly welcomed by Prof. CHEN Qingyan, Director of the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR), Prof. Eric TSUI, Co-Director of the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT) and PAIR’s Research Institutes’ and Research Centres’ directors and representatives. The two groups had an exchange meeting and a guided tour to the laboratory of the Research Centre for Resource Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE). This visit intended to enhance SEU’s engagement and partnership with PolyU in the areas of carbon neutrality and energy storage technology, and to explore the possibility of jointly establishing a high-level interdisciplinary research centre, with a view to accelerating the construction of a higher education talent training system for carbon peaking and neutrality.

Delegation from Development Bureau and Civil Engineering and Development Department visit SCRI

A delegation led by Mr Ricky LAU, JP, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) of Development Bureau and Mr Michael FONG, JP, Director of Civil Engineering and Development, visited the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI) on 24 November 2023 for exploring potential research collaboration opportunities. During the visit, the delegation was introduced to some of SCRI’s research innovations including the 3D mobile mapping systems and the smart city platform.

Prof. Jerry YAN delivers keynote on energy transition at international conference

Prof. Jerry YAN Jinyue, Executive Committee Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and Chair Professor of Energy and Buildings, at the International Conference on New Energy Science and Electrification of Transportation held on 31 October 2023 in Xiong’an, China, delivered a keynote presentation titled “Energy Nexus: Research and Innovations without Borders — Inter-disciplinary research on energy transition”. Prof. Yan said that there are two sides of energy transition, one is by increasing the proportion of renewable energy sources, and the other is by targeting at the distributed energy generation and storage of end-users. In addition, Prof. Yan pointed out that energy systems involve multiple fields and so, future energy innovation is an interdisciplinary field, involving not only engineering, but also other disciplines.   Online coverage: Xinhua Net - https://polyu.me/3MrQGmG 光明網 - https://polyu.me/45Y5jF0 Toutiao - https://polyu.me/3FFQool

RCRE-led green building material technologies to be showcased at InnoCarnival 2023

Two advanced technologies from the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) including the eco-cements synthesised from recycled solid wastes, and the eco-friendly radiative cooling coating UmiCoolTM, will be showcased at the InnoCarnival 2023 to be held from 28 October to 5 November 2023 at Hong Kong Science Park. The eco-cements developed by Prof. POON Chi-sun, RCRE Director, and his team, are produced from solid wastes including waste concrete, waste incineration ash, and waste glass. These eco-cements can capture, mineralise and store the carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere, while enhancing the hydrophobic performance of concrete, hence greatly reducing the risk of flooding in extreme weather. The cooling coating UmiCoolTM developed by Prof. DAI Jianguo, RCRE Member, and his team, uses the principle of radiative cooling to cool the surface and interior of buildings or infrastructure under direct sunlight during the day. It can reduce the surface temperature by up to 6°C as compared to the ambient temperature without consuming any electricity.   Online coverage: Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/3tuzdDs Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3FjcKvW

RILS delegation on field visit to Tai O for collaborative research opportunities

The delegation of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) visited Tai O on 25 October 2023 to gain a better understanding of the ecological, cultural and economic environments in the village, and to explore opportunities for research collaboration with the local community.  The delegation was led by Prof. ZHAO Xiao Lin, Management Committee of RILS, and was joined by Sr Prof. Ben CHAN, Adjunct Professor of RILS, Dr Daniel ELKIN, Member of RILS, Prof. HE Shenjing, Head of Department of Urban Planning and Design of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Dr QIAN Junxi, Associate Professor of HKU Department of Geography.  The delegation was received by Mr LO Wai Hung, a local villager living in stilt house, and was introduced to the unique culture, conservation value and development potential of Tai O Fishing Village. The visit provided important opportunities for exploring collaboration in Tai O’s future developments, such as the development of innovative floating architecture solutions for cultural preservation, the application of corrosion prevention design and techniques, and the provision of entertainment facilities and accommodation to drive Tai O’s tourism and economy. The Institute would like to extend sincere thanks to Mr Lo for his generous support in facilitating the field visit and providing RILS delegates with rich, comprehensive insights into the village history, culture and infrastructural development of Tai O.  Further reading: https://polyu.hk/dZqlT

DoRCTFF shares insights at World Textile University Alliance Annual Meeting

Prof. FAN Jintu, Director of the Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion (RCTFF) and Chair Professor of Fiber Science and Apparel Engineering, shared his views on the latest development in textile science at the 2nd International Conference on Advanced Textile Science and Technology & World Textile University Alliance Annual Meeting held from 13 to 15 October 2023 at Donghua University in Shanghai, China. With the theme of “Advanced Textile Science and Technology”, the Conference provided an important platform for the global exchange of textile technologies and cross-sectoral cooperation. The Conference included more than 170 keynote presentations and was joined by over 400 textile scholars from 63 organisations in 15 countries. Prof. Fan said that advanced apparel and textiles should strike a balance among visual aesthetics, sustainability and functionality. An illustrative example is the thermo-regulating fabric for personal thermal management, which uses phase-change materials and nanomaterials to regulate the radiative cooling of the human body to achieve intelligent, dynamic thermoregulation in hot and humid environments. The current challenges of thermo-regulating fabrics include two aspects: one is that thermal fabrics should be breathable and lightweight, and the other is the development of cooling fabrics.   Online coverage: China News Service - https://polyu.me/48XdYu2 The Paper - https://polyu.me/3S0UzlW East Money - https://polyu.me/3QiFVW5 East Day - https://polyu.me/3FlrCKe NetEase - https://polyu.me/46Dho3W Sohu - https://polyu.me/3tthzQm Toutiao - https://polyu.me/48SNolY

Goldwind delegation visits PolyU

A delegation of Goldwind Science and Technology Co., Limited, led by Dr ZHAI Endi, Director of China National Wind Power Engineering & Technology Research Center and Group Chief Engineer (CTO) of Goldwind, visited the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) on 12 October 2023. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, met with the delegation, together with Prof. DING Xiaoli, Director of RILS and some members of the Institute. During the meeting, the delegation learnt about PolyU’s research strengths and latest developments, and discussed potential research collaborations with PolyU.  Dr ZHAI was also invited to deliver a RILS Public Lecture. The Online Lecture, which provided a comprehensive overview of the offshore wind power industry in China, received a very positive response, attracting over 350 online registrations.

DoSCRI gives keynote speech at national smart city conference

Prof. John SHI Wenzhong, Director of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI) and Chair Professor of Geographical Information Science and Remote Sensing in the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, delivered a keynote speech at the 16th Smart City Conference held in Guangzhou, China on 12 October 2023. With the theme of “Virtual-real Integration · Open Innovation · Towards an Intelligent Future", the Conference attracted more than 1,000 participants from the smart city industry, research institutes, leading companies, higher education institutions, etc., to discuss solutions to city operations, explore trade and cooperation opportunities, and build a smart city industry ecosystem.   Online coverage (Chinese only): The Paper - https://polyu.me/48R0xvT

Consul General of Sweden visits RCRE

Ms Louise BERGHOLM, Consul General of Sweden, visited the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) on 3 October 2023. During the laboratory visit, Prof. POON Chi-sun, Director of RCRE, introduced some of the low-carbon construction materials developed by the Centre, including foam glass-based lightweight concrete, superhydrophobic lightweight foam concrete, sustainable permeable concrete for urban drainage and 3D concrete printing products. The two parties had an enlightening and fruitful exchange.

Prof. Eddie HUI hosts panel discussion at HKIS Property and Facility Management Division Conference 2023

The Property and Facility Management Division of Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) held a conference “Next Generation of Smart Property & Facility Management in Greater Bay Area” at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 26 September 2023.  Ms. HO Wing-yin, JP, Secretary for Housing of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government was invited as the guest of honour.  The event attracted more than 230 industry professionals and academics from Hong Kong and mainland China for discussion on the industry development and the industrial application of innovative technologies in the property and facility management sector in the Greater Bay Area. Prof. Eddie HUI Chi-man, Management Committee Member of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) and Associate Head and Professor of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), hosted the panel discussion on the topic “Exploring the Opportunities and Challenges of Smart Technology Adoption in Property and Facility Management across the Greater Bay Area”, leading the audience for an active and fruitful exchange.   Online coverage: Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3ET2Z7j Chinese only