GBA Startup Programme: Turning PhDs into Technopreneurs

(From right) Mr Teddy Lui, Operation Director, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Alibaba Group; Prof. Li Qing, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head, Department of Computing of PolyU; Ms Amy Lung, Court Member of PolyU; Mr Edmund Lee, Director, Application Technology Company Limited; and Mr Wilson Chan, Assistant Director, Entrepreneurship, KTEO of PolyU, were among the panel of judges.

Piloted in 2019, the GBA Startup Postdoc Programme aims to promote research-based entrepreneurship and nurture recent doctoral graduates worldwide with a strong passion and vision to commercialise their research outcomes through startup ventures.

Over 35 doctoral students and graduates around the world competed for the fellowship of PolyU’s GBA Startup Postdoc Programme @Hong Kong/Shenzhen this year. During the final assessment in May, candidates strived to impress a panel of prestigious judges with their research-based entrepreneurial proposals.

Leveraging the resources and network of PolyU in the Greater Bay Area, the postdoc fellows can translate their research outcomes into real-world applications through startup venturing. The programme offers a competitive remuneration package, dual mentorship by academia and industry professionals, entrepreneurship training, and the option to work in Shenzhen or Hong Kong.