PolyU has won two prestigious TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo 2023 (TechConnect) Global Innovation Awards. This marks PolyU’s seventh consecutive year of winning the esteemed awards. Furthermore, PolyU was the only higher education institution in Hong Kong to have received awards this year at the world’s largest multi-sector event for fostering translational innovations and technology commercialisation.

Led by Prof. Eric Cheng Ka-Wai, Professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering, the awarded project, “Ammonia powered fuel cell-based electric vehicle”, adopts ammonia-to-wheel energy conversion where ammonia is broken down into nitrogen and hydrogen by catalysts to generate electricity, achieving zero carbon emission. Since hydrogen is produced from ammonia and consumed immediately, the hazardous issues raised from the large storage of hydrogen are addressed, making the vehicle safer and easier to manage.

The other awarded innovation is the “Biomimicking Photocrosslinkable Nanocomposite Bone Grafts” project led by Dr Xin Zhao, Associate Professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Mirroring the structure of natural bone, the materials can expedite the bone healing process by promoting osteogenesis and angiogenesis simultaneously while providing optimal mechanical support to the injured area. As a highly efficient solution for bone healing, the materials can serve a large number of patients who are receiving orthopedic surgeries.

The TechConnect conference will be held in Washington, D.C. from 19 to 21 June 2023, and PolyU’s delegation will showcase various innovative projects and explore potential collaboration opportunities with technology partners.