RCdTT and Open Sky Sign Strategic MOU to Drive AI Transformation in Tourism

HONG KONG, May 8, 2026– The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), through its Research Centre for Digital Transformation of Tourism (RCDTT), and Open Sky Travel Technology Limited (Open Sky) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today. The signing ceremony took place during the "Phu Quoc – Your Ultimate Escape" Agent Seminar held at the New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel, marking the commencement of a strategic partnership dedicated to advancing AI technology within the aviation and tourism sectors.

The collaboration aims to integrate Open Sky’s proprietary SkyLLM/SkyLAM AI technology with PolyU’s world-class research expertise. Both parties intend to explore long-term synergies in research funding, academic sponsorship, and the commercialization of research outcomes to support digital transformation in the industry.

Key areas of the collaboration include:

• Research & Innovation: Open Sky will provide specialized funding to support PolyU’s research on vertical Large Language Models (LLMs) for tourism demand forecasting and automated operations.
• Strategic Advisory: Prof. SONG Haiyan (Director of RCDTT, Associate Dean (Research) and Chair Professor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, and Mr and Mrs Chan Chak Fu Professor in International Tourism) and Prof. WANG Dan (Associate Director of RCDTT) have been appointed as Chief Strategic Advisors to Open Sky.
• Talent Cultivation: Open Sky will provide internship opportunities and a real-world big data environment for PolyU’s PhD students and researchers.
• Resource Integration: Both parties will jointly apply for the government’s RAISe+ Scheme and other industry-academia-research grants to accelerate the industrial application of AI findings.

This collaboration reinforces Hong Kong's role as a premier leader in global travel-tech innovation. Through this partnership, PolyU and Open Sky will continue to push the boundaries of AI, creating a more resilient and technologically advanced future for the international tourism community.