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PolyU presents 28 high-quality material sciences research at Advanced Materials

Celebrate 30th anniversary of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) with a special Advanced Materials issue ! Featuring 28 top-notch papers in materials science, showcasing PolyU's excellence in education, research, and global reach!  Ranked 54th in the QS World University Rankings 2026, PolyU boasts 420+ scholars among the top 2% most-cited scientists worldwide. We demonstrate a strong commitment to innovation and societal impact, supported by extensive research infrastructure and global partnerships. Dive into this special issue of Advanced Materials! 19 reviews, 8 research articles, and 1 perspective explore cutting-edge materials science: advanced manufacturing, electronic materials, energy solutions, and wearable technologies!  Emphasizing PolyU's vision, we bridge theory with technology, fostering collaborations and pushing boundaries in materials science. Thanks to all contributors for making this issue special !  Read the full issue: Special Issue: Materials Research at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Advanced Materials: Volume 37, Issue 48)  

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University accelerates research and innovation across the Mainland

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has successfully established 2 research institutes in Shenzhen (Nanshan and Futian), 12 translational research institutes across the Mainland and one translational research centre by the end of 2025. PolyU is committed to fostering innovation to drive the transformation of research outcomes into applications, serving the high-quality economic and social development. More information

PolyU scholar elected member of The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences

Prof. Raymond Wai-Yeung WONG, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Associate Director of Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy, Clarea Au Professor in Energy and Chair Professor of Chemical Technology at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has been elected a member of The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences (ASHK). This honour recognises his leadership in chemical technology and long‑standing contributions to advancing sustainable energy solutions and promoting scientific innovation for societal benefit. Prof. WONG is an internationally renowned chemist whose research focuses on the design and synthesis of molecular functional materials and metallopolymers (1D and 2D) with photofunctional properties for energy applications. His work underpins major advancements in technologies for light and electricity conversion, supporting more efficient solar energy utilisation and paving the way for next‑generation organic solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Among his significant research achievements is the development of flexible, low‑cost OLED light sources that outperform traditional LCDs in energy efficiency. These OLED light sources can be printed onto surfaces using inkjet or screen‑printing technologies and are compatible with curved digital display screens, opening new possibilities for advanced display systems. His leadership also extends to strengthening Hong Kong’s research infrastructure. He spearheaded the establishment of Hong Kong's first Fourier‑transform Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (FT‑EPR) spectrometer facility, enhancing interdisciplinary research capacity and collaboration. Prof. WONG’s research excellence is widely recognised internationally. He has been ranked as the 26th most‑cited scientist globally in inorganic and nuclear chemistry by a Stanford University index, with an extensive publication record of over 900 scientific articles in international journals and an h‑index of 101 (Scopus). His distinguished career has earned him numerous prestigious honours, including the Croucher Senior Research Fellow Award (2009), Chemistry of the Transition Metals Award by the Royal Society of Chemistry (2010), First Class Prize (2010) and Second Class Prize (2022) in Natural Science Award from the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, FACS Distinguished Young Chemist Award (2011), Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation Prize for Scientific and Technological Innovation (2012), Second Class Prize in State Natural Science Award of the People’s Republic of China (2013), the inaugural Research Grant Council (RGC) Senior Research Fellow Award (2020), and Foreign Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences.

PolyU develops “zero-hallucination” AI literature review system to usher in new era of super research brain

Literature review underpins all academic studies. Whether for governments formulating national strategies or corporations seeking to gain industry insights, this requires reading, screening, sorting and analysing a very considerable number of sources. Prof. LIU Yan, Associate Professor and Group Leader of the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (AIR) Research Group at the Department of Computing of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has led her team to develop the AI literature review system “Write For You”, which can conduct in-depth analysis across extensive bodies of literature and generate reports. Since its launch in the first quarter of this year, it has registered over 40,000 active users worldwide. The academic paper on this system was presented at the AI conference held by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence in February this year. Prof. Liu Yan explained that the team was inspired by Prof. CAO Jiannong, PolyU Vice President (Education), who suggested in 2022 that AI could be utilised to automate educational research. Mr ZHANG Zhi, a PhD student of the department, then leveraged the latest techniques of intelligent agents to address the problem of generating inaccurate content due to AI “hallucination”, succeeding in achieving “zero-hallucination” literature reviews with reliable logical reasoning and the capability to integrate academic resources across languages. Meanwhile, Dr CHEN Gong, a PhD graduate of the same department, designed and developed a user-friendly system for literature review generation, enabling users across industries to obtain a comprehensive and in-depth report in a matter of minutes by simply describing their topic of interest. Prof. Liu Yan added, “Compared with traditional reading that requires considerable time and human resources, the ‘Write For You’ system can significantly enhance research efficiency while also reducing costs. It has therefore been well received by users around the world. In just a few months since its launch, users have spanned dozens of countries and regions.” Prof. Cao Jiannong noted, “With the trend of AI-empowered education and research, PolyU is committed to leveraging leading generative AI technologies to enhance research efficiency. Our team has successfully addressed the challenge of AI hallucination, substantially improving the system’s reliability and overcoming commonly faced technical hurdles. Looking ahead, the team will build on its literature review foundation, seizing the opportunity to boost new AI-powered quality productive forces. Committed to developing autonomous intelligent systems, the team seeks to construct an ‘AI Super Research Brain’ that covers all disciplines and the entire research process, helping humanity push the boundaries of knowledge while leading the development of a new global paradigm of technological innovation with Hong Kong-developed AI technologies.” Project website: https://www.writeforyou.net/

PolyU and Foshan Communications Group’s Technology Company sign collaboration framework agreement to drive transport innovation

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Foshan Communications Group’s Technology Company  have signed a collaboration framework agreement in Foshan on 22 December, marking the start of a strategic partnership focused on transportation materials, structures and technologies. The two parties will jointly establish a research and technology commercialisation platform to accelerate collaborative innovation and support the transformation of research outcomes into real-world applications. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President and Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation), together with distinguished guests, witnessed the signing of the collaboration framework agreement.  PolyU is renowned for its world‑class research achievements and strong talent base, particularly in civil and environmental engineering, as well as composite and steel structures. Prof. XIA Yong, Professor of the PolyU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of Joint Research Centre of Marine Infrastructure, has led pioneering research in structural health monitoring, damage detection, and substructure methods for large-scale civil engineering projects, with his advanced technologies successfully applied to landmark infrastructure developments. Since its establishment in 2019, Foshan Communications Group’s Technology Company  has developed six major R&D and commercialisation bases across China, with extensive experience in  translating research outcomes into market-ready solutions. This collaboration aims to open new channels for innovation commercialisation, promote two-way talent exchange, and incubate strategic emerging industries, thereby driving technological progress and industrial upgrading in the transport sector. Following the signing ceremony, representatives from the Foshan municipal government and PolyU held a discussion session to deepen cooperation in technological innovation, industry transformation, and talent development. Both sides expressed their commitment to building a long-term strategic partnership that will contribute to high-quality development in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.  

PolyU builds advanced human-robot collaboration system, empowering high-end manufacturing tasks

With human-robot collaboration at the core of Industry 5.0, a research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has made significant progress in this field, developing a new generation of “human-machine symbiotic” collaborative manufacturing systems. In addition to perceiving complex environments in real time and accurately interpreting operators’ intentions, the system can achieve skill transfer and self-learning via simple demonstration, while carrying out autonomous process code generation and automatic adjustment for highly accurate task execution. It has been successfully applied to high-end manufacturing tasks such as autonomous drilling on large aircraft and the disassembly of electric vehicle batteries, laying a solid foundation for a new model of human-centric smart manufacturing. The goal of human-robot synergy is to combine the adaptability and responsiveness of humans with the precision and stability of machines. Led by Prof. ZHENG Pai, Endowed Young Scholar in Smart Robotics and Associate Professor of the PolyU Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the research team has developed the “Mutual Cognitive Human-Robot Collaboration Manufacturing System” (MC-HRCMS). With a shift away from pre-programmed operations, this system is centred upon holistic scene perception—by collecting and analysing multimodal sensing data including vision, haptics, language and physiological signals, it enables highly accurate and comprehensive environmental analysis, while carrying out autonomous decision-making and flexible task execution. The system features advanced machine learning and 3D scene perception capabilities that deliver efficiency and safety, greatly enhancing fluid human-robot interaction in complex manufacturing scenarios. Through industry collaboration projects, the team has tailored human-robot collaboration systems for multiple leading enterprises and successfully deployed them across various scenarios that involve precision and/or complex work procedures. Prof. Zheng said, “The global manufacturing industry is shifting towards a human-machine symbiotic paradigm that emphasises more flexible automation. Our research aims to develop a paradigm that offers multimodal natural perception, cross-scenario skill transfer and domain foundation-model autonomous execution, so that robots are no longer just tools, but intelligent agents that can evolve with human operators. This provides smart factories with a new path beyond pre-programmed automation.” Semi-structured and unstructured production scenarios, such as personalised manufacturing, often involve large-scale, complex assembly, disassembly and inspection processes that demand high cognition and rapid adaptation. In this regard, the team introduced a “novel vision-language-guided” planning framework that combines Large Language Models (LLMs), Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL), and Mixed-Reality Head-Mounted Displays (MR-HMD), enhancing the ability to execute personalised and other unpredictable production tasks. A key innovation of the framework is the combination of a vision-language-guided target object segmentation model with language-command-driven task planning, allowing the system to integrate visual information with language-based instructions. This enables robots to comprehend complex task semantics, interpret dynamic scenes and collaborate efficiently with human operators. In particular, the head-mounted device enables real-time data acquisition and provides immediate, intuitive guidance to operators, redefining the human-machine interaction interface. Prof. Zheng said, “The future of smart manufacturing is not about machines getting smarter to replace humans, but about creating systems where humans and robots learn, adapt and succeed together to achieve higher productivity and flexibility. To meet this need, the next-generation robot manipulators should be capable of continual learning and optimisation under human guidance, enabling efficient and natural human-robot interaction.” To further advance human-robot collaboration, Prof. Zheng will also lead his team in exploring self-configurable human-robot networks, skill transfer mechanisms and autonomous multi-agent task execution. By building a deeply human-centric intelligent manufacturing system and expanding it into more key domains, the team strives to guide society towards a technology-empowered, empathetic and human-oriented smart era. With his dedication to researching “human-machine symbiotic” collaborative manufacturing systems, Prof. Zheng was awarded funding from the Excellent Young Scientists Fund by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in 2024. He now leads the RAIDS research team on the above projects. For more details, please visit: https://www.raids.group/ 

PolyU and RGC jointly hosted the RGC Research Summit, spearheading the Research and Innovation in Hong Kong

PolyU is proud and honoured to join hands with Research Grants Council (RGC) and the University Grants Committee (UGC) to co-host the RGC Research Summit on 11 December at Hong Kong Science Park. Celebrating the RGC 35th Anniversary with the theme “Forging Frontiers: Shaping the Future of Knowledge and Discovery”, this landmark event gathered over 700 leading researchers, academics and industry experts from Hong Kong and around the world, fostering dialogue on impact research and global collaboration.  We were privileged to have Dr Choi Yuk-lin, the Secretary for Education, HKSAR Government, as our Guest of Honour, who highlighted Hong Kong’s readiness to become a strategic hub for innovation, backed by a strong research track record and commitment to nurturing emerging talent. PolyU was honoured to feature an exceptional line-up of distinguished keynote speakers from home to aboard for this full-day programme, sharing insights that underscored Hong Kong’s potential as a global innovation hub driven by interdisciplinary collaboration and fresh research perspectives. The summit also featured the Presidents’ Roundtable session, bringing together leaders from all eight UGC-funded universities to explore Hong Kong’s role in shaping the future of research. PolyU President Prof. Jin-Guang Teng joined as one of the panellists.  Prof. Christopher Chao, Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Prof. Hongxia Yang, Associate Dean (Global Engagement) of the Faculty of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, and Executive Director of the PolyU Academy for Artificial Intelligence, contributed to the summit as the speakers of thematic session. They shared valuable insights on global collaboration, particularly between the Chinese Mainland and beyond, as well as research trends and impact. To encourage forward-thinking dialogues, the summit’s breakout sessions also brought together top academics from seven countries, including China, the US, the UK, Singapore, the UAE, and Switzerland. PolyU remains committed to advancing knowledge, driving innovation, and fostering global partnerships to address pressing challenges and create a better future for society.

PolyU develops ultra-stable, mucus-inspired hydrogel to boost gastrointestinal wound healing

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed an acid-resistant “ultra-stable mucus-inspired hydrogel” (UMIH), marking a breakthrough in the field of gastrointestinal medicine. Traditional hydrogels—gelatin-like materials that absorb and retain water—are widely used to aid wound healing and extend drug release. However, they usually break down in acidic environments like the stomach. Inspired by the natural properties of gastric mucus, a PolyU research team has developed UMIH, a hydrogel that adheres 15 times more strongly than conventional gastric mucosal protectants, showing considerable potential for wound repair and targeted drug delivery and promising large‑scale commercialisation. The research was carried out by the PolyU team in collaboration with researchers and clinicians from Sichuan University. The research showed that UMIH significantly improved gastrointestinal wound healing in animals and outperformed a clinically approved mucosal protectant used to protect the stomach lining. The study, “Mucus-inspired hydrogels with protonation-driven adhesion for extreme acidic conditions,” has been published in Cell Reports Physical Science. Prof. WANG Zuankai, Associate Vice President (Research), Dean of the Graduate School, Kuok Group Professor in Nature-Inspired Engineering, Chair Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Director of Research Center for Nature-Inspired Science and Engineering at PolyU, who led the study, said, “UMIH shows promise in treating gastroesophageal reflux and gastric ulcers, and in protecting post-surgical wounds. It can also be combined with endoscopic drug delivery for minimally invasive therapy. This research establishes UMIH as a transformative, extremely acid-tolerant platform, with immediate applications in gastrointestinal repair and targeted drug delivery, while also opening avenues for next-generation implantable devices to accelerate translation to the clinic.” Prof. Wang explained that aluminium phosphate gel (APG)—a clinically approved mucosal protectant and antacid—has long been used to treat gastric ulcers and gastro‑oesophageal reflux. The experimental data show that, under simulated gastric conditions (pH 2), UMIH achieved a wet adhesion strength of 64.7 kilopascals (kPa), 15-fold higher than APG; APG fully degraded after three days, whereas UMIH retained about 50% of its structural integrity after seven days. In vitro tests on cultured gastrointestinal cells found no signs of toxicity, while UMIH also inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, indicating antibacterial potential. Like conventional hydrogels, UMIH consists of a meshwork of polymers that absorb water to create a strong but jelly-like consistency. To enhance its acid resistance, the research team integrated three key molecular components into UMIH’s structure: ELR-IK24, a protein that binds hydrogen ions under acidic conditions to reduce local acidity; tannic acid, which boosts adhesion of hydrogel; and HDI, a molecule that stabilises the hydrogel’s structure under acidic conditions. “Our hydrogel is a synergistic combination of three essential molecular components. This multi-crosslinking architecture keeps UMIH firmly intact in strong acid while maintaining softness and injectability—qualities well suited to clinical use,” said Ms Yeung Yeung CHAU, a Research Associate of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering and a member of the research team. “We tested UMIH in pig and rat models of esophageal injury. Compared with control animals and APG‑treated animals, UMIH adhered more firmly to wound faces and improved healing. UMIH reduced  tissue damage and inflammation and promoted the growth of new blood vessels, which is essential for healing,” explained Dr Xiao YANG, a Postdoctoral Fellow of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering and a member of the research team. While clinical trials will be needed to validate UMIH’s safety and efficacy in humans, it holds strong potential for commercialisation. It is low-cost, easy to mass-produce and developed from components with established safety profiles. The material is ready to use both in operating room and on the production line. Looking ahead, the research team plans to integrate UMIH with drug release systems and implantable flexible electronics to create smart gastrointestinal devices capable of real-time treatment and monitoring.

PolyU hosts Quantum HK 2025, convening global experts to probe frontier advances in quantum technologies

As a pivotal hub fostering international research collaboration between the Greater Bay Area and the rest of the world, Hong Kong serves as a unique intermediary in driving the innovation and translation of quantum technologies. The “International Conference on Quantum Technology 2025” (Quantum HK 2025), hosted by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has recently concluded, having attracted more than 200 experts, scholars, researchers and industry leaders. The Conference fostered in-depth discussion on cutting-edge breakthroughs and future developments in quantum technologies, further expanding the breadth and depth of academic exchange and academia-industry collaboration. The event’s co-organisers were The University of Hong Kong (HKU), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), the Physical Society of Hong Kong, and the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre. Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation) remarked, “As this year marks the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, quantum technologies have become a key agenda item of global interest. Over the past year, breakthroughs in quantum computer, quantum communication and quantum metrology have laid important foundations for the application of artificial intelligence and secure communications. PolyU has successfully established Hong Kong’s first quantum chip-based communication network, completing a quantum encrypted transmission test that spanned a 55km-long optical fibre network—demonstrating Hong Kong’s leadership in quantum innovation. Looking ahead, PolyU will continue to nurture talent, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and accelerate the translation of quantum technology scientific achievements into societal applications, contributing to global quantum development.” Prof. Ai-Qun LIU, the Conference Co-Chairman, Director of the Research Institute for Quantum Technology, Chair Professor of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Hong Kong Global STEM Scholar, noted, “This conference gathered experts bringing insights from academia and industry, building an interdisciplinary platform for exchange and collaboration in quantum technologies. Moving forward, it will continue to unite diverse stakeholders to expedite research translation and industrialisation, injecting new momentum into the development of quantum technologies in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and the Nation.” The Conference was co-chaired by Prof. Ai-Qun Liu, Prof. Oscar DAHLSTEN and Prof. Din-Ping CAI from CityUHK, as well as Prof. Giulio CHIRIBELLA from HKU. There were also multiple keynote talks aimed at facilitating in-depth discussions on quantum computing, quantum information security and metrology. The speakers included: Academician Dapeng YU from the Shenzhen Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering; Prof. Xicheng ZHANG from the University of Rochester; Prof. Guilu LONG from Tsinghua University; Prof. Leong Chuan KWEK from Nanyang Technological University; Prof. Abolfazl BAYAT from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Prof. Tim BYRNES from NYU Shanghai; Prof. Yanoar P. SARWONO from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore; Prof. Qi ZHAO from HKU; and Prof. Haidong YUAN from CUHK. Meanwhile, representatives from other leading organisations and companies—including Huawei, QBosoN, SpinQ, Tencent Quantum Lab and Xuntai Quantum Technology—engaged in roundtable discussions, focusing on industrialisation of research outcomes. They also offered forward-looking recommendations on standardisation, modularisation and scalability in quantum technologies, while also emphasising the need to accelerate the development of a stable and multi-tier talent pipeline to effectively support innovation and growth in the quantum industry.

PolyU secures funding for five projects in Germany/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme 2025/26

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to cultivating a world-class academic environment and enhancing international research collaboration. Demonstrating the University’s research excellence and global vision, five PolyU projects have been awarded funding under the Germany/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme 2025/26. Led by scholars from the Faculty of Business,  Faculty of Construction and Environment, and Faculty of Engineering, the awarded projects span diverse fields, reflecting PolyU’s strength in interdisciplinary research and its commitment to tackling global challenges.  The awarded projects include advancements in mechanism design for urban air mobility operators, exploration of cointercalation chemistry in next-generation energy storage technologies, reassessment of entrepreneurial narratives through podcasts, improvements in parking space efficiency in dense urban environments, and the development of solar-driven carbon‑neutral technologies to convert food waste into value‑added products.  The five PolyU-awarded projects: Principal Investigator Project Title Awarded Amount Prof. Ang LI Assistant Professor of the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering Mechanism Design and Resource Allocation under Strategic Behavior of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Operators HK$89,600 Prof. XU Zhenglong Associate Professor of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Decipher cointercalation chemistry of graphite anodes in post-lithium ion batteries HK$89,600 Prof. Amy OU Yi Associate Professor of the Department of Management and Marketing The Humble Founder? Rethinking Entrepreneurial Narratives Through Podcasts HK$44,800 Prof. Sunghoon JANG Assistant Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (PACE) Parking Space Efficiency: Making the Most of Urban Space through Shared Use HK$82,400 Prof. Ren Jingzheng Associate Professor of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Converting food waste into value-added products in Germany and Hong Kong: Solar-driven carbon-neutral technology development, feasibility analysis, and policy implications HK$89,600   Collectively, these initiatives highlight PolyU’s role as a bridge between Hong Kong and international partners in addressing sustainability, innovation, and societal transformation. The Research Grants Council (RGC) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) have collaborated since 1996 to promote research collaboration between Hong Kong and Germany by providing researchers in both locations with travel grants ranging from one to two years.