News

PolyU Promotes High-impact R&D Collaboration and Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the Benefit of the Society

The Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Forum Luncheon jointly organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the P. R. China., the Innovation and Technology Bureau of the Government of HKSAR and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) on September 25 at the Hong Kong Science Park. Around 300 government officials and representatives from universities, research and enterprises of the two places joined it. Themed "Promoting High-impact R&D Collaboration and Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the Benefit of the Society ", the Permanent Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr. CHEUK Wing Hing, gave the opening remark saying that the luncheon greatly encourage the collaboration between Hong Kong and the Mainland on the innovation and technology front. Ir Professor Ping-kong Alexander Wai, Vice President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said, "PolyU has delighted to further develop a close relationship with Government and industry to promote high-impact R&D collaboration. I am confident that this collaboration will form a foundation of a long-term and mutually beneficial partnership which also benefit the society." Mr Zhang Zhihong, Director General of the Torch High Technology Industrial Development Centre (TORCH), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), introduced the mission of Torch Center is to promote high-tech industrialization, indigenous innovation as well as foster the growth of tech-based SMEs and boost technological innovation in enterprises. Please click here to view the event photos

PolyU and the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission jointly organized the 2nd Beijing-Hong Kong scientific and technological symposium

Innovation and Technology Development Office (ITDO) and Chinese Mainland Affairs Office (CMAO) of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) received an official delegation from Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission (BMSTC), and coordinated a meeting with representatives from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and City University of Hong Kong (CityU).   BMSTC and three higher education institutions summarized the work of the Beijing-Hong Kong scientific and technological cooperation and prospected for future collaboration opportunities in the areas of knowledge transfer, technology and talent exchange. BMSTC were impressed with institutions’ innovation achievements and student development.   During the meeting, Dr Po-Heng Lee, Assistant Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Chen Hung, Chief Engineer of Beijing Sustainable Development Center exchanged ideas in the wastewater treatment, exploring the feasibility of cooperation and hoping to contribute in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei major sustainable development projects.   Finally, the participants discussed the form and content of the implementation of the 21st Beijing - Hong Kong Science and Technology Cooperation Forum.   Please click here to view the event photos.

PolyU’s Food Safety Consortium Received the 2017 C.B. Shogren Memorial Award from IAFP

The Food Safety Consortium (FSC), initiated by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has recently been awarded the C.B. Shogren Memorial Award by the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) in recognition of FSC’s exceptional achievement in advancing global food safety, and in particular with its objectives and efforts in line with the mission of IAFP - “to provide food safety professionals worldwide with a forum to exchange information on protecting the food supply.” FSC becomes the first IAFP affiliate outside of the Americas to receive this prestigious award. The award ceremony was held on July 12, 2017 at the 2017 IAFP Annual Meeting which took place in Tampa, Florida. PolyU officially launches the FSC in December 2015 with significant support from its Innovation and Technology Development Office and the Food Safety and Technology Research Centre, with the mission of addressing unmet food safety needs through innovation . FSC is committed as a platform to foster closer engagement and collaboration among the industry, academia, and government in strengthening capacity building in food safety. It also utilized scientific approaches to enhance capacity and technical competency with a view to addressing current food safety challenges among food industry, with the ultimate goal of benefiting public food health. Founded in 1911, IAFP is home to educators, government officials, microbiologists, food industry executives and quality control professionals from 50 nations who are involved in all aspects of growing, storing, transporting, processing and preparing all types of foods. IAFP aims to provide food safety professionals worldwide with a forum to exchange information on protecting the food supply. FSC was recognized as the Hong Kong affiliate of IAFP since mid-2015, as the two organizations have consistent objectives and the affiliation will effectively synergize their efforts in advancing food safety in various regions of the world. In two years, FSC has grown from its budding stage to: • being the home of 49 local and multinational Corporate Members from different sectors of the food industry – manufacturing, retail & wholesale, catering, testing & services, food security management, and other stakeholder organizations and internationally renowned Advisors ; • being a key driver towards the establishment of the DISH Global Centre for Food Safety in collaboration with Lund University (LU), National Food Institute – Technical University of Denmark (DTU), and the University of Bologna (Unibo) to serve as a unique EU-Hong Kong platform to address global food safety challenges with world-class solutions; • organizing the first Global Food Safety & Technology Forum (GFSTF) - an international technology exchange conference to address food safety problems with science and technology - and ensuring its sustainability in collaboration with LU, DTU and Unibo; • participating in global initiatives such as the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS); • initiating and participating in various collaborative projects in food fraud, food supply intelligence and technology development, and the most recent EU-China-Safe project under the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program; and • organizing various other activities and outreaching globally to foster exchanges among the industry, academia, government, and other food safety stakeholders. While the C.B. Shogren Memorial Award is a significant recognition of FSC’s development, PolyU will build upon these solid foundations and bring about the most cutting-edge food safety and food technologies to benefit the global community.  The C.B. Shogren Memorial Award was presented at the IAFP Awards Banquet on July 12, 2017 in front of numerous food safety experts worldwide.  

New Era for China Aerospace: The Milestone of China Aerospace Development and Challenges and HK Opportunities; Meet with Tianzhou-1 and Long March 7 Designers

New Era for China Aerospace: The Milestone of China Aerospace Development and Challenges and HK Opportunities In celebration of the 80th anniversary of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), PolyU has the honour to invite China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation - Science and Technology Council Director CAS Academician Bao Weimin, Tianzhou-1 Chief Designer Bai Mingsheng, and CZ-7 Deputy Chief Designer Song Zhengyu to give a public lecture titled “New Era for China Aerospace: The Milestone of China Aerospace Development and Challenges and HK Opportunities” which was held in 27 June 2017.   The public lecture was organized by the PolyU Innovation and Technology Development Office with fully support from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. And sponsored by China Aerospace International Holdings Ltd. and the Stanley Ho Astronautics Training Foundation and strongly supported by local universities, students and professors, industrial assocations, R&D centres, institutions as well as the general public.   Ir Professor Ping-kong Alexander Wai, Vice President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said "Researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have been successfully involved in space research since the early 1990s. They have been involved in both national and international space exploration research for many years, such as the China Lunar Exploration Program, the International Mars Quest Mission and the Long March 6 project. PolyU hopes to take this opportunity to seek further cooperation and to carry out more in-depth technical exchanges with well-known aerospace experts. "   The lecture starts with introduction of Chinese aerospace systems development, including manned spaceflights, lunar exploration, rocket launch and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System as well as the future plan of China's space technology on the construction of integrated information network between space and earth, spacecraft in orbit service and maintenance, heavy-lift launch vehicle and deep space exploration. Mr. Bao Weimin, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation - Science and Technology Council Director, encouraged audience that the future space development rely on everyone especially the researchers and younger generation.     After the lecture, the delegates met with professors from PolyU various departments to have in-depth discussion and exchange ideas on the space experiment, deep space exploration, health and safety monitoring and satellite navigation. Theyalso visited the unviersity 3D printing center and Joint Laboratory in Mechanics and Space Environment Engineering.   China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation CASC is a large state-owned enterprise group with its own famous brands such as Shenzhou and Long March, intellectual properties, outstanding innovative capabilities, and strong core competitiveness. Having originated from the Fifth Academy of the Ministry of National Defense established on October 8, 1956 and experienced the historic evolution of the Seventh Ministry of Machinery Industry, the Ministry of Space Industry, the Ministry of Aerospace Industry, and China Aerospace Corporation, CASC was formally founded on July 1, 1999 with its headquarters in Beijing.   Please click here for event photos

PolyU Joined EmTech Hong Kong 2017 as Host Innovation Partner

PolyU joined the second edition of EmTech Hong Kong (EmTech HK) as Host Innovation Partner. Co-organised by MIT Technology Review and Koelnmesse Pte Ltd, EmTech HK concluded on a high note after two days of thought-provoking discussions on the latest breakthroughs in science and technology. Held from 6 – 7 June at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, EmTech HK was attended by close to 400 C-level executives from 13 countries, to glimpse breakthrough research and discoveries around the world introduced by speakers who feature cutting-edge technologies in the areas of Personalised Medicine, New Materials, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Virtual Reality, FinTech, Cybersecurity and Future Cities. Professor Alexander Wai, Vice President (Research Development) and Chair Professor of Optical Communications of PolyU, delivered the opening address highlighting PolyU’s mission on continuously pushing the frontiers of knowledge through ground-breaking research with practical applications. “As the university celebrates its 80th anniversary, it can look fondly on a wealth of prominent achievements from lunar exploration projects and aviation services, to railway monitoring technologies, new drug developments and food safety,” said Professor Wai. “MIT Technology Review is the world's oldest and most respected technology publication since 1899, and EmTech is a very unique emerging technologies conference hosted by MIT Technology Review. As a curation of the world’s leading scientists, technology executives and investors, EmTech has grown into a global community in the United States, Europe, South America, India, Singapore, and now in Hong Kong,” he added. Professor Hwa-yaw Tam, Head of Department of Electrical Engineering of PolyU, in his speech entitled “Pulse Diagnosis from Human Beings to Railways”, shared his insights on PolyU’s proprietary optical fibre sensing technology in monitoring railway, how the successful extension of optical fibre sensors to measure rails’ "pulses" provides vital information of the health condition of railways in Hong Kong and Singapore. Some technological showcases are introduced at PolyU’s booth including a UAV and VR Headset for a Virtual PolyU Tour, Smart Fetal Monitoring Belt and a Distributed Intelligent Multi-Robot System. Click here for event snapshots. For the conference details, please visit http://www.emtechhk.com

PolyU wins three “TechConnect Global Innovation Awards” ‧ The first and the only university awardee from Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has brought glory to Hong Kong by winning three Global Innovation Awards at the TechConnect World Conference and Expo 2017 (TechConnect World). It is the first time for a Hong Kong higher education institution to receive the award. PolyU is also the only awardee from Hong Kong. The annual TechConnect World held in the US aims for supporting the development and commercialization of innovations. For years, it has been providing an international platform for research laboratories and universities to exchange and collaborate with the industry sector, and has become the largest multi-sector signature event of its kind in the world. This year, the event gathers more than 4,000 technology innovators, ventures, industrial partners and investors from over 70 countries. TechConnect World only grants awards to the top 20% of innovations submitted, with assessment based on the potential positive impact the submitted technology will have on a specific industry sector. This year, 26 global awards are presented to non-US-federal-funded innovations across the world. Another 60 national awards are granted to innovations with US federal funding. The awardees include a number of global-renowned research institutes, such as NASA, US Department of Energy, National Labs, Berkeley National Lab, Princeton Lab, UCLA, Georgia Tech, University of Melbourne, etc. For details of TechConnect World, please visit its official website: http://www.techconnectworld.com/World2017/ The three winning innovations of PolyU are (please refer to Annex for project brief): • Multi-functional nano-coating for glass — Dr Lin LU, Associate Professor, Department of Building Services Engineering • Passive anti-vibration structures — Dr JING Xingjian, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering • Personalised energy saving thermal-comfort platform — Dr WANG Dan, Associate Professor, Department of Computing    Dr Terence LAU, Director of Innovation and Technology Development of PolyU, said the University has been putting great efforts in developing high-impact research for coping with the changing and unmet needs of the society. "We aim at applying our research findings, through knowledge transfer, to make the world a better place for mankind and to benefit our society. The TechConnect Innovation Awards are certainly a recognition for our research efforts and achievements, and serve as a shot in the arm for our research faculty members." PolyU researchers exchange on product development in international arena The PolyU delegation received the awards at the TechConnect World event held in Washington, D.C. from 15 to 17 May. They also showcased 11 innovation projects at the PolyU booth at the expo. Besides attending various exchange sessions with members from the industry, government and academia sectors around the world, PolyU delegates also explored product development and cooperation opportunities with executives from Fortune Listed top multinational corporations, including Eastman, Henkel, Ingersoll Rand, Saint Gobain, etc. The "multi-functional nano-coating for glass" project conducted by Dr Lin LU has received keen responses from renowned multinational companies which indicated intention for collaborating with PolyU in further research and project development. In their meeting with PolyU delegates, many corporation leaders indicated that collaborating with institutions that develop cutting-edge technologies is an integral part of their innovation strategy. They believed that combining PolyU's unique technologies with corporations' global market access would help generate mutual benefits in the future. The Three PolyU Projects with 2017 TechConnect Global Innovation Awards Multi-functional Nano-coating for Glass: Self-cleaning, Heat-insulation, Energy-saving —  Dr Lin LU, Associate Professor, Department of Building Services Engineering With large amount of outdoor near-infrared light transmitting through windows, drawing indoor temperature rise, many buildings in Hong Kong suffer from high-cost air-conditioning. In recent years, there were also repeated fatal accidents arising from cleaning windows in high-rises. The novel multi-functional transparent nano-coating for glass developed by PolyU researchers can help address the two problems at the same time. The super-hydrophilic self-cleaning coating has thermal insulation and photocatalysis properties. Besides blocking over 90% of near-infrared light and 99% ultra-violet light, the coating can also break down organic pollutants. The highly cost-efficient coating can be widely used in building glass curtains (including shopping malls, offices), smart homes, aircrafts, etc. It is developed mainly with nanoscale TiO2 and Cesium Tungsten Bronze mixture particles. The two materials are synthesized respectively by low-cost hydrothermal method and high-temperature calcination technique. Bio-inspired Anti-vibration Structures: Enhancing Health Protection for Workers —  Dr JING Xingjian, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering Inspired by the limb structures of birds and insects in motion vibration control, the novel nonlinear X-shaped anti-vibration system developed by PolyU researchers has three unique advantages: nearly "zero response" to any vibration; high loading capacity; automatic high damping for strong vibration, yet low damping for small vibration. The technology can significantly reduce vibration in various engineering practices. It can thus be widely applied in railways, vehicles, marine and aeronautic engineering, mechanic and precise machines, robotics, and various civil structures like bridges, buildings, etc. The innovation has obtained patents of Mainland China, Hong Kong and the US. The research team has applied the technology in developing an assistive anti-vibration exoskeleton for hand-held drilling devices. The low-cost exoskeleton can significantly suppress vibration, and can therefore markedly help prevent hand-arm occupation diseases among construction workers.  For details:- https://www.polyu.edu.hk/archive/media-releases/en/index_id_6416.html Personalised Thermal-Comfort Platform for Green Smart Living —  Dr WANG Dan, Associate Professor, Department of Computing Offices with centralised air-conditioning are often being complained of having temperature set too low, leading to energy wastage, and adversely affecting the comfort, work efficiency and even health of the occupants. The novel scalable personalized thermal-comfort platform developed by PolyU researchers can automatically adjust the temperature to a level comfortable for occupants (individuals or groups) based on estimations deprived from their daily operations. The model can help improve thermal comfort, and greatly save energy consumption and expenses.

Finland 100 – PolyU Innovation and Technology Development Lecture

Initiated by Innovation and Technology Development Office (ITDO), PolyU will cooperate with Consulate General of Finland to organize The Finland 100 – PolyU Innovation and Technology Development Lecture Series, aiming to promote technology innovation and mutual collaboration in various areas with Finland. Jointly organized by ITDO and the Tekes (the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation), experts from Finland will share the country’s funding scheme for innovation and technology support; their latest innovation and technology development on healthcare and health tech, start-up in gaming and digital innovation and food safety in the lecture series.   The Finland 100 –PolyU lecture series will include February 16: Change – Boosting Innovation in the Digital Era Mr. Pekka Soini, Director General of TEKES March 9: Finnish Innovations in Healthcare and Health Technologies Mr. Anssi Pulkkinen, Director of Wellbeing and Health, TEKES April 21: Finnish Start-up Ecosystem, Digital and Gaming Innovations Mr. Peter Vesterbacka former Chairman of Rovio; Mr. Antti Saarnio, Chairman of Jolla May 9: Finland Innovation for Food and Food Safety Technology Ms. Jaana Husu-Kallio, The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland

Meeting with delegates from the School of Food Science and Technology at Jiangnan University

Innovation and Technology Development Office (ITDO) of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) received an official delegation from the Jiangnan University, and coordinated a meeting with representatives from the Department of Applied Biology & Chemical Technology of the PolyU. The School of Food Science and Technology at Jiangnan University is the leading food science & technology program in Mainland China; while the PolyU is the leading research institute in food science and safety in Hong Kong. Both universities expressed a devoted enthusiasm in further exploring collaboration opportunities on food-related research, as well as to explore opportunities to facilitate knowledge transfer to the Mainland China.   To view the snapshots of the Meeting, please visit here.

PolyU and Huawei jointly set up the first laboratory in optical communications and advanced computing systems in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is proud to unveil the plaque today (30 November) for the "PolyU-Huawei Joint Laboratory for Optical Interconnection Network and Advanced Computing System" (Joint Lab). This is the first joint laboratory of high-capacity optical communications and advanced computing systems in Hong Kong, fostering PolyU's continuous partnership with Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (Huawei).   The plaque unveiling ceremony was officiated by Ir Professor Alex Wai, Vice President (Research Development), PolyU and Mr. Jun Zha, President, Central Research Institute of Huawei.   Through the Joint Lab, PolyU and Huawei will work on researches relating to high-capacity optical communication systems including long-haul and short-reach data center transmission systems, computer networks and systems, and big data computing. It aims to pioneer the research in the field of optical communication systems and advanced computing systems by leveraging synergy of the industry and the university. It targets at bolstering significantly the capacity of internet systems through technological breakthroughs, as well as developing system infrastructure and algorithmic solutions for computing-driven innovation.   "The PolyU-Huawei Joint Lab for Optical Interconnection Network and Advanced Computing System was established to combine PolyU's strength in applying technological innovation and Huawei's leadership in the industry with an objective to develop high-capacity optical communication systems. It will enable a breakthrough in high-impact data technology to increase internet traffic significantly," said Professor Wai at the ceremony.   PolyU's collaboration with Huawei has commenced since 2007. Their joint efforts have contributed to the establishment of the first 100Gbit/s per wavelength optical communication system in China. Research experts from different PolyU academic and research units, including Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Computing, Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Applied Mathematics and Department of Applied Physics, are engaged in the numerous collaborative projects between PolyU and Huawei. The research areas include but are not limited to communication, big data, crowdsourcing platforms, mobile networks, wearable devices, algorithms as well as materials. It is hoped that with the establishment of the Joint Lab, the scope of collaboration could be further extended in both breadth and depth.   "The PolyU-Huawei Joint Lab will further integrate the advantages and strengths of the university and the enterprise in the area of innovative research and this collaboration will enhance our research ability. By building together a platform to share resources for innovation, the Joint Lab will enable our complementary development so as to achieve impactful R&D outputs and to jointly nurture talents of high caliber. This will result in increased global competitiveness and a win-win situation," said Mr Zha.   Through close collaboration, PolyU and Huawei will be able to further develop high-impact translational research and next-generation technological advances in the telecommunications and advanced computing industry. Please click here for event photos

Hong Kong and European Universities Working Together to Advance Global Food Safety

Location: Brussels, Belgium   Lund University and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University clinch collaborative agreements with Technical University of Denmark and University of Bologna on mission to advance global food safety   Lund University (LU), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and the University of Bologna (Unibo) jointly announce the addition of DTU and Unibo as new partners in the establishment of a Joint Centre of Excellence in Food Safety (Joint Centre). The four parties will achieve greater synergy in advancing global food safety with this exciting alliance.   The Joint Centre was conceived by LU and PolyU in February 2016. In September 2016 representatives of the four universities met to kick-start this exciting platform, which will gather the expertise and resources of the four universities in fostering industry-academic-government collaborations towards safer food. Antimicrobial resistance, food authenticity, and safe food packaging are among the imminent food safety challenges. The collaborating universities will tackle through world-class innovative science and technology that can be translated into applications aimed at enhancing food safety. Exchanges between academics and students as well as expansion of partnerships with other stakeholders are also on the radar.   The Joint Centre partners have also agreed to follow up on the success of the first Global Food Safety and Technology Conference, which was held in February 2016. The second conference will be named GoFood, which will be organized by LU and DTU, and co-organized by PolyU and Unibo in late May, 2017. The conference aims to enhance food safety enabled by new scientific advancements and technologies.   All collaborating parties share the same vision and commitment in addressing the most imminent global food safety challenges. Setting up the Joint Centre is a key milestone in the Europe-Hong Kong collaboration in food safety. With effective technology development and the provision of various communication and educational channels, the universities will see this international collaboration come to fruition.   More about • Lund University http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/home > • Technical University of Denmark http://www.food.dtu.dk/english > • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University http://www.polyu.edu.hk/> • University of Bologna http://www.unibo.it/en >   Relevant collaboration announcement could also be found on FoodNexus, a European innovation alliance of industry and academia for better food, better innovations and a better world: http://www.foodnexus.eu/foodnexus-partners-join-forces-hong-kong-polyu-global-food-safety/ Click here for the press release. To view the snapshots of this event, please visit here.