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PolyU collaborates with University of Toronto to explore establishment of joint research centre, driving gerontechnology innovation in response to ageing population

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the University of Toronto signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday to explore the establishment of a Joint Research Centre on Healthy Ageing and AgeTech. In response to the challenges brought about by global ageing, this initiative aims to promote the development and application of gerontechnology, and enhance the quality of life and care for older adults. The partnership will foster in-depth cooperation and exchanges between Hong Kong and Toronto in research innovation, knowledge transfer and talent cultivation in the field of gerontechnology, benefitting the elderly populations of both cities and beyond. Held on the PolyU campus, the MoU signing ceremony was attended by distinguished guests including Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation); Prof. H.C. MAN, Dean of the PolyU Faculty of Engineering; Prof. David SHUM, Dean of the PolyU Faculty of Health and Social Sciences; and Prof. ZHANG Ming, Head of the PolyU Department of Biomedical Engineering. The MoU was signed by Prof. ZHENG Yongping, Director of the Research Institute for Smart Ageing, Henry G. Leong Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering of PolyU and Prof. Alex MIHAILIDIS, Associate Vice-President, International Partnerships of the University of Toronto. Under the MoU, the PolyU’s Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA) and the Department of Biomedical Engineering will work closely with the University of Toronto Institute of Biomedical Engineering and its institutional strategic initiative, AGE-WELL National Network (AGE-WELL), to explore setting up the joint research centre. They will also jointly develop application-oriented gerontechnologies, and co-organise staff and student exchange programmes as well as international conferences to strengthen research and education. The two universities aspire to build a bridge between elderly care support in Hong Kong and Toronto through technology, with particular attention to the needs of Cantonese-speaking older adults and their families. Prof. Christopher Chao remarked, “PolyU is firmly committed to addressing societal challenges through interdisciplinary innovation, with population ageing being one of the most pressing issues of our time. By joining forces with the University of Toronto – a global leader in biomedical engineering and gerontechnology – we aim to co-develop solutions that have real-world impact, enabling older adults to live longer, healthier and more independent lives. This collaboration will not only drive technological breakthroughs but also foster closer connections between Hong Kong and Toronto in advancing smart ageing, creating an influential international innovation platform.” Prof. Alex Mihailidis said, “The University of Toronto, together with AGE-WELL, has long been dedicated to developing technologies that enable older adults to age well and with dignity. This MoU with PolyU marks an important step towards a truly global ecosystem for gerontechnology innovation. By combining our complementary strengths in biomedical engineering, clinical research and community-based innovation, we will be able to accelerate the development, evaluation and deployment of technologies that support better care, independence and quality of life for diverse older populations – including Cantonese-speaking communities in both cities.” PolyU possesses strong research capabilities in smart ageing, rehabilitation technology and biomedical engineering, with multiple research and service units, including RISA, from diverse interdisciplinary backgrounds. The University of Toronto holds a leading position in gerontechnology, biomedical engineering and community-based innovation, while its AGE-WELL has a nationwide network across Canada. Their collaboration will enable development of a robust international platform for gerontechnology that will advance translation of research outcomes and nurture a new generation of talent in relevant fields. In addition, the two universities will seek support from the communities in both cities, and, through the joint research centre, continuously innovate and promote the use of gerontechnology in community, with the vision of bringing older adults a “HAPPI” life: Healthy, Active, Positive, Prepared, and Independent.

Eight PolyU research projects receive support from Environment and Conservation Fund, driving sustainable development through interdisciplinary collaboration

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to advancing interdisciplinary research and translating research outcomes into innovative, impactful solutions that foster sustainable development. Eight PolyU projects have received support under the first-round funding exercise of the 2025/26 Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF). These projects cover areas including low-carbon construction materials, wastewater treatment, electric vehicle infrastructure, greenhouse gas monitoring, air quality assessment, coral reef restoration and eco-cultural tourism, with total funding of approximately HK$6.45 million. Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation), congratulated the research teams and said, “We sincerely thank the ECF for supporting and recognising PolyU’s interdisciplinary research efforts. PolyU is committed to tackling climate change, achieving carbon neutrality and promoting sustainable development through education, research and policy studies. As an innovative world-class university, PolyU will continue to address global challenges with world-leading research and innovation, contributing to a low-carbon, climate-resilient and sustainable future for Hong Kong.” Funded PolyU projects: Principal Investigator Research Project Awarded Amount (HKD) Faculty of Construction and Environment Prof. Joseph AWANGE Professor Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics AI-powered Sky Scans: Revolutionising Hong Kong’s Greenhouse Gas Monitoring with GNSS-RO 348,000 Prof. LENG Zhen Professor Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering   Associate Director Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality Dual-phase VOC Reduction of Waste Tyre Modified Low-carbon High-performance Asphalt Pavements through Reactive Extrusion 1,316,000 Prof. LIU Tao Assistant Professor Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Reconfiguring Saline Wastewater Treatment to Remove Phosphorus and Nitrogen via Innovative Pathways 500,000 Prof. MA Wei Assistant Professor Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering EVChargeMap: An Integrated Geospatial Database of Public and Private EV Chargers in Hong Kong 500,000 Prof. Charles WONG Associate Dean (Teaching & Global Engagement) Faculty of Construction and Environment   Professor Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics   Associate Director Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development Unravelling City-wide Vertical Aerosol and Particulate Matter, a Remote Sensing Study in Hong Kong 600,000 Faculty of Engineering Prof. CHAU Kwok Tong Chair Professor of Electrical Energy Engineering Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Next-generation ChaoJi Chargers and AI driven Intelligent Infrastructure Siting Strategy for Electric Vehicles 1,000,000 Faculty of Science Prof. James FANG Associate Professor Department of Food Science and Nutrition 3D-printed Artificial Reefs from Oyster Shell Waste for Coral Restoration: Technology Demonstration and Community Education 1,593,200 School of Design Prof. WANG Xiaolu Assistant Professor School of Design Commons-based Smart Ecological Stewardship in Mirs Bay: Integrating Technology, Eco-cultural Tourism, and Community Governance 594,400 The ECF was set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China to provide funding support for educational, research and other projects and activities in relation to environmental protection and nature conservation matters. It aims to encourage the public to change their behaviour and lifestyle to achieve sustainable development, and to develop or introduce innovative technologies and practices to improve the environment and conserve resources.  

PolyU develops novel antibody targeting fat cell protein, offering new approach to treating metabolism-related liver cancer

Liver cancer is one of the three deadliest cancers worldwide, and metabolic dysfunction-related cases have become increasingly common in recent years. A research team from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has identified a protein secreted by fat cells that promotes cancer growth and has successfully developed a novel antibody that neutralises this protein, marking a significant breakthrough in impeding the progression of liver cancer. The research findings have been published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), commonly known as fatty liver disease, currently affects around a quarter of the global population and is an important risk factor for liver cancer. In affected individuals, fat cells induce insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, leading to excessive fat accumulation in the liver. This ultimately impairs liver function and may progress to liver cancer. Treatment options for MASLD-induced liver cancer remain limited and the effectiveness of current immunotherapies is suboptimal. A breakthrough study led by Prof. Terence LEE, Associate Head and Professor of the PolyU Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, and his research team has revealed that an adipocyte-derived protein, known as fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) is a key driver that accelerates tumour growth. Through mass spectrometry, the team confirmed that patients with MASLD-induced liver cancer had markedly elevated FABP4 levels in their serum. Further investigations showed that FABP4 activates a series of pro-proliferative signalling pathways within cells, causing cancer cells to multiply and grow more rapidly. Prof. Lee’s team has successfully developed a monoclonal antibody that neutralises FABP4. This antibody not only inhibits the growth and proliferation of FABP4-driven cancer stem cells, but also enhances the ability of immune cells to combat cancer. Prof. Lee said, “This neutralising antibody against FABP4 demonstrates significant potential in inhibiting tumour growth and activating immune cells, providing a complementary approach to current immunotherapy strategies. Our findings highlight that targeting adipocyte-derived FABP4 holds promise for treating MASLD-induced liver cancer.” Prof. Lee added that gaining deeper insights into how adipocyte-derived FABP4 affects liver cancer cells helps to explicate the disease mechanisms of liver cancer, particularly in obese individuals. Intervening in the relevant signalling pathways could provide effective methods to combat this aggressive malignancy. Prof. Lee believes that, as this adipocyte-targeted immunotherapy continues to mature, it will bring more treatment options to MASLD patients. He remarked, “If its efficacy can be proven in clinical trials, it could offer new hope to many affected individuals.” The research is supported by the Innovation and Technology Fund of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. PolyU has filed a non-provisional patent for the developed antibody and is continuing to optimise its binding affinity to facilitate future clinical applications.

Nourishing Fat, Nurturing Health: The Science of Functional Adipose Tissue

Prof. Zhu Yuyan, Associate Professor of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, studies obesity as a complex metabolic condition shaped by genetics, lifestyle and stress. She emphasises that adipose tissue is a vital endocrine organ for energy regulation and that excessive fat loss can harm metabolic and immune health, underscoring the need to maintain healthy fat tissue. Her research targets both prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders, aiming to uncover mechanisms that guide strategies to improve metabolic health and extend healthy lifespan. Prof. Zhu’s team focuses on adipose tissue regulation, lipid and cholesterol metabolism, and adipocytes’ role in systemic energy balance, exploring how functional dietary components and nutrients mitigate obesity and related syndromes while enhancing adipose tissue function through adiponectin signalling. Central to this work is the study of white adipose tissue (WAT), a key regulator of systemic metabolism and a major cholesterol reservoir containing up to half of the body’s cholesterol in obesity. By examining how cholesterol homeostasis in WAT influences endocrine and energy-storage functions, the team seeks to establish mechanistic foundations for safer, personalised anti-obesity strategies that integrate dietary interventions with other therapeutic approaches. To accelerate discovery, Prof. Zhu’s team integrates AI-driven molecular screening with in vitro and in vivo studies to identify natural and synthetic compounds that activate adiponectin receptors or enhance adiponectin expression. Promising candidates are validated experimentally, with several already shown to boost adiponectin signalling and improve energy metabolism. Her lab also examines how environmental pollutants affect metabolic health. Under energy-dense dietary conditions, they found that oral exposure to 6-PPD at current environmental levels has only a minor metabolic impact in mice. In contrast, rising concerns over microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) led the team to identify their potential obesogenic effects: nanoplastics reduce lipid mobilisation in white adipose tissue of obese mice, positioning lipolysis-related parameters as potential clinical indicators for MP and NP impact. Prof. Zhu is launching a clinical study on obesity-related fatty liver disease, testing a repurposed dietary supplement that boosts energy metabolism through adiponectin signalling. Her goal is to create safe, effective, food-based strategies that turn metabolic research into health solutions.  

PolyU drives impactful and collaborative interdisciplinary research, with nine projects awarded over HK$50 million by Research Grants Council

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to pursuing world-leading research and innovation, and driving impactful application and interdisciplinary collaboration for societal benefits. In the Research Grants Council (RGC)’s 2025/26 funding exercise, PolyU has secured funding for nine research projects under the Research Impact Fund and the Collaborative Research Fund. The projects span a wide range of fields, including health and biomedical sciences, engineering technology, Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT), Web3, and environmental sustainability, with total funding awarded of approximately HK$50.92 million. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, congratulated the research teams and remarked, “We sincerely thank the RGC for its support and recognition of PolyU’s interdisciplinary research efforts. As an innovative world-class university, PolyU is dedicated to pursuing excellence in scientific research and remains steadfast in its commitment. The University will continue to drive impactful research, striving for excellence in education, research and knowledge transfer, and contributing to Hong Kong, the Nation and the world.” PolyU has received approximately HK$13.2 million in funding for two research projects under the Research Impact Fund. The projects aim to provide valuable insights into cancer immunotherapy, and enhance the safety and efficiency of railway systems respectively. Brief descriptions of the funded projects are as follow: Project Title Project Coordinator Project Details Spatial and High-throughput Immunopeptidomics Enabled by Integrated Microfluidics and Proteogenomics (MAP) Prof. ZHAO Qian, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology By integrating proteomics, genomics and microfluidics, the project will enable ultra‑sensitive profiling of tumour peptides from minimal samples, thereby reducing tissue use and allowing parallel personalised analysis. The proposed technology will be applied to spatial immunopeptidomics for mapping immune peptides and cell niches, as well as high‑throughput immunopeptide profiling of glioblastoma to uncover tumour neoantigens. These outcomes will deepen understanding of tumour‑immune interactions and identify new targets for advancing cancer immunotherapy. Towards Life-Cycle Intelligent Predictive Maintenance for Railway Tracks: Advancing with Deep Learning Algorithms and Digital Twin Technology Prof. DONG You, Associate Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering This project will advance intelligent railway maintenance through the development of a collaborative health-monitoring and robotic system that integrates ultrasonic guided waves, vision systems, VLA(vision–language–action)models, and artificial intelligence (AI),together withthe creation of a performance‑oriented life‑cycle management framework. A dynamic digital twin will combine real‑time data with AI models to enable predictive maintenance, reduce disruptions and extend service life, thereby delivering transformative impacts for modern rail systems and transportation globally. PolyU has also received approximately HK$37.72 million in funding for seven research projects under the Collaborative Research Fund. Of these, three projects were awarded a Collaborative Research Project Grant, two received a Collaborative Research Equipment Grant and two were supported by the Young Collaborative Research Grant. Brief descriptions of the funded projects are as follow: Project Title Project Coordinator Project Details Collaborative Research Project Grant AIoT-powered Multi-modality Underwater SOS System Prof. ZHENG Yuanqing Associate Professor of the Department of Computing (Collaborating universities: CityUHK, HKUST) The project will develop an innovative communication channel enabling swimmers to send SOS signals via waterproof smartwatches. By integrating multi-modal sensor data, such as motion and biosensors, along with hydrophones and cameras, this system strengthens situational awareness, improves detection rates and localisation accuracy, and empowers lifeguards to respond swiftly to potential drowning incidents. Privacy Infrastructure Design for Web3 Prof. XIAO Bin Professor of the Department of Computing (Collaborating universities: CUHK, HKUST) The project will pioneer user‑centric blockchain systems for secure data sharing and analytics. Fundamentally redefining data sovereignty in decentralised networks, it empowers users to retain full control while enabling reliable verification without exposing sensitive information. The research aims to rebuild digital trust, making privacy invisible yet unbreakable, and ensuring fraud prevention and effective regulatory enforcement. Endothelins in mechanoaging and osteoarthritis: biomarker discovery and drug development Prof. WEN Chunyi Associate Professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (Collaborating universities: CUHK, HKU) The project aims to deepen understanding of osteoarthritis (OA) molecular endotypes and theratypes to advance novel disease‑modifying drug discovery. With the team’s recent breakthrough in identifying endothelin as one of the most upregulated genes in injured murine cartilage, this project explores endothelins as novel biomarkers of joint mechanoaging and investigates endothelin receptor targeting as a promising senotherapeutic strategy for OA. Collaborative Research Equipment Grant Advanced Single-Particle Mass Spectrometerto Uncover Hidden Aerosol Complexity Impacting Health and Climate Prof. JIN Ling Assistant Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Health Technology and Informatics (Collaborating universities: CityUHK, HKBU, CUHK, HKUST) This project aims to develop a single‑particle mass spectrometry platform to precisely reveal the mixing state of aerosols at single‑particle resolution. It will generate new insights into how hazardous aerosol components influence health, toxicity, and climate impacts, addressing critical gaps left by conventional techniques and supporting more accurate predictions for policymaking. A trimodal PET/SPECT/CT animal imaging system for molecular imaging and radiopharmaceutical research Prof. YOO Jung Sun Associate Professor of the Department of Health Technology and Informatics (Collaborating universities: CityUHK, HKU) This project aims to establish Hong Kong’s first nuclear molecular imaging facility by acquiring a trimodal PET/SPECT/CT animal imager. It will accelerate new drug development through real‑time monitoring of biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics, while serving as an indispensable tool to study in vivo whole‑body cellular and biochemical dynamics in impactful biomedical research. Young Collaborative Research Grant Smart Environment Engineering via Beyond Diagonal Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface for Future Wireless Networks Prof. ZHANG Shuowen Assistant Professor of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Collaborating universities: CityUHK, CUHK) This project aims to advance BD‑RIS technology for the future wireless networks. It will characterize data rate limits, devise efficient channel state information acquisition schemes, and develop novel wireless sensing strategies, paving the way for large‑scale deployment of BD‑RIS in future networks. This will deliver enhanced wireless service at low cost and help narrow the “digital divide”. Digital Solutions to Manage the Risks of Electric Vehicle Batteries and A Deep Learning Based Index Insurance Contract Design Prof. WANG Qin Associate Professor of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Collaborating universities: HKUST, HKU) This project aims to develop innovative digital solutions for assessing electric vehicle (EV) battery health without disassembly and to design deep learning‑based index insurance contracts. It will create AI‑powered diagnostic platforms, risk evaluation models, and insurance tools that enhance battery management, optimise EV operations, and support sustainable, risk‑averse adoption of EV technologies. The RGC Research Impact Fund aims to encourage local universities to undertake more impactful and translational research projects and a greater volume of collaborative research beyond academic, while the Collaborative Research Fund aims to support multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary projects in order to encourage more research groups to engage in creative and high-quality cross-disciplinary / cross-institutional projects. For further details, please refer to the lists of funded projects under the Research Impact Fund and the Collaborative Research Fund  published by the RGC.

Innovate to benefit society: Clarivate validates PolyU’s research excellence– achieving outstanding growth in research output and global leadership in engineering and AI-medical research

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) yesterday unveiled the PolyU Research Excellence Report at a high-profile forum co-hosted with Clarivate, a leading global provider of transformative intelligence. The landmark report provides a comprehensive evaluation of PolyU research achievements and impact, reaffirming the University’s position as a global innovation powerhouse. The event, “Research Excellence Report Launch cum Impact Forum: Innovating for Global Impact”, drew around 100 distinguished attendees, includingacademic leaders from other tertiary institutions in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, industry partners and policymakers. According to Clarivate, PolyU achieved a remarkable 65% surge in high-impact research output and a 55% rise in highly cited papers from 2020 to 2024, and led all University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded institutions in research publications in 2024, underscoring its position at the forefront of Hong Kong’s academic excellence. The event was officiated by Prof. Timothy TONG, Chairman of the Research Grants Council (RGC); Mr Osher GILINSKY, Vice President for Asia Pacific, Academia and Government, Clarivate; and Prof. Christopher CHAO, Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, who delivered opening remarks. Celebrating PolyU’s exceptional research achievements and their far-reaching impacts on society, the Nation and the world, Prof. Tong stated, “The PolyU Research Excellence Report vividly demonstrates its commitment to sustainable development, reflecting the dedication and innovation of its faculty, researchers and students.” Prof. Tong commended PolyU for its effective use of research resources, noting the significant advancements in AI-driven medical breakthroughs, climate solutions and sustainability. He further emphasised the RGC’s ongoing commitment to supporting research that addresses major societal challenges, exemplified by initiatives such as the Research Impact Fund. Additionally, he reaffirmed the RGC’s partnership with universities in strengthening Hong Kong’s status as a global knowledge hub. Recognising PolyU's outstanding global research performance, Mr Gilinsky elaborated, "In recent years, PolyU has demonstrated high research productivity in high quality, driving for high impact for the society. PolyU was granted 1,020 patents between 2020 and 2024, the second highest among UGC-funded universities. To enhance research translation, PolyU has formed partnerships with companies including NVIDIA, Huawei and Alibaba. These achievements illustrate PolyU's international connectivity, diverse disciplinary strengths and strong culture of research translation. Leveraging its strength with the Chinese Mainland resources, PolyU is also accelerating knowledge transfer and identifying emerging areas for discovery, particularly in AI-powered healthcare, sustainable engineering, advanced manufacturing and smart city development—fields where it aims for global leadership."  Prof. Chao emphasised, “The report is a testament to years of dedicated effort, groundbreaking innovation and the unwavering commitment of the PolyU academic community. In 2025, we are proud to have 21 PolyU scholars named Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate, while 428 rank among Stanford University’s World’s Top 2% Most-cited Scientists—placing PolyU second among Hong Kong tertiary institutions. Our Strategic Plan 2025/26 - 2030/31, themed ‘Unite to Meet Challenges, Innovate to Benefit Society,’ will further empower PolyU to deliver even more transformative contributions to society.” Clarivate has been forging continuous collaborations with numerous institutions, including co-authoring the report series The impact of research undertaken by universities in Hong Kong with UGC in 2022. Produced by Clarivate using authoritative data from the Web of Science, the PolyU Research Excellence Report delivers a comprehensive assessment of the University’s overall research performance and achievements, highlighting PolyU’s global leadership in engineering, advancements in powering medical research with emerging AI technologies, and unique contributions to the hospitality, fashion and textile, design and art disciplines that distinguish the University on the global stage. PolyU’s strengths are exemplified by its leadership in Hong Kong’s research output growth, achieving the highest number of publications among UGC‑funded universities in 2024. Nearly 40% of its outputs are internationally co-authored, while 27% involve QS Top 50 university partners. The quality and impact of the University’s research output are further evidenced by its strong disciplinary performance. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, seven PolyU disciplines rank in the global Top 30, while, overall, 26 disciplines are listed among the world’s Top 100, underscoring the breadth and depth of the University’s academic excellence across multiple fields. Following the report launch, the Impact Forum featured a high-level panel discussion on “Innovations and Challenges in Research Evaluation”. The discussion facilitated insightful exchanges between the panel and attendees on evolving approaches to research assessment, the importance of measuring societal impact and strategies for fostering cross-institutional collaboration. Moderated by Mr Sherif EL Shamy, Vice President, Consulting, Academia and Government, Clarivate (1st from left), the Impact Forum panel discussion on “Innovations and Challenges in Research Evaluation” featured Prof. Jianguo Dai, Chair Professor of Structural Engineering and Head of the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong (2nd from left); Prof. Christina Wong, Director of Research and Innovation, PolyU (1st from right); and Prof. Marco Pang, Chair Professor of Neurorehabilitation and Head of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, PolyU (2nd from right), who shared insights on research evaluation, collaboration and societal impact. “Research Excellence Report Launch cum Impact Forum: Innovating for Global Impact” drew around 100 distinguished attendees, including academic leaders from other tertiary institutions in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, industry partners and policymakers.   ThePolyU Research Excellence Reportis now available on the PolyU website:https://www.polyu.edu.hk/ipao/institutional-performance/research-excellence-report/ Highlights from the report: Engineering Leadership: Ranked 6th globally in Engineering and 2nd in Civil Engineering (Subject Rankings of U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings 2025-2026), with research supporting Hong Kong’s Cross Bay Link project and national space missions. PolyU engineering publications grew by 68% between 2020-2024, with 38% of Hong Kong’s engineering publications affiliated with the University in 2024. AI-driven Medical Innovations: 261 patents in Computing and Control solutions, including LungRT Pro (a radiotherapy support system), Scolioscan® (radiation-free scoliosis diagnosis) and STARS (a smartphone-based vision screening tool for children). These life‑changing innovations demonstrate PolyU’s strong interdisciplinary integration across computer science, optometry, biomedical engineering, rehabilitation sciences and nursing. Unique Disciplines: Global top rankings in Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Textile Science and Engineering (1st and 5th respectively in ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2025), as well as Art and Design (22nd in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025). Groundbreaking work includes smart wearables for stroke patients, AI-powered tourism demand forecasting platforms and sustainable community design projects. Collaborative Impact: Over 600 international collaboration agreements with 390+ institutions across 45 countries and regions, and 3,100+ collaborative projects in the Chinese Mainland. Between 2020 and 2024, nearly 40% of its high-quality research publications were co-authored with international institutions. PolyU Unicorn startups have created over 5,000 international job opportunities and generated significant economic value.

PolyU develops novel AI graph neural network models to unravel interdisciplinary complexities in image recognition and neuroscience

As an emerging technology in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), graph neural networks (GNNs) are deep learning models designed to process graph-structured data. Currently, GNNs are effective at capturing relationships between nodes and edges in data, but often overlook higher-order, complex connections. To address this challenge, a research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed a new heterogeneous graph attention network, revolutionising the modelling of complex relationships in graph-structured data. This innovation is poised to break through AI application limitations in fields such as neuroscience, logistics, computer vision and biology. In simple terms, traditional GNNs mainly consider pairwise relationships such as the connections of “A to B” and “B to C”, having difficulties in understanding group interactions among A, B and C. Developed by Prof. Anqi QIU, Professor of the PolyU Department of Health Technology and Informatics and Global STEM Scholar, and her research team, the new “Hodge-Laplacian Heterogeneous Graph Attention Network” (HL-HGAT) can learn and analyse heterogeneous signals at different levels, capturing complex associations among various graph structures. Mathematically, k-simplices are fundamental elements of higher-dimensional geometry that capture higher-order relationships among multiple nodes: a 0-simplex is a single node, a 1-simplex is an edge connecting two nodes, a 2-simplex is a triangle formed by three nodes and so on. The HL-HGAT model interprets graphs as simplicial complexes, enabling it to simultaneously capture complex interactions among nodes, edges, triangles and other multi-level structures, greatly enhancing the model’s ability to understand intricate data relationships. At the core of HL-HGAT is the Hodge-Laplacian (HL) operator, which provides a mathematical framework for modelling and propagating signals on simplicial complexes. This allows the network to break through the limitations of pairwise relationships and construct more precise models for complex, multi-level interactions in structured data. In the field of dynamic graphs, HL-HGAT’s major breakthrough lies in its ability to extend high-order topological representations into the temporal domain, combining efficient HL filtering, adaptive attention mechanisms and heterogeneous signal decomposition to reveal complex time-varying motifs that traditional static GNNs cannot capture. Prof. Qiu said, “The HL-HGAT model demonstrates broad efficacy and versatility across diverse graph-based scenarios, from theoretical optimisation problems to real-world biomedical applications. It has been comprehensively evaluated across diverse graph applications, and the results demonstrate the model’s adaptability as a unified framework capable of handling optimisation, classification, regression and multimodal learning tasks across disciplines.” The research team conducted comprehensive tests in multiple fields. In logistics, HL-HGAT effectively solved the classic Travelling Salesman Problem (how to plan the shortest delivery route), helping logistics companies save significant time and costs. In computer vision, HL-HGAT analyses images by converting them into graph structures, outperforming traditional GNNs in the CIFAR-10 image classification task by capturing image details with greater precision. In chemistry, HL-HGAT has achieved superior accuracy in predicting molecular properties, accelerating the development of new drugs In neuroscience and medical diagnostics, HL-HGAT also demonstrates high application value. The team applied it to functional magnetic resonance imaging data analysis, accurately predicting intelligence and brain age, and even discovering abnormal “tripartite synapses” in the default mode and limbic networks of depression patients—subtle changes that traditional methods cannot detect. Additionally, HL-HGAT can identify early cortical thinning and disrupted neural connectivity in Alzheimer’s disease patients, enabling more timely detection of symptoms. This innovative HL-HGAT model not only achieves remarkable results in tackling complex graph-based tasks in scientific and industrial applications, but also marks a significant advancement in graph neural network technology. The research, in a paper titled “HL-HGAT: Heterogeneous Graph Attention Network via Hodge-Laplacian Operator”, has been published in IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence.

PolyU research wins CIC Construction Innovation Award 2025 for pioneering use of ultra-high-strength S960 steel

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Steel Construction (Hong Kong Branch) (CNERC) has been awarded the Local Grand Prize at the Construction Industry Council (CIC) Construction Innovation Award 2025 for its project titled “Groundbreaking Application of Ultra-high Strength S960 Steel in Civil Infrastructure: Paving the Way for Hong Kong's Green Construction”. This accolade recognises the project’s pioneering use of ultra‑high‑strength steel in civil infrastructure and its significant contribution to promoting sustainable construction in Hong Kong. In their award citation, the judging panel highlighted that the project marks the world's first application of S960 steel to two pedestrian bridges in the Northern Metropolitan area. By significantly reducing the structural self‑weight and the number of piles required, the project effectively decreases the use of concrete and steel, thereby lowering carbon emissions while showcasing both technological innovation and environmental benefits. The panel also commended the project team for their significant contributions to local infrastructure innovation, improved engineering efficiency, and progress towards carbon reduction goals. The award presentation ceremony was held at Zero Carbon Park on 21 January, bringing together around 150 professionals from the construction and engineering industries. The event was officiated by Ir Prof. Thomas HO On-sing, Chairman of the CIC, who delivered the welcoming address. This was followed by an opening address from Ir LAU Chun-kit, Ricky, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) of the HKSAR Government, who encouraged the industry to continue embracing innovation and technology to promote high‑quality and sustainable development in the construction sector. Prof. Kwok-fai CHUNG, Professor of the PolyU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Director of the CNERC, attended the ceremony and received the prize together with Ir FONG Hok Shing, Michael, Director of Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) of the HKSAR Government.  The project client is CEDD, with the project team comprising AECOM Asia Co. Ltd. and Joint Venture of Daewoo E&C, Chun Wo C&E and Kwan Lee Holding (DCK JV). The project is expected to be completed in the summer this year. The CNERC’s success is built on a long‑term collaboration with CEDD. In 2023, the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore innovative applications of ultra-high-strength S960 steel in infrastructure projects. Over the past three years, Prof. Chung and his team have provided comprehensive technical support for the first adoption of ultra-high-strength S960 steel with a stiffened box girder design in the F4 and F6 pedestrian bridges in the Northern Metropolis. This approach replaces the traditional cast-in-situ reinforced concrete box girder method, resulting in substantial savings in materials and construction costs, while effectively shortening the construction cycle. The project sets an important benchmark for future green infrastructure development in Hong Kong.  

Billions at Stake: Unveiling and Mitigating Double-Spending Attacks in Arbitrum’s Rollback Mechanisms

With the rise of cryptocurrency transactions, merchants are prioritising security due to vulnerabilities in online transaction systems. Prof. Daniel Xiapu LUO, Associate Dean (Research) of Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences and Professor of the Department of Computing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and his research team identified three double-spending attacks exploiting the rollback merchanisms. Their findings, reported to Arbitrum and Optimism, earned them a USD500K bug bounty for enhancing blockchain security. The corresponding paper was honored with the Distinguished Paper Award at ACM CCS 2024, a premier conference in cybersecurity. Subsequently, it earned the Best Practical Paper of Cybersecurity Award in 2025. Ethereum's meteoric rise as the backbone of decentralised finance (DeFi) has brought both innovation and new security challenges. As transaction volumes soared, Layer-2 solutions such as optimistic rollups, most notably Arbitrum and Optimism, emerged to address scalability. Yet, the rapid adoption of these protocols has outpaced the scrutiny of their security models, leaving billions of dollars potentially exposed.    Through meticulous analysis and experimental validation, Prof. LUO’s research team uncovered three previously unknown double-spending attacks targeting Arbitrum's rollback mechanisms. These attacks, if left unaddressed, could have enabled malicious actors to steal funds from cross-chain applications, undermining the very trust that underpins the DeFi ecosystem. The generalisability of the findings was demonstrated by successfully adapting the attacks to target Optimism.    Prof. Luo's team systematically dissected Arbitrum's architecture, identifying three core mechanisms that could trigger state rollback:   1. Time Bound Mechanism To prevent chain reorganisations and timestamp manipulation, Arbitrum enforces a time window (typically 24 hours) within which L2 transactions must be submitted to L1. If a transaction's finalisation is delayed beyond this window, the protocol corrects the timestamp and rolls back the affected soft-finalised transactions.   2. Liveness-Preservation Mechanism Designed to ensure censorship resistance, this mechanism allows users to force the inclusion of their transactions via L1 if the sequencer becomes unresponsive. However, if a forced inclusion occurs after a delay, it can create inconsistencies between the L1 and L2 transaction queues, triggering a rollback of queued soft-finalised transactions.   3. Transaction (De)compression Mechanism To reduce costs, Arbitrum compresses batches of transactions before submitting them to L1. However, if a batch decompresses to a size exceeding the protocol limit, the L2 node deems it invalid and rolls back all associated soft-finalised transactions.   Central to the success of the double-spending attacks is the "manipulable delay attack," a technique devised to inject arbitrary delays into the transaction rollup process.     Recognising the potential cost of such an attack, the team also devised a cost optimisation strategy. By manipulating the posting unit price and carefully controlling the transaction submission rate, it demonstrated that the attack could be executed at a reasonable or even constant cost. Notably, they revealed an implementation error in Arbitrum's fee adjustment logic, which could amplify the impact of such attacks, causing transaction fees for all users to skyrocket in the aftermath.   Besides this research on the security of optimistic rollups, Prof. LUO and his team also uncovered severe vulnerabilities in zero-knowledge rollups, another major layer-2 solution for scaling blockchain. Furthermore, they identified denial-of-service issues affecting both types of rollups. Their ongoing research continues to push the boundaries of blockchain security and performance. Notably, Prof. Luo's latest work explores the acceleration of smart contract fuzzing using GPUs. By transforming EVM bytecode and fuzzing logic into parallel GPU tasks, his prototype achieves up to 15.38 times higher throughput than existing tools, enabling the detection of more bugs and greater code coverage—an essential step towards more robust smart contract ecosystems.   Source: Innovation Digest  

PolyU Department of Rehabilitation Sciences rolls out “Better Ageing in Community Campaign” with community groups, leveraging AI to assess fall risk in nearly 900 elderly in the first phase

Falls are a serious issue among Hong Kong’s elderly. Approximately one in five community-dwelling elderly aged 65 or above has experienced a fall, placing a great strain on medical and healthcare systems. To proactively address health challenges brought by an ageing population, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) Department of Rehabilitation Sciences has, since January last year, partnered with multiple community groups to launch the “Better Ageing in Community Campaign”, using the Department’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology to conduct fall risk screening for the elderly. During the first phase, nearly 900 elderly residents on Hong Kong Island were assessed, with 26% identified as high-risk individuals. To date, over 100 attendants have received 12-week fall prevention training from the University. The PolyU team plans to expand the project to Kowloon district and establish a large-scale elderly health database, benefitting more people with the aid of an enhanced AI model. A sharing session was held today, attended by Mr Chris SUN, Secretary for Labour and Welfare; The Hon. Tommy CHEUNG, Executive Council Member; The Hon. SHIU Ka-fai, Legislative Council Member, from the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China; Dr Roy CHUNG, Honorary Chairman of the PolyU Court; Prof. Christopher CHAO, Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation); Prof. Marco PANG, Head of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences; and Prof. Amy FU, Associate Head of the Department, from PolyU. The session also included various district officers, district councillors, partner organisation representatives, students and elderly participants, to review the first-phase achievements and look ahead to future developments. Mr Chris Sun stated, “Daily outings are often a challenge for elderly persons whose physical functions are gradually declining. The ‘Better Ageing in Community Campaign’ demonstrates admirable thoughtfulness by addressing the issue of fall prevention among elderly persons, thereby reducing the risks they face in daily life. The Government also places great emphasis on making good use of gerontechnology to enhance the quality of life for elderly persons. It is planning to launch a pilot scheme to install smart detection devices in 300 high-risk caregiver households, enabling caregivers and/or care recipients to receive timely and appropriate assistance in case of home accidents through the use of technology.” Prof. Christopher Chao remarked, “Artificial intelligence offers a crucial direction for global research development. PolyU is committed to applying AI technology in healthcare, rehabilitation therapy and primary healthcare in communities, while promoting interdisciplinary research and translating research outcomes into practical applications that benefit society. This project is not only a community healthcare initiative but also an exemplar of the University’s research outcomes being put into practice. In the future, PolyU will continue to strengthen its research in AI, big data and smart healthcare, working with all sectors of society to promote more innovative projects, enhance citizens’ quality of life and promote healthy ageing.” Since January last year, the faculty of the PolyU Department of Rehabilitation Sciences has led physiotherapy and occupational therapy students to conduct fall risk screening for 891 eligible elderly residents on Hong Kong Island, including the “walking speed test” and the “sit-to-stand test”. The team successfully identified 235 elderly individuals with higher fall risk, representing approximately 26% of participants and arranged for them to attend 12-week fall prevention exercise training classes provided by the Department. The elderly participants responded enthusiastically, and generally agreed that appropriate exercise helps strengthen muscles and better enables them to cope with the demands of daily life. The project team previously conducted telephone interviews with elderly participants of the fall risk screening and found that approximately 20% had fallen in the past year, with half of them requiring medical attention. Analysis also revealed that the “walking speed test” and the “sit-to-stand test” can effectively predict fall risk in elderly men, while fall risk in elderly women is not only related to the walking speed test results but also their weight-to-height ratio. Prof. Marco Pang and Prof. Amy Fu, who led the project, stated that the research team plans to expand the project to Kowloon and establish a large-scale elderly health database, while further optimising AI model training and developing more personalised and effective fall prevention solutions. At the same time, the team will strengthen collaboration with community organisations, the social welfare sector and the healthcare sector to extend AI screening to more communities, with the aim of reducing pressure on the healthcare system in the long term and enhancing elderly health and support for community elderly care. The PolyU Department of Rehabilitation Sciences leverages AI technology to conduct fall risk screening for the elderly. The elderly who have participated in the fall prevention training by PolyU Department of Rehabilitation Sciences responded enthusiastically, and generally agreed that appropriate exercise helps strengthen muscles and better enables them to cope with the demands of daily life.