Media Releases

PolyU researchers unveil novel carbon dots-driven green radiative cooling coating for energy saving in buildings

Buildings account for about 90% of Hong Kong ’ s electricity consumption and over 60% of carbon emissions. Energy conservation in buildings is crucial for achieving climate mitigation goals. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) researchers have developed an environmentally friendly solar-driven adaptive radiative cooling (SARC) coating for building roofs and walls. This coating can reduce a building’s surface temperature by up to 25°C and lower indoor temperatures by 2 to 3°C, all without consuming any energy. This non-toxic, metal-free and durable coating can be produced on a large scale, promoting an eco-friendly and energy-saving method to mitigate urban heat island effects and support the achievement of carbon neutrality. Coating a building in a reflective material enables the self-regulation of its thermal environment to minimise indoor temperatures. However, traditional passive radiative cooling materials are unable to automatically adjust cooling capacity in response to environmental changes, which limits their applications. To address this challenge, a research team led by Prof. LU Lin Vivien, Professor of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering at PolyU, along with key team member Dr Quan GONG, Postdoctoral Fellow of the same department, has invented a carbon dots(CDs)-driven SARC coating that can adjust cooling capacity based on solar irradiance. This new photoluminescent radiative cooling nanocoating can convert solar energy into light energy. As solar intensity increases, the coating’s solar reflectance is enhanced, preventing buildings from absorbing excessive heat. However, traditional photoluminescent cooling materials typically rely on rare earth metals and perovskite materials, which pose environmental risks. To address these issues, Prof. Vivien Lu’s team has introduced groundbreaking, environmentally friendly polymer-based CDs as photoluminescent materials into radiative cooling coating. Nano-sized CDs were embedded into polymers to create a biologically harmless material. The polymer CDs were uniformly coated onto hollow glass particles to create Smart Cooling Beads, enabling the coating to effectively convert ultraviolet light into visible light photons and increase effective solar reflectance. This water-soluble SARC only requires the evaporation of water to form a coating on building surfaces without releasing any volatile organic compounds, thereby reducing air pollution. Results have shown that, compared to conventional radiative cooling coating, the new SARC coating improved effective daytime solar reflectance from 92.5% to 95% and increased the cooling effect by 10% to 20%. For example, it can reduce the temperature by up to 25°C when applied to concrete rooftops. In a demonstration project with the HKSAR Government department, the team applied the SARC coating to the roofs of container houses at a construction site in Hong Kong. After approximately two and a half years of continuous outdoor exposure, the coated roofs remained 24 °C cooler than concrete roof under sunlight. The coating proved highly durable, with solar reflectance decreasing by less than 2% over the two-year period. Annual energy savings of 10% were achieved by reducing the air-conditioning load. By mapping the average annual temperature drop and cooling power across different climatic regions of Mainland China, the team observed that the stronger the radiation, the greater the temperature difference the new SARC coating achieved. Taking as examples Hong Kong and 10 Mainland cities—Beijing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Changsha, Hotan in Xinjiang, Shenyang, Guilin, Fuzhou, Chongqing and Lanzhou—the adoption of this novel cooling coating for buildings is projected to save between 97 and 136 kWh/m² of electricity annually in each city. Prof. Vivien Lu remarked, “As global warming intensifies and extreme weather events like heatwaves become more frequent, the scientific community is increasingly focused on finding ways to cool buildings while minimising energy consumption. Our novel SARC coating demonstrates exceptional cooling performance and is suitable for a wide range of climates, thereby accelerating the development of next-generation cooling materials. This water-soluble coating can also be produced in various colors, allowing it to be easily applied to building roofs, walls, roadways, and urban surfaces, using paint rollers. It achieves both cooling and aesthetic enhancements and offers a promising solution for sustainable urban development and mitigating the urban heat island effect.” With support from PolyU’s Carbon Neutrality Funding Scheme, the team has also integrated the photoluminescent coating with bifacial solar photovoltaics (PV) to achieve synergistic enhancement in thermal management and power generation, transforming buildings from energy consumers into energy harvesters. The team is planning to install bifacial PV panels on the rooftops of the under-construction PolyU Kowloon Tong Student Hostel, with new coating applied on the corresponding area under the panels, to enhance power generation while radiatively cooling the buildings. The team expects this dual-functional system to improve electrical power generation by 30-50% and reduce the carbon emission by 30% compared with conventional uncoated rooftops. Taking this project as an example, installation of PV over an area of approximately 600 m2 on hostel rooftops can generate 97,000 kWh of electricity, resulting in annual cost savings of over HK$120,000. The team is also developing a paraffin-based self-adaptive radiative cooling coating that can maintain appropriate solar reflectivity in response to cold and hot weather, achieving the effect of keeping warm in winter and cooling in summer. The water-soluble SARC coating can also be produced in various colours, allowing it to be easily applied to building roofs, walls, roadways, and urban surfaces to achieve both cooling and aesthetic enhancements. ***END***

Three PolyU projects supported by Smart Traffic Fund to enhance driving safety and traffic efficiency

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is dedicated to developing advanced technologies for safe and smart mobility. Leveraging its proven research capabilities, PolyU has secured funding for three out of four projects in the 15th batch of Smart Traffic Fund, with total funding awarded to the University of approximately HK$14 million. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU said, “The collective support for 21 PolyU projects out of a total of 59 projects funded from the Smart Traffic Fund since the launch of this scheme underscores PolyU’s legacy of excellence in smart traffic technology. These funds drive us to advance further in enhancing quality of life and shaping the future through the development of intelligent transportation systems. Drawing upon our diverse academic and research capabilities, PolyU will continue to lead the way in advancing and transforming smart mobility.” A study on public transport re-routing, with a healthy ‘Wait-to-Ride’ trip mode for optimizing public transportation routes and improving traffic congestion, is led by Prof. Charles Man Sing WONG, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment, Professor of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics. The study will develop a spatial-temporal environment database to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance road network efficiency. This database will inform suggestions for re-routing public transport in over-served areas with duplicated services. Safety is a crucial aspect of smart mobility. Dr Kam-hung NG, Assistant Professor of the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering, leads another of the funded projects, “Development of human-centric driver support systems and training recommendations for safer cross-border driving during Northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles”. By analysing potential human errors through the collection of various neuropsychological data, a cross-border driving simulation and training program will be developed. Dr Yiping JIANG, Assistant Professor of the same Department, led the project “A study of integrating adaptive safety requirements into localisation for autonomous driving in Hong Kong”. It aims to develop a configurable platform using machine learning algorithms, which will allow autonomous driving systems to adapt to safety requirements across different traffic scenarios. The Smart Traffic Fund provides funding support to local organisations and enterprises for conducting research and applying innovation and technology with the objectives of enhancing commuting convenience, enhancing efficiency of the road network or road space, and improving driving safety. Details of the three funded projects: Principal Investigator Project Title Project Summary Project Duration Approved Funding Prof. Charles Man Sing WONG, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment, Professor of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics A study on public transport re-routing with a healthy ‘Wait-to-Ride’ trip mode for optimizing public transportation routes and improving traffic congestion The project aims to conduct research on analysing the routes and stops of road public transportation. A spatio-temporal environmental database will be developed for providing suggestions on reorganising of public transport routing in over-served areas with duplicated routes, with the aim of easing road traffic congestion and enhancing the efficiency of the road network.   24 months HK$ 5,384.708.25 Dr Kam-hung NG, Assistant Professor of the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering Development of human-centric driver support systems and training recommendations for safer cross-border driving during Northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles The project aims to develop a cross-border driving simulation and training program by analysing potential human errors through collecting various neuropsychological data, with the goal of enhancing safety of cross-border driving.   21 months HK$ 6,932,836.44 Dr Yiping JIANG, Assistant Professor of the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering A study of integrating adaptive safety requirements into localisation for autonomous driving in Hong Kong The project aims to develop a configurable platform with machine learning algorithms that enable autonomous driving systems to adhere to adaptive safety requirements under various traffic scenarios and turning radiuses of vehicles to enhance the safe performance of autonomous vehicles.   24 months HK$ 1,683,890.95   ***END***

PolyU scientist’s breakthrough energy-efficient innovations in applications for sensory AI systems

Prof. Yang CHAI, Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Science and Professor of the Department of Applied Physics at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has conducted groundbreaking research on sensory artificial intelligence (AI), paving the way for more energy-efficient, low-latency and memory-optimised AI systems. His advancements significantly enhance diverse applications such as mobile devices, IoT sensors and edge computing. Overcoming crucial barriers in power consumption, latency and memory within sensory AI systems, Prof. Chai’s innovations unleash the potential of sensory AI across diverse industries and domains. Furthermore, the in-sensor computing strategy has sparked progress in improving decision-making and situational awareness, strengthening privacy and security, and transforming intelligent automation. For his exceptional innovation, Prof. Chai has been honoured as a 2024 Falling Walls Winner in the Engineering & Technology category for “Breaking the Wall of Efficient Sensory AI Systems”. He has developed novel hardware architectures and optimisation techniques, which enable the deployment of advanced sensory AI systems in mobile devices, IoT sensors and edge computing, subsequently transforming applications in smart cities, autonomous vehicles and industrial automation. The Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year Award was initiated by the Berlin-based Falling Walls Foundation, to recognise the latest breakthroughs and outstanding science projects worldwide. This year, the jury, comprising globally recognised experts in the various fields, reviewed over 1,000 entries from 52 countries. In the Engineering & Technology category, 10 excellent winners were selected and shortlisted for the award of Science Breakthrough of the Year 2024. Prof. Chai said, “The proliferation of data from ubiquitously distributed sensors leads to a massive increase in sensory terminals. It is crucial to partially shift computation tasks to the sensory terminals. This transition substantially compresses the collected information and extracts key data, especially for sensor-rich platforms.” Prof. Chai’s research clearly defines near-sensor concepts and in-sensor computing paradigms based on the physical distance between sensory and computing units. This classification further divides functions into low-level and high-level processing. His study explores the implementation of near-/in-sensor computing for different physical sensing systems and provides possible solutions for integrating sensing and processing units through advanced manufacturing technologies. While Prof. Chai and his team focus on advancing computational hardware for sensory AI systems, the extraordinary capabilities of natural bioinspired sensory systems more broadly are a vital research inspiration. By emulating human visual adaptability, which allows accurate object identification under various lighting conditions, the new bioinspired sensors developed by Prof. Chai’s team offer a solution for the progress in motion processing by directly adapting to different light intensities. This approach avoids relying solely on backend computation, which emulates and even surpasses the human retina’s ability to adapt to various lighting levels. The sensors reduce hardware complexity and boost image contrast in varied lighting conditions, thus improving machine vision systems for visual analysis and identification tasks.  Inspired by flying insects’ high flicker function frequency, Prof. Chai has pioneered research on optoelectronic graded neurons for perceiving dynamic motion. This innovation efficiently encodes temporal information at sensory terminals, reducing the amount of visual data transferred relating to fusing spatiotemporal (spatial and temporal) information in a computation unit. This advances machine visual systems with minimal hardware resources, promising potential applications in autonomous vehicles and surveillance systems. These outstanding findings have been published in high-impact journals including Nature Electronics and Nature Nanotechnology, and have been highlighted in Nature, IEEE Spectrum and others, while also being highly cited by research teams worldwide. He envisions, “My long-term goal is to develop cutting-edge microelectronic and nanoelectronic devices with new functionalities and unprecedented performance. Specifically, we intend to create imaging technology capable of perceiving three-dimensional depth, four-dimensional spatial-temporal and multiple spectral (beyond visible light) information. To achieve this, a bio-inspired mechanism will be utilised to reduce power consumption and latency.” Learn more about Prof. Chai’s research focus in the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk7Rga3kSoc ***END***

SINOPEC x PolyU "Cleaner Energy Better Life" Outstanding Student Award Scheme donation ceremony

Chinese version only

PolyU launches District Care Teams (Sai Kung) training programme to enhance service skills and quality

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) and Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT), in collaboration with the District Services and Community Care Development Fund (Sai Kung) Company Ltd, have organised a professional training programme for the District Care Teams (Sai Kung). Officially commencing last Saturday, the programme employs diverse and flexible teaching methods, including lectures, workshops, case studies, group activities and visits. It aims to help participants systematically ground their theoretical knowledge and translate it into practical applications to enhance the quality of life, happiness and sense of security within the community. The programme also contributes to policy research at PReCIT. On the first day, the programme comprised two sessions covering the themes of “Social Welfare, Technology and Innovation, as well as Care Teams” and “Basic Administrative Skills”. The sessions were led by Prof. Eric CHUI, Head of APSS and Co-Director of PReCIT, and Prof. MUI Kwok Wai Horace, Associate Head (Research) of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering. Future courses will cover topics including diverse communities, communication skills, law, mental management, effective community development skills, leadership, and strategic planning and execution. Prof. Chui introduced the roles of Care Teams in Hong Kong communities and their importance to residents, “Care Teams can serve as a communication bridge between residents and the government, as well as to fill service gaps. Developed around three aspects, innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and inclusivity, the Teams can explore the application of technology and innovative methods in a sustainable society, maintain professionalism through reflection and explore best practices, as well as create a rich and encouraging environment to enhance resilience and embrace diversity.” Prof. Horace MUI hoped that this programme can guide Care Teams to provide more comprehensive and effective management, “We expect each participant to possess professional knowledge and the latest skills to address social issues, thus enable them to provide necessary assistance and care to those in need, and be more adept in serving the community.” Ms Sandy CHAN, a participant in the programme, shared that the lecture on the first day equipped her to better serve the community, “I have learnt how to effectively identify those in need and consider their feelings and dignity. I can therefore assist them in integrating into society with empathy.” APSS is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and practice for more effective and compassionate human services through the integration of education, research and service, thus promoting social inclusion and community betterment locally, nationally and internationally. PReCIT brings together scholars from different disciplines and professions with the aim of promoting interdisciplinary cooperation and policy research. The District Services and Community Care Development Fund (Sai Kung) Company Ltd consolidates community resources and forces from all sectors and strengthens district networks. This tripartite collaboration provides a systematic and practical professional training programme for the Sai Kung District Care Teams. The programme, designed by world-renowned scholars and experienced professionals from various fields, equips them to offer high-quality care services to the community. ***END***

Inauguration of PolyU Endowed Professorships and Endowed Young Scholars to celebrate strong town-and-gown partnerships for advancing innovative research

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) held “The Fifth Inauguration of Endowed Professorships cum The Second Inauguration of Endowed Young Scholars” at the Jockey Club Auditorium on campus yesterday. It was an occasion to honour distinguished scholars for their remarkable academic and research achievements, and to pay tribute to the University’s philanthropic partners for their support. The event marked the inauguration of five new Endowed Professorships, four successive Endowed Professorships, five new Endowed Young Scholar positions and one successive Endowed Young Scholar position. Dr LAM Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman, remarked that the Endowed Professorship Scheme and the Endowed Young Scholars Scheme were hallmarks of PolyU’s commitment to “Partnership for Impact”, exemplifying the dynamic collaboration between the University and philanthropists, united in the quest for knowledge and pioneering research to benefit society. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all donors and benefactors, and congratulated the endowed professors and young scholars. He said that he was proud to see that the Schemes had developed by leaps and bounds, and that the diversity of research topics had expanded to encompass many new critical domains for addressing evolving societal needs. With the continuous support of donors, scholars and the wider community, he is confident that PolyU will reach even greater heights in advancing cutting-edge research for the benefit of Hong Kong, our Nation and the world. PolyU established the Endowed Professorship Scheme in 2012 to propel research excellence by attracting and retaining top scholars, and engaging the support of the community. Recognising the importance of nurturing promising early-career academics, the University further launched the Endowed Young Scholars Scheme in 2021. These Schemes have provided the endowed professors and young scholars with extra resources to facilitate them in embarking on innovative projects with societal impact. To date, PolyU has established a total of 39 Endowed Professorships, two Named Professorships and ten Endowed Young Scholar positions. The newly conferred Endowed Professorships and Endowed Young Scholars are listed below.   Endowed Professorships Appointees Sin Wai Kin Foundation Endowed Professorship in Humanities and Technology LI Ping Limin Endowed Professorship in Integrated Strategies and Leadership in Fashion Erin CHO Kuok Group Endowed Professorship in Mathematical Science YANG Tong Kuok Group Endowed Professorship in Nature-Inspired Engineering WANG Zuankai Sir Sze-yuen Chung Endowed Professorship in Renewable Energy LI Gang   Successive Endowed Professorships  Appointees Henry G. Leong Endowed Professorship in Elderly Vision Health HE Mingguang Angel S.P. Chan Lau Endowed Professorship in Health and Longevity Janelle YORKE Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund Endowed Professorship in Rehabilitation Sciences Marco PANG Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Endowed Professorship in Smart and Sustainable Energy WANG Liqiu   Endowed Young Scholars Appointees Kuok Group Endowed Young Scholar in Aging and Neuroimaging HSU Chun Liang Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering ZHAO Xin Kuok Group Endowed Young Scholar in Child and Adolescent Health Eva HO Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Colour and Imaging Science Tommy WEI  Wong Tit Shing Endowed Young Scholar in Smart Robotics ZHENG Pai    Successive Endowed Young Scholars Appointees Thetos Foundation Endowed Young Scholar in Social Services Crystal KWAN   To learn more about PolyU Endowed Professorship Scheme and Endowed Young Scholars Scheme, please refer to the Schemes’ website. ***END***  

PolyU and University of Waterloo partner to establish the Research Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology for advanced applications

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has teamed up with the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) at the University of Waterloo (UW), Canada’s largest nanotechnology institute, to establish the Research Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (RCNN). This Centre will serve as a platform for interdisciplinary research, advancing fundamental knowledge of nanotechnology and addressing societal challenges. The RCNN aims to enhance nano research, foster collaborative research for cutting-edge applications and promote knowledge transfer between the two institutions. By leveraging the strengths and resources of PolyU and UW, this international strategic partnership is set to make impactful contributions towards tackling global challenges across various domains, including functional devices, clean energy, environmental applications, and biomedical technologies. The Centre’s launch ceremony was held alongside the Forum on Nano Research for Innovation at the PolyU campus on 3 September. The event attracted the participation of over 80 scholars, researchers and industry professionals. The ceremony to celebrate the official establishment of the Centre was officiated by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU; Prof. Jianhua HAO, Chair Professor of Materials Physics and Devices and Director of the RCNN; Prof. Raymond Wai-yeung WONG, Dean of the Faculty of Science; Prof. Daniel S.P. LAU, Head of the Department of Applied Physics and Chair Professor of Nanomaterials; Prof. Christina WONG, Director of the Research and Innovation Office; and Prof. Sushanta MITRA, Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering of UW. In his welcome address at the launch ceremony, Prof. Christopher Chao emphasised the significant impact of nano research in its connection to various fields of science and engineering. The partnership between PolyU and UW marks a major milestone in their shared pursuit of scientific excellence and innovation. The RCNN serves as a unique research platform and facility that harnesses international research expertise to develop novel approaches and technologies in nanoscience for diverse applications, ultimately enhancing human life. Prof. Jianhua Hao explained that in the face of the rapid development of nanotechnology, the RCNN is committed to strengthening its research efforts and addressing challenges through interdisciplinary approaches. The Centre seeks sustainable funding to propel advanced applications and foster knowledge exchange between academia and industry. By leveraging publications in respected journals, the RCNN also aims to build up an international reputation and global standing in the field. Prof. Sushanta Mitra highlighted the fact that the application of nanotechnology not only enhances efficiency, strength and cost-effectiveness but also creates new development opportunities. WIN has a substantial 285,000 square feet of expansive technology research and development space and facilities, which play a key role in the development of advanced materials, interconnected devices and innovative energy systems, as well as in the establishment of the RCNN. The Forum brought together international speakers and participants with the aim of sparking innovative ideas to drive technological advancements and impactful solutions. Prof. Zhong Lin WANG, Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and International Fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering and Prof. Zhongwei CHEN, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, delivered keynote speeches aimed at promoting new technologies and impactful solutions by inspiring innovative thinking. Distinguished international speakers, including UW researchers, shared their expertise and insights on nano research related to functional devices, clean energy, environmental applications, as well as biomedical and health technologies. Earlier, in June, Prof. Jianhua Hao visited UW to discuss future research collaborations, including joint research proposals, faculty and researcher mobility, co-supervision of PhD and postdoctoral fellows, and the co-organisation of international conferences and workshops. WIN is a global leader in discovering and developing smart and functional materials, connected devices, next generation energy systems, and therapeutics and theranostics. These discoveries made by scientists and engineers are fundamentally transforming the world and addressing some of humanity’s most pressing challenges.   ***END***

PolyU and Suzhou Kowloon Hospital partner to establish joint innovation incubation platform advancing medical technology

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today signed a collaboration agreement with Suzhou Kowloon Hospital, a subsidiary of the Hong Kong Kowloon Group, to jointly establish the “Suzhou Kowloon Hospital – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Innovation Incubation Platform”. The two institutions will leverage their respective strengths, sharing resources over the next three years to promote the translation and application of medical technology research outcomes. This will help drive innovation and clinical application research in the field and enhance the development and quality of the healthcare industry, enabling patients to enjoy better treatment and service. PolyU is committed to promoting PolyImpact through excellence in education, research and knowledge. Leveraging its innovative inventions, the University also aims to translate research outcomes into practical solutions that benefit society. Focused on developing a new medical and healthcare services platform, Suzhou Kowloon Hospital aspires to promote comprehensive application and improvement of medical products. Witnessed by Dr Lawrence LI, Deputy Council Chairman of PolyU, and Mr Hei SUN, Chairman of the Hong Kong Kowloon Group, the agreement was signed by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, and Mr Qiang CHEN, Vice President of the Hong Kong Kowloon Group. Under this agreement, PolyU and Suzhou Kowloon Hospital will strengthen their collaboration in accelerating research and clinical application in areas including medical engineering and artificial intelligence to foster innovation and translation in medical technology. To this end, a biomedical technology innovation incubator will be established, whereby Suzhou Kowloon Hospital will consolidate its extensive clinical resources to support PolyU research teams and startups in developing novel medical products, ensuring their application across multiple scenarios. In addition, the two institutions will initiate various clinical application research projects, leveraging PolyU’s robust research capabilities and the clinical experience of Suzhou Kowloon Hospital expert team. Their collaboration aims to facilitate technological enhancements and validate clinical efficacy and safety. PolyU students will be provided with internships, field visits and professional exchange opportunities to enrich their understanding of medical engineering and information technology in clinical practice. Relevant PolyU departments and faculties will also provide professional medical practitioners with tailored study programmes and industry training to foster talent development. Dr Lawrence Li, Deputy Council Chairman of PolyU remarked, “PolyU is pleased to collaborate with Suzhou Kowloon Hospital to establish the ‘Suzhou Kowloon Hospital – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Innovation Incubation Platform’, marking another milestone in the University’s research and entrepreneurship development. As the University’s first clinical incubation platform, it not only provides research teams with clinical support, but also enables our startups to accelerate the translation of research outcomes into clinical applications. At PolyU, we are committed to cultivating an innovative entrepreneurial spirit through the PolyVentures ecosystem by offering comprehensive support to startups. This partnership will reinforce this ecosystem and nurture next-generation entrepreneurs.” Mr Hei Sun, Chairman of the Hong Kong Kowloon Group said, “Through this close collaboration, we will create an innovative platform which provides integrated support for R&D, incubation and acceleration to promote knowledge transfer and technological exchange. This is a pioneering initiative that facilitates medical and industrial collaboration for leveraging complementary advantages and synergy. It also provides young entrepreneurs and researchers with an opportunity to showcase their talent, and provides a new engine to help drive technology transfer and industry transformation across Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, the Yangtze River Delta and the Asia Pacific region more broadly.” Following the signing ceremony, a panel discussion was held with the participation of PolyU academics, experts from Suzhou Kowloon Hospital and representatives from Mainland medical technology companies. Discussion was themed around the topic “Building Collaborative Ecosystems: How Universities, Hospitals and the Healthcare Industry Can Collaborate to Spur Innovation” and addressed some of the challenges faced by the industry, and explored strategies to strengthen organisational cooperation to drive industry growth.   ***END***

PolyU promotes new mental wellness initiative on campus, strengthening student resilience with gamified training programme

Young people are experiencing more stress and struggles with their mental health than ever before. The School of Nursing and the Mental Health Research Centre of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have jointly developed the Resilient Students Training Hub (ReST Hub), a research-driven service and education initiative, with the vision to transform university campuses into mental health and resilience-promotive ecosystems. ReST Hub hosted its first campus-wide promotion event between 26 August and 3 September, which attracted around 3,000 students. Findings from previous PolyU research showed that nearly three-in-four university students in Hong Kong had experienced at least one serious and potentially traumatic adversity in their childhood, which negatively impacts their sense of self and ability to manage emotions and form healthy relationships. Although the numbers are concerning, researchers have found an antidote – resilience. Made possible by generous funding from “Seal of Love Charitable Foundation Health and Service Impact Fund” supported by the Seal of Love Charitable Foundation, ReST Hub adopts a strengths-based, trauma-informed, and preventative approach to promoting youth mental health. It achieves this by empowering the PolyU community with a shared language to talk about mental health and equipping students with essential skills to strengthen their resilience in a safe, engaging, and accessible environment. Joined by Dr Laura LO, PolyU Associate Vice President (Institutional Advancement), and Prof. David SHUM, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Mr Lawrence CHAN, Chairman of Seal of Love Charitable Foundation Limited, and Ms Dee Dee CHAN, Director of Seal of Love Charitable Foundation Limited, visited the event to show their support. Ms Chan said, “The mental crisis we are facing now with our young people is unprecedented. British author Warsan Shire once said of refugees, ‘You have to understand that no one leaves home unless the water is safer than the land.’ May we, as a community, create a place together for our students where the land feels safer than the water.” During the event, students were recruited to experience some of ReST Hub’s activities, including “Mission ReST,” a gamified resilience-building programme co-created with over 200 PolyU students. Through self-discovery, game-based challenges, and collaborating and connecting socially with peers, the programme aims to equip students with the tools and essential skills to bounce back from challenges, take care of their mental wellbeing, and face the future with a meaningful outlook. Students were also introduced to “How are you, PolyU?”, an online self-assessment screening platform designed to help users gain a better understanding of themselves and their overall wellbeing in terms of emotions, behaviours and relationships via evidence-based tools, and to provide them with immediate feedback and resources for further support if indicated. Both activities aimed to raise awareness about mental health, encourage support-seeking, and ultimately create a more compassionate and resilient community. The first year at university is a vital transition period between secondary and tertiary education, and can be challenging and stressful for many students. Dr Grace W.K. HO, Principal Investigator of ReST Hub and Associate Professor of PolyU School of Nursing said, “It is important to engage students in the mental health conversation at the beginning of their university journey, and provide them with ample opportunities to strengthen their resilience along the way. Our week-long promotion event targets incoming freshmen and conveys a simple yet reassuring message: Your mental health matters and you don’t have to face life’s challenges alone.” For more information about ReST Hub and its activities, please visit the ReST Hub website and follow ReST Hub on social media.   ***END***  

PolyU PReCIT submits 2024 Policy Address Recommendations; Focusing on four key themes for Hong Kong’s sustainable development

The Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has submitted its recommendations to the HKSAR government for the 2024 Policy Address. The recommendations cover four major themes: Carbon Neutral Cities, Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Innovation and Technology (I&T) Development, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and Life and Health Technology. PolyU held an event today to introduce the recommendations and invited Legislative Council members the Hon Duncan CHIU and the Hon TANG Fei to share their insights. In his welcoming remarks, Prof. Wing-tak WONG, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU, said, “This is the third year that PolyU has submitted policy recommendations to the HKSAR government. Over the past two years, our suggestions have been highly valued and adopted by the government. This is not only an affirmation of our work but also encourages us to continue to make positive and proactive contributions to society.” Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Director of PReCIT, gave an overview of the recommendations and said, “Our recommendations are structured around four key themes. Each theme is carefully chosen to address both current challenges and future opportunities, ensuring that Hong Kong continues to thrive in an ever-evolving global landscape.” Prof. Eric CHUI, Co-Director of PReCIT and Head of Department of Applied Social Sciences, moderated the discussion session. He said, “By focusing on these critical areas, we aim to support the government’s efforts in fostering innovation, enhancing connectivity, and improving the quality of life for all residents.” Mr Kar-kan LING, Interim Vice President (Campus Development and Facilities) (left) and Prof. Daniel T. L. Shek, Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme) (right) are PReCIT’s core members. Prof. C.C. CHAN, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Distinguished Chair Professor of Electric Vehicles and Smart Energy, and Director of Research Centre for Electric Vehicles at PolyU, also contributed to the recommendations. Key recommendations include: 1. Implementing Comprehensive Carbon Auditing and Building Carbon Neutral Cities Hong Kong’s carbon emissions mainly come from the electricity generation sector, transportation, and waste. To achieve carbon neutrality, PReCIT recommends that the government implement comprehensive carbon auditing measures to accurately track greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across all sectors of the economy and establish similar emissions reporting requirements for companies and organisations above a certain size threshold, ensuring comprehensive coverage of Hong Kong’s carbon footprint. The government can develop a centralised, publicly accessible platform to report and track Hong Kong’s GHG emissions data over time, to address the need for improved transparency. In addition, PReCIT encourages the government to support the development of new technologies, such as green hydrogen energy and waste-based biomass power generation, and to promote the construction of related infrastructure. The government can promote the development of green hydrogen energy by enterprises and research institutions through incentives such as tax incentives, research and development grants, and low-interest loans. 2. Strengthening I&T Collaboration in GBA; Developing a Smart Northern Metropolis The HKSAR government can formulate strategies to facilitate the integration of transitional housing residents into the community and provide community-oriented social services. The Northern Metropolis can take reference from Shenzhen’s experience in the low-altitude economy (LAE), establishing the San Tin Technopole as a central innovation hub to foster collaborations with the Shenzhen I&T Park and advance the construction of a GBA Smart City Cluster. Furthermore, Hong Kong needs to continue to refine its laws and regulations related to the LAE, establish an inter-departmental working unit for the efficient supervision of LAE development, and build R&D centres focusing on low-altitude transportation technologies to advance research in this area. At the same time, Hong Kong is recommended to establish a unified financial standards system, promote the application of a Global Legal Entity Identifier (LEI), and enhance the security and international competitiveness of financial transactions. 3. Promoting Belt and Road (B&R) Collaboration and Retaining Talent PReCIT recommends that the government considers allocating funds and/or creates platforms that are conducive to knowledge exchange, cooperative research, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) between B&R partners and experts from Hong Kong and the GBA. In addition, the government should assume a leading role in establishing a BRI government-industry-academia-research consortium. Other specific recommendations include: increasing the number of Belt and Road scholarships and encouraging graduates to work in Hong Kong; supporting Hong Kong institutions to set up joint student training centres overseas; striving to include Hong Kong in the China Scholarship Council Scholarship Programmes; deepening cooperation among universities in Hong Kong and the Mainland and encouraging joint training programmes; and expanding the “Strive and Rise Programme” from Hong Kong to Belt and Road countries to help address intergenerational poverty. 4. Enhancing Healthcare to Address an Ageing Population and Chronic Diseases Facing the challenges of an ageing population and chronic diseases, Hong Kong needs to strengthen primary healthcare. PReCIT suggests establishing a nutritionist registration system and subsidising community nutrition services. At the same time, it is recommended to establish a “Greater Bay Area Future Food Research Institute” to promote the sustainable development of the food industry. To incorporate traditional Chinese medicine into mainstream healthcare, it is necessary to strengthen its basic research and clinical applications and formulate relevant norms. It is recommended to leverage the advantages of local universities in research and education across various healthcare disciplines to accelerate the cultivation of high-quality talent in the healthcare field and expand Hong Kong’s medical talent pool. Additionally, it is recommended to strengthen exchanges and cooperation of clinical medical talent and medical industry technology innovation talent with the Mainland (especially the GBA) at multiple levels, including health departments, hospitals, and social organisations. In addition, in order to leverage new technologies to empower the “Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trials Institute”, PReCIT suggests combining big data and artificial intelligence technologies in the medical field, and developing telemedicine platforms to provide remote diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and patient monitoring. It is also recommended to integrate and anonymise relevant data to establish a medical research database, which is open for further analysis by universities and research institutions. Simultaneously, it is recommended to discuss with various stakeholders the establishment of a scientifically comprehensive full-process drug regulatory mechanism, and further improve the adequacy and efficiency of the drug approval and regulatory system. Promoting the cooperation of trial sites with the GBA and nationwide to build a regional clinical trial coordination platform is also suggested. These measures will also accelerate the clinical application of new drugs and devices, driving the development of Hong Kong as a regional pharmaceutical research and production base. Composed of academics from different disciplines and professions, PReCIT promotes interdisciplinary policy research and strives to become a leading I&T think tank in Hong Kong and the region. For the full text of the recommendation report, please visit: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/precit/research/publications/   *** END ***