PolyU welcomes the initiatives of 2023-24 Budget that foster joint efforts in promoting research and innovation

Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), welcomes the initiatives on boosting the development of innovation and technology (I&T) and fostering collaboration among the Government, industry, academia and the research sector as announced in the Government's 2023-24 Budget. The relevant measures will help Hong Kong achieve high-quality development, support the city to develop into an international I&T hub, and contribute to the Nation’s technological advancement.

PolyU is pleased to learn about the Government’s investment in the research of life and health technology, and in frontier technology fields such as AI and quantum technology. With the development of the Northern Metropolis in full swing, it will promote the advancement of I&T industries in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.

Through PolyU’s State Key Laboratories, Chinese National Engineering Research Centres (Hong Kong Branches), and interdisciplinary research institutes and centres under the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research, the University will strengthen collaboration with industry to conduct impactful research and accelerate commercialisation in various domains including health technology, AI, advanced manufacturing and smart cities. These efforts will leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantages as a hub for international scientific research collaboration and make contributions to Hong Kong and the Nation.

The Government’s staunch commitment to the “Green Tech Fund” is encouraging and has provided strong support for local institutions to foster research and applications. PolyU supports the Government’s endeavours in promoting green technology and green industry development. It has robust research teams and facilities in carbon neutrality. For instance, the Research Institute for Smart Energy, the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development, the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality, and the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology will contribute technological innovations and policy research to help Hong Kong achieve its carbon neutrality goals.

PolyU continues to reform its curriculum and launch new research initiatives to support the Government in promoting I&T development and nurturing talents. PolyU has introduced Hong Kong’s first Master of Science in Blockchain Technology programme this academic year, and will offer new Master’s degree programmes in the next academic year, covering microelectronics technology and materials, intelligent construction, metaverse technology, and sustainable technology for carbon neutrality, to enrich the talent pool in Hong Kong.

To promote the development of the digital economy in Hong Kong, PolyU has partnered with Cybaverse to set up Hong Kong’s first research laboratory on law and Web3. Ranked as the number one university for blockchain in the world by CoinDesk, PolyU has established the Research Centre for Blockchain Technology, the first research centre in Hong Kong that covers full-stack study of blockchain technology.

In addition, PolyU places a strong emphasis on knowledge transfer, supporting researchers in innovation and entrepreneurship that are conducive to the Government’s new industrialisation efforts. The PolyU Entrepreneurship Investment Fund supports the commercialisation of licensed PolyU technologies and high potential start-ups involving PolyU graduates and researchers.

With the connection between the Mainland and Hong Kong deepening, PolyU will encourage scholars to visit and collaborate with different provinces and cities in the Mainland, and establish translational research institutes. These institutes will leverage PolyU’s research and translational capabilities to address local industry needs for transformation and upgrade, enhancing industrial innovation and promoting the integration of Hong Kong into the Nation’s development.

PolyU is pleased about the additional funding to support the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation of PolyU conducts high-impact research with interdisciplinary expertise. To address the growing demand for healthcare professionals, the University is building a new academic facility in Ho Man Tin and plans to redevelop blocks VA and VS to expand healthcare-related teaching and research facilities.

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