FCE Translational Research Forum on Sustainable Urban Development in the Greater Bay Area

To capture the unprecedented opportunities that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area initiative of the Chinese government is bringing to the region, the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) successfully held a Translational Research Forum on Sustainable Urban Development in the Greater Bay Area on 26 and 27 April 2019. About 540 people attended the forum at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, including more than 35 government officials, over 130 industry professionals, and around 120 participants from mainland China. Providing a timely platform for the participants to identify and discuss challenging issues in the development of the Greater Bay Area, the forum also showcased the latest research in sustainable urban development, especially in construction, energy, environment, urban informatics, and urban hazard mitigation, with the objective of promoting win-win collaborations across different sectors.

Prof. Xiao-Li Ding and Prof. You-Lin Xu, Chairmen of the Forum Organizing and Advisory Committees, attributed the success of the forum to the concerted efforts of many people and the supporting organizations. They would like to thank the officiating guests of honour, namely, Dr Tai-fai Lam, Council Chairman of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Prof. Philip Chan, Interim President of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Mr Jianxiang Jiang, Deputy Director General of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs in the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; as well as Mr Ka-kui Chan, Chairman of the Construction Industry Council. “Many thanks go to our presenters, especially the keynote speakers who came to share their work, experience and insight at the forum,” said Prof. Xu, Dean of FCE.

In addition to keynote speeches from 3 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Prof. Chenghu Zhou of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Prof. Anthony Yeh of the University of Hong Kong, and Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, PolyU President Designate, there were speeches from 3 fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering, namely Prof. David Nethercot, Emeritus Professor of Imperial College London, who shared his insights on translation as a fundamental component of research, Prof. Roger Falconer, Emeritus Professor of Cardiff University in the UK, who talked about flood modelling and hazard risks for extreme events in urban environments, as well as Prof. Richard Jardine of Imperial College London, who highlighted the industrial, social and environmental benefits generated from research on offshore foundations with the engagement of industry.

Among the other keynote speakers were Ir Sai-Hung Lam, JP, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) of the Hong Kong Government, who enthused about the opportunities for the local construction industry in the Greater Bay Area, and Mr Quanke Su, Chief Engineer of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority, who shed light on the practices and prospects of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge construction project. The forum also included 3 parallel sessions exploring major themes such as environment, atmosphere & energy; smart city and mobility; and smart construction. 17 academics of FCE made presentations in one of these sessions.

Among the other keynote speakers were Ir Sai-Hung Lam, JP, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) of the Hong Kong Government, who enthused about the opportunities for the local construction industry in the Greater Bay Area, and Mr Quanke Su, Chief Engineer of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority, who shed light on the practices and prospects of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge construction project. The forum also included 3 parallel sessions exploring major themes such as environment, atmosphere & energy; smart city and mobility; and smart construction. 17 academics of FCE made presentations in one of these sessions.

Financially supported by the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund, the forum had the staunch support of various professional organizations as well as local and mainland universities.