Establishment of Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Yunji Technology Hotel Digital Intelligence Joint Innovation Lab

On 13 October 2024, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Yunji Technology (Also named SkyTread Technology Co., Limited) signed a collaborative research agreement to establish the “Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Yunji Technology Hotel Digital Intelligence Joint Innovation Lab”. The joint lab will be managed and led by Professor Haiyan SONG, Director of Research Centre for Digital Transformation of Tourism (RCDTT), and Ms Tao ZHI, CEO and Founder of Yunji Technology.

The signing ceremony took place successfully at PolyU's School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) during the IMPACT2024 Conference. Two agreements were signed on 13 October. The first one is the collaborative research agreement with Yunji Technology, and the second one is the MoU with Trip.com. The ceremony started with an opening speech by Professor Kwok-yin WONG, Vice President (Education), PolyU. Professor WONG remarked that “We are not just signing agreements, we are building partnerships between PolyU and different industry partners, highlighting our shared commitment to advancing knowledge and innovation.”

The agreement with Yunji Technology is signed by Professor Haiyan SONG and Mr. Yunpeng XIE, Vice President of Yunji Technology Co., Ltd. It was witnessed by Professor Kwok-yin WONG, Vice President (Education), PolyU; Mr. Steve HOOD, Chair of RCDTT International Advisory Committee & Senior Vice President of Research for STR; Professor Kaye CHON, Dean and Chair Professor, SHTM, PolyU; Ms. Tao ZHI, CEO and Founder of Yunji Technology, Prof. Zhaohong BIE, Executive Vice President, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Mr. Xingguo ZHANG, Chairman of the Digital Special Committee of China Hotel Association; Dr. Wu SUN, VP of Hyatt China and CEO of UrCove by HYATT.

The following guests were also invited to the ceremony, Mr. Duncan CHIU, Member of the Legislative Council for the Technology and Innovation functional constituency; Dr. Ming GE, Commissioner for Industry (Innovation and Technology), Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau; Mr. Patrick LAU, Deputy Executive Director of Hong Kong Trade Development Council; Mr. Zhiming LIU, Former First Class Inspector of the Department of International Cooperation (Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs), Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST); Mr. Yonghai DU, General Manager, Green Living and Innovation Division of Hong Kong Productivity Council; Mr. Kai ZHANG, Deputy General Manager, Zhongguancun Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Innovation Center; Ms Yan-jia LIU, General manager of Strategic investment Center at Midea Real Estate Group Co., Ltd; Mr. Bowen SUN, Executive Secretary of Trip.com Group Institute, General Manager of Inbound Tourism of Trip.com Group ; Professor Mimi LI, Associate Director of Research Centre for Digital Transformation of Tourism (RCDTT), Dr. Dan WANG, Associate Director of Research Centre for Digital Transformation of Tourism (RCDTT), etc.

A discussion session was held after the ceremony. Ms. Tao ZHI, Mr. Xingguo ZHANG, and Dr. Wu SUN shared their views on digital transformation of the hospitality industry. Guests had the opportunity to share their insights on the latest trends and challenges in the hospitality and technology sectors, while also networking with fellow professionals and experts in the field.

A meeting between the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, and Yunji Technology were then held, to explore the possibility of collaboration between PolyU, Xi'an Jiaotong University, and Yunji Technology. In this meeting, Professor BIE remarked that, "Yunji Technology is an ambitious and passionate company founded by outstanding alumni from Xi'an Jiaotong University. The university continues to support its alumni's career growth. This collaboration with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University exemplifies the strength of 'strong alliances' and will accelerate the implementation of research outcomes from Xi'an Jiaotong University's Research Institute in Hong Kong. We hope to collaborate in the future to create a promising future for AI and embodied intelligence through partnerships in industry, academia, and research."

RCDTT is excited about the research output from the lab and look forward to future collaborations amongst our collaborative partners.