RILS scholars clinch "Research Team of the Year" in 2022 RICS Awards Hong Kong

The research team led by Prof. Geoffrey SHEN Qiping, Member of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS), Associate Vice President (Global Partnerships), Director of Global Engagement, and Chair Professor of Construction Management in the Department of Building and Real Estate, won the “Research Team of the Year” award in the 2022 Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Hong Kong Awards

Since 2019, the research team has been working closely with the Qianhai Authority to enhance collaboration between the construction sectors in Shenzhen and Hong Kong and to put forward solutions to problems encountered by the construction industry of the two places in the cross-border cooperation in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The team successfully drafted two sets of measures: “Administrative Measures for the Registration of Hong Kong Construction Organisations in the Qianhai Shenzhen—Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone” and “Administrative Measures for the Registration of Hong Kong Construction Professionals in the Qianhai Shenzhen—Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone”. These two measures have been adopted by the Qianhai Authority for enforcement.

The implementation of the two measures helps break down the barriers to qualification recognition in the construction sector of Shenzhen and Hong Kong. As of 18 November 2022, 409 Hong Kong-based professionals and 45 Hong Kong-based organisations completed their filings in the Qianhai Cooperation Zone. In 2021, the administrative measures were listed by the National Development and Reform Commission as one of the 47 innovative measures and practices and will be rolled out nationwide.

The contribution of the research team in promoting collaboration in the construction industry in the GBA has been highly recognised by the Society. The prestigious award not only represents the team’s outstanding achievements in the built environment, but also motivates the team to continue contributing to the infrastructural development in the GBA.