News

RiFood showcases at 2024 Shenzhen Fisheries Expo

The Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood) participated in the “2024 Shenzhen Fisheries Expo” held at Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center from 17 to 19 May. At the Expo, RiFood showcased a seafood product “Sakura wood smoked Pampano”, which is a pre-made fish product deliverable from a collaborative initiative by RiFood, the Hong Kong Fishermen’s Association, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the HKSAR, and the Fish Marketing Organisation. Funded by the Sustainable Fisheries Development Fund, the initiative aims to provide theoretical and practical training courses on mariculture technologies for those who are interested in mariculture in Hong Kong. In the training, students conducted projects on mariculture modernisation and sustainable development at the modern seafood farming demonstration farm in Tung Lung Chau. The Pampano product showcased at the Expo is made from the fish reared by the course participants. RiFood is now actively preparing for more cross-sectoral projects involving collaborations between local fisheries, agriculture, government, industry, academia and research institutes to develop quality pre-made fish products and snack products, with the aims to expand mid-to-high market sales, encourage the local fisheries to participate in fish culture, and lead the industry to achieve sustainable development.   Online coverage: Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/3QQIH4V (Chinese only) Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3K8ltDC (Chinese only)

PolyU study reveals effectiveness of GBGI infrastructure in mitigating urban heat

Prof. GUO Hai, Management Committee Member of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS), Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, together with global researchers, have conducted a first-of-its-kind study on the effectiveness of green-blue-grey infrastructure (GBGI) in cooling urban heat across various regions. The study findings have been published in the international interdisciplinary journal The Innovation. The study revealed regional and city-specific variations in the effectiveness of GBGI for mitigating urban heat. In Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, the overall cooling effect of GBGI is up to 18.9°C, 17.7°C, 12°C and 9.63°C respectively. In addition, the implementation of green and blue infrastructures has proven to be highly effective in lowering air temperatures globally. While green infrastructures can regulate urban heat through evaporation, transpiration, shading and thermal insulation, blue infrastructures absorb heat and cool the surrounding area through evaporation. The study also showed notable effects of various GBGI features in mitigating urban heat in Mainland China cities. The most effective means include botanical gardens, wetlands, green walls and attenuation ponds which exhibited temperature reductions of up to 10°C, 9.27°C, 8°C and 7°C respectively. Although the cooling effect ranges are generally similar in the north and south of China, there is variability within the same region. For example, in Beijing, botanical garden could result in up to 10°C temperature decrease while that in Shaanxi province only contributed to 2.7°C. In Hong Kong, parks, green roofs and golf courses were found to play substantial roles in cooling urban heat, resulting in temperature reductions of 4.9°C, 4.9°C and 4.2°C respectively. Press release: https://polyu.hk/BqOJh Read the full paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666675824000262?via%3Dihub Online coverage: Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/4bbXhvP Sing Tao Headline - https://polyu.me/4bYufjt Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/3K1bUGq Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/3UIActC Xinhua Finance Agency - https://polyu.me/3K719Cg Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/44HGhex Associated Press - https://polyu.me/3UHAC3v ETNet - https://polyu.me/3V3LgTw Macau Business - https://polyu.me/3UJ5CA7 Taiwan Business News - https://polyu.me/3V1UkZ5 Global News - https://polyu.me/4bIX8zF GBA Biz Tech Magazine - https://polyu.me/3V6Aj3O HXCJ - https://polyu.me/4biIXSo Cntechw.com - https://polyu.me/44J3mxq Scienmag - https://polyu.me/4bQn7p4 Science Daily - https://polyu.me/4avRaRS

RILS delegation visit to Shanghai and Tianjin

From 11 to 13 May 2024, a delegation of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS), led by Prof. YIN Jian-Hua, RILS Management Committee Member and Dr Gavin TOH, Chairman of the Geotechnical Division of The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE-GD), had a technical visit to Shanghai and Tianjin. The three-day visit was aimed to facilitate the exploration and development of potential technologies for sustainable land reclamation and development in Hong Kong, through learning from projects involving the utilisation of dredged materials for land reclamation in the cities. The group visited the Yangshan Deep Water Port and the test site of the National Engineering Research Center of Dredging (NERCD) in Shanghai, as well as the Nangang Industrial Zone and the Dongjiang Port Area in Tianjin. The visit was jointly organised by PolyU and HKIE-GD, and was hosted by the NERCD and China Communications Construction Company Limited’s (CCCC) Marine Construction and Development Co., Ltd.

Prof. WU Bo shares on deep space explorations research and I&T development with media

Prof. WU Bo, Associate Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), in an exclusive interview with GD Today, shared on the research works by his team and Hong Kong’s innovation and technology (I&T) development. Prof. Wu and his team are currently working on the topographic mapping for Chang’e-7 and Tianwen-2 missions, using remote sensing data to build topographic maps of the Moon and Mars, and using topographic analysis techniques to evaluate and select possible landing sites that are safe and scientifically valuable. In the interview, he mentioned that since the team does not have any readily available information and data, this has brought great difficulties to the team’s mapping and remote sensing analysis works for the Tianwen-2 mission. The team has built a test site inside the laboratory, hoping to simulate the actual environments for analysis, and to enable improvements and enhancements in surveying, mapping and remote sensing so that these methods can be used for the effective measurement and analysis of irregular stellar objects, as well as the selection of possible landings sites for analysis and tracking in the future. He also mentioned that the team has made use of artificial intelligence technology to process satellite images, which has greatly improved research efficiency and reliability. Prof. Wu also pointed that given the increasing emphasis on innovation and technology in Hong Kong, as well as closer exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong and other cities in Mainland China, Hong Kong researchers should actively seize the research opportunities ahead of them, bringing impetus to the development of Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and the Nation. Online coverage: Nanfang Daily - https://polyu.me/3QGEJf7 Southcn.com - https://polyu.me/3UVUOzK HK Today - https://polyu.me/44zaj41 East Money - https://polyu.me/3JVxhsx

Urban sustainable development experts to deliver seminar on digital modelling and intelligent control

PAIR cordially invites you to join our seminar on 22 May 2024 (Wednesday) at 9:00am–10:30am (Hong Kong time) on PolyU campus. The seminar titled “Urban Environmental Systems Engineering for Sustainable Development: Digital Modelling and Intelligent Control” will be delivered by Prof. CAO Shi-Jie, Chief Professor of Southeast University, China and Director for Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Urban Heat and Pollution Control, China. Global economic and social sectors have entered into a new era characterised by the pursuit of high-quality, eco-friendly and low-carbon development. Despite this positive trend, persistent challenges continue to hinder the effective management of urban environmental pollution. Amidst various environmental stressors such as global climate change, energy crisis, resource depletion and ecological degradation, urban areas are experiencing a notable surge in both the quantity and diversity of pollutants, exacerbated by their invisible nature. Addressing these intricate environmental issues requires the development of multidisciplinary and systematic approaches to modelling and intelligently controlling urban pollution. The seminar will describe advance theories in environmental digital modelling and their practical applications, covering scientific monitoring, fast prediction, collaborative evaluation, intelligent planning, pollution abatement and control strategies. The advancements in urban environmental modelling and intelligent control have the potential to provide a scientific foundation for sustainable urban development, thus contributing to global efforts to create a greener and more resilient urban landscapes. Prof. Cao is a Full Professor and the Director of Center for Sustainable Built Environment (CSBE) at School of Architecture, Southeast University; the Founding Director for Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Urban Heat and Pollution Control; a Visiting Professor of Institute of Sustainability, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey, UK; a Visiting Professor of Osaka Prefecture University, Japan. He firstly initiates the multi-disciplinary direction of Sustainable Built Environment System in China (National Natural Science Foundation of China, NSFC) and was awarded the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars in the area. He serves as Deputy Editor for Indoor and Built Environment, Associate Editor of Sustainable Cities and Society (Special Issue), Journal of Cleaner Production, Editorial Board members for 10 international journals. He is now the President of International Society of Built Environment (ISBE), Committee Members of Chinese Society for Urban Agglomeration, Environmental Science, Carbon Neutrality, etc. He has published more than 100 SCI papers (H index: 35; H10 index: 74); 10 papers have been awarded as ESI articles; the Best Paper Award of Energy and Buildings in 2021; awarded as World’s Top 2% Scientists in from 2020 and 2023 in the area of built environment design. Due to his leadership and contribution of industry application for sustainable built environment design and control, he won the First Prize of China Award for Science and Technology in Construction in 2021 (Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in China). He has been always interested and active in international academic collaborations, such as Harvard (Health Initiatives), Concordia (Sustainable Cities), Surrey (GCRF for CArE-Cities and Homes), Tampere (TFK for ARCH4FUTURE) etc. He edited “Handbook of Ventilation Design in Built Environment” invited by IET publisher in UK. He has been served as committee member and given speech for national and international conferences more than 50 times. He serves as reviewers for more than 100 international journals and assessor/panel members for International Funding Agencies, such as NSFC, RGC (Hongkong), UKRI, EPSRC, Polish National Science Center (NSC) etc. Don’t miss the chance to learn from Prof. Cao! Fine out more and register at: https://polyu.hk/SrmYU

“Father of Asian EV” delivers distinguished lecture on energy revolution and automotive revolution

Ir Prof. CHAN Ching-chuen, SBS, Distinguished Chair Professor of Electric Vehicles and Smart Energy and Director of the Research Centre for Electric Vehicles of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) delivered the 20th PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “New Journey of Energy Revolution and Automotive Revolution” on 6 May 2024. The lecture attracted more than 100 participants to join in person and captivated an online viewing audience of over 11,500 from different countries and regions to watch the live broadcast on multiple social media platforms, including Bilibili, WeChat, Weibo, YouTube, etc. The lecture commenced with a warm welcome by Prof. CHEN Qingyan, Director of PAIR, followed by a brief speaker introduction by Prof. TENG Jin-Guang, PolyU President.  In the presentation, Prof. Chan began by cultivating a science spirit and understanding of engineering philosophy, the contribution of scientific discovery, technological revolution and industry revolution to human civilisation. Then, he discussed the key issues and challenges of the energy and automotive revolutions. He believes the automotive revolution is progressing from electrification to intelligent and internet-connected. Electric vehicles will interlink mobility, energy, and information. The friendly interaction between the vehicles and power grids, as well as the integration of people, vehicles, roads and clouds are essential. After this, Prof. Chan discussed the key technologies of electric vehicle power train, batteries and the Internet of Vehicles.  He also highlighted the importance of integrating energy, information, transportation and humanity together.  In conclusion, the ultimate goal of the energy and automotive revolutions is the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Following the presentation was a lively and insightful question-and-answer session moderated by Prof. CHAU Kwok-tong, Chair Professor of Electrical Energy Engineering of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. The audience had a fruitful discussion with Prof. Chan. A souvenir was presented by Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation), to thank Prof. Chan for his excellent presentation and support to PAIR. Please click here for an online review.  

Prof. Amy FU expounded upon the causes and symptoms of knee pain in the elderly

Prof. Amy FU, Peter Hung Professor in Pain Management, Associate Head and Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Associate Director of the Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports), wrote an article in Ming Pao to elaborate on the causes and symptoms of knee pain in the elderly, as well as related knee care solutions. PolyU research has shown that muscle tension and lack of strength in the foreleg are the causes of early knee degeneration. As our muscle mass, strength and flexibility decrease with age, the ability of our knees to absorb shock reduces, causing overload in the knees. In addition, many elderly people do not swing their arms and have their upper bodies swinging from side to side like a pendulum when they are walking. This not only causes difficulty in walking, but also increases the load on the knees. Therefore, the muscles of the hips, thighs, calves, and lower back all need to have good strength, flexibility, softness, and coordination to reduce the load on the knees. Prof. Fu mentioned that excessive load on the knees during walking is the main cause of pain. Therefore, the lower limbs must maintain balance so that the knees are gradually bent to reduce the load on knees when walking. In addition, we should move our legs and swing the opposite arms forward when walking, and this can save walking energy if the whole body is coordinated. She also pointed out that muscle mass reduces with age, with 8% loss of muscle mass every 10 years after the age of 40 and 15% loss of muscle mass every 10 years after the age of 70. Therefore, starting exercises early to strengthen our knees and doing exercises consistently can help reduce muscle loss effectively and maintain strong and flexible muscles, thus improving knee health and reducing the risk of falls. Online coverage: Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/4b0JkRe; https://polyu.me/4b5D4Yt (Chinese only)

Prof. YUNG Kai-leung invited to witness launch of Chang’e 6 lunar probe in Hainan

Prof. YUNG Kai-leung, Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Exploration (RCDSE) attended the Symposium on Chang’e-6 Mission for International Payloads in Wenchang, Hainan on 3 May and were invited to witness the launch of the Chang’e-6 lunar probe. The probe is equipped with the “Surface Sampling and Packing System” developed by Prof. Yung’s team in collaboration with China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), which will be used to collect and package lunar regolith samples. Prof. Yung said that Chang’e 6’s mission to retrieve samples from the far side of the Moon is of great significance, and this is much more difficult and challenging than retrieving so on the front side of the Moon. The mission requires support from Queqiao-2 relay satellite due to poor communication on the far side of the Moon, and requires enhanced samplers for rapid sampling since the sampling time is shorter than that in Chang’e 5 mission. He said that the “Surface Sampling and Packing System” included the two samplers, two accompanying high temperature nearfield cameras and a primary sealing and packaging system that consisted of a sample container and its sealing mechanism. If they can successfully assist the Nation in obtaining soil from the far side of the Moon and bringing it back to Earth, this may contribute to the study of the Moon, the formation of the Universe, as well as the impact of solar wind on the Moon. Online coverage: TVB - https://polyu.me/3wkCQgW (01:09 - 02:00) Now TV - https://polyu.me/3y44r6D CRHK - https://polyu.me/4doRIM0 Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/44u2Jrj Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/3ycq30x (subscription required) Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/3JKwSZR Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/3QuNjgW Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/4a9mUvQ; https://polyu.me/3QuuHxu; https://polyu.me/3y5WkGR; https://polyu.me/4boJP7o Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3Ur0twz; https://polyu.me/3Uuv8Jl Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/3yfGidh (05:44 - 10:07) Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/4bnKwOk; https://polyu.me/3QvAd2P Chinese Press - https://polyu.me/3JMZ52s Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/4dnNDI3 Jornal Va Kio - https://polyu.me/4dnu6aD

Two PAIR members win PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award 2024

Congratulations to the following two young talents at PAIR for winning the PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award (YIRA) 2024! YIRA aims to honour young PolyU researchers under the age of 35 who have demonstrated novelty, contributed to technological advancement, and propelled transformative innovations to address societal problems. Each awardee will receive a research funding support of HK$500,000 and a personal cash prize of HK$20,000.   Awardee PAIR Research Unit Title and Department Research Focus Dr HUANG Dongmei Photonics Research Institute (PRI) Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering High performance swept laser and its applications Dr LI Tian Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood) and Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) Assistant Professor, Department of Health Technology and Informatics   Contrast-Adaptive Real-Time (CART) 4D-MRI Technique via Cascaded Deep Learning for Abdominal Tumour Tracking in MRI-guided Radiotherapy

Dr Kevin KWOK shares views with SCMP on the development of Hong Kong agriculture and fisheries industries

Dr Kevin KWOK Wing-hin, Associate Director of the Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood), Associate Head and Associate Professor of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, was featured in South China Morning Post, sharing his views on the development of agriculture and fisheries industries in Hong Kong. Dr Kwok shared that RiFood researchers have been thinking of new ways to innovate and coming up with solutions for food sustainability and nutrition. RiFood is working with a hydroponics farm to experiment with adding calcium into vegetables to solve the issue of calcium deficiency among Hong Kong people. He believed that health-conscious consumers do not mind paying more for better nutritional value of food. On the other hand, Dr Kwok said that more young people are starting to see agriculture as a viable career option, and they are more open to apply high-tech farming methods to raise productivity and reduce manpower.  Online coverage: SCMP - https://tinyurl.com/5edy4cp5