The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Shenzhen University (SZU) spearhead the establishment of the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Rail Transit Joint Innovation Union” (the Union) with 10 other universities and enterprises. The 12 participating parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the ceremony held in Shenzhen on 12 October 2018, signifying the kick-off of the collaborative advancement in the research and development (R&D) of rail engineering. The Union aims to build an integrated rail transit system within “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay” (The Greater Bay) by combining the research strengths of the collaborating parties.
The Union will serve as the joint innovation platform of rail transit in "The Greater Bay" through facilitating collaborations between universities and industries. The Union will seek research and technological breakthroughs to cater to the tremendous needs of safe operations and maintenance of the rail transit in The Greater Bay. The research efforts will focus on smart sensing and health monitoring of rail infrastructure, safety alert mechanism, disaster resilience program, crisis contingency, and recovery plan etc., to promote safe operation and maintenance of rail transit system. The Union will take advantage of the academic resources and strengths of the participating parties to foster talent nurturing in the Greater Bay, and to promote technology transfer as well as industrialisation of the research outcomes within and beyond The Greater Bay
Ir. Professor Alexander Wai, Vice President (Research Development) of PolyU, said, "Leveraging the ‘one country, two systems' and the distinctive feature of internationalisation, Hong Kong has the full advantage to become an international innovation and technology hub. Hong Kong universities play a pivotal role in the development of science and technology, grooming international talents and facilitating innovation and entrepreneurship. PolyU has been actively participating in various national research projects over an extended period, from space missions and high-speed rail in China to the recent research collaborations in The Greater Bay for technological advancement including the establishment of the First Biotechnology and Translational Medicine research platform, Joint Center for Immunotherapy and a Supercomputer Union. We expect the Union will bring out the greater benefits of different institutes and enterprises for expanding the scope of innovation and technological commercialisation.
Professor Li Qing-quan, President of SZU, said that the launch of the Union will provide a strong boost to the developments of The Greater Bay. The Union comprises of universities and research institutions within and beyond The Greater Bay, indicating a strong base for diversified cooperations. He believes the Union will bring about profound outcomes in the R&D of the rail transit system. Mr Du Yan-liang, Academician of China Engineering Academy also remarked that the Union can incorporate the different needs for rail transit development within The Greater Bay and build a network of smart and modern transportation system with its innovative technologies.
The MoU was jointly signed by Ir. Professor Alexander Wai, Vice President (Research Development) of PolyU and Professor Li Qing-quan, President of SZU as representatives from the two leading units, as well as the representatives from the 10 partners including Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou University, Beihang University, Southwest Jiaotong University, University of Macau of China, Imperial College London and University of Birmingham of United Kingdom, China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Limited, China Railway Engineering Consulting Group Corporation Limited and Shenzhen Guangshengang Investment Management Corporation Limited. Mr Ju Ming, Associate Director, Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education and Mr Xing Feng, Deputy Director, Department of Education, Guangdong Province delivered a speech at the signing ceremony which was well-attended by many government officials and industry leaders.
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