University Research Facilities

Established in 2017, the University Research Facility in 3D Printing (U3DP) is another major step taken by the University to enhance and promote the culture and environment in which research can thrive and excel.

The U3DP is:

•  The first and only of its kind among the local higher education institution.
•  Hong Kong's largest scale research centre in 3D Printing, in terms of range and quantity of facilities. 
•  House the very first Makerbot Innovation Centre in the Asia Pacific Region.

The U3DP welcomes PolyU staff, researchers and students to utilize its facilities and expertise to excel their research and academic projects.

Located next to PolyU IC, the U3DP is conveniently supported by IC's technical workshops in various pre/post-process technologies as well as its expertise with 20 years+ solid research support, development and application experience in 3DP.

Click here to access the website of U3DP. 

University Research Facility in Big Data Analytics (UBDA) is the first university-level research facility in Big Data Analytics in Hong Kong for cross-disciplinary research collaborations, teaching, and learning, as well as a partnership with industry.

UBDA provides a dedicated, secure, and scalable 24/7 big data platform for building the analytic solutions. 

UBDA offers several benefits, including:

• GPUs and CPUs accelerated computing platform

• Consultancy platform to formulate the big data related research problems

• Opportunity to have joint labs, projects, and sponsorships

UBDA is a big data platform to store and analyze your data for finding the hidden patterns, exploring unknown correlation, improving prediction, supporting decision making, recommending services, and products and other analytic solutions. 

The main objective of UBDA establishment is to meet the increasing demand for computing resources and expertise in big data analytics. It has significant value in promoting open innovation in all aspects of human, social, and technology development.

UBDA offers an advanced infrastructure including the computing platform, data repository, and data analytics tools, and libraries and provides a platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration among PolyU researchers and external partners to develop, support, service and sustain research into big data analytics. 

Click here to access the website of UBDA.

The University Research Facility in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience (UBSN) is a state-of-the-art think tank and interdisciplinary technological platform supporting the research endeavors of PolyU’s principal investigators and researchers as well as those from other higher education institutions in Hong Kong. It serves as a key training hub for all who are pursuing scientific enquiry in neuroscience and related disciplines.

All UBSN investigators are committed to

• Tackling important questions for the benefit of mankind;
• conduct high-quality research programs;
• obtain prestigious competitive research grants;
• nurture and inspire talents in students and beginner researchers.

Click here to access the website of UBSN.

The University Research Facility in Chemical and Environmental Analysis (UCEA) was established on December 2015. UCEA is one of the Research Oriented Units at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Being an interdisciplinary platform between chemical and environmental research, UCEA acquired a total of 18 major equipment located in 9 different laboratories.

Ranging from high resolution mass spectrometer, solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer to third generation DNA sequencer, a total of HKD 65,000,000 initial budget is allocated for establishing the facility. All equipment can be reserved via online booking system with charges applied. The collection of cutting edge equipment encourages the research atmosphere and nurture collaboration from experts in different background. UCEA occupied a total of 474 square meters laboratories located at different phase of PolyU campus. The highly specialized laboratories ensure the equipment operate at the highest standard for the best results.

Click here to access the website of UCEA.

The University Research Facility in Life Sciences (ULS) was established in 2015. Being one of the University Research Facilities (URFs) at PolyU, the ULS aims at providing access to advanced instruments required for the research work in life sciences, encouraging multidisciplinary research and innovations, maintaining core facilities, and training research staff and students.

The multidisciplinary research instruments in ULS can be divided into the following sections:

• Mass Spectrometry
• Cryo-Electron Microscopy
• Fluorescence Microscopy
• Cell and Molecular Biology
• Genomic Science
  
• Preclinical Animal Research
  
• Biochemical Analysis
  
• General Research
  
• Offline Analysis

Click here to access the website of ULS.

University Research Facility in Materials Characterization and Device Fabrication (UMF) was established on 1-December 2014. According to the University’s strategic plan, UMF is one of the University Research Facilities to provide a gateway to world-class research at PolyU.

PolyU is uniquely positioned to apply its materials research to critical challenges of the future with UMF aiming to provide leadership in the materials community and be a catalyst for multidisciplinary education and innovations, through coordination of materials-related activities, maintaining core and shared facilities, training students, and fostering collegial exchanges of expertise.

UMF consists of four laboratories

• Materials Research Centre
• Centre Electron Microscopy
• Cleanroom
• Micro-/Nano-devices Fabrication & Sensing Technologies

Click here to access the website of UMF.