PolyU teams won a record 31 awards at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva for impactful innovations developed by the PolyU community. The prizes reflect the success of the University’s PolyImpact initiative, which seeks to harness its research and knowledge transfer excellence to develop innovations and inventions with real-world impact for the benefit of society.

Awards bestowed on PolyU teams included three Grand Prizes and Special Prizes, five Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury, 12 Gold Medals, five Silver Medals and six Bronze Medals. Prize winning inventions ranged from a spectacle lens to control myopia, to a drug to treat obesity and insulin resistance, to a camera that was used in China’s Mars mission. This year’s awards were not only the most ever received by PolyU teams at the prestigious event, but the University also took home the highest number of Grand and Special Prizes among Hong Kong delegations. Congratulations to all our award winners.

Prize of the State of Geneva & Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury

Novel high efficacy nano multi-ring defocus incorporated spectacle lens for myopia control

The high efficacy myopia control spectacle lens won the Prize of the State of Geneva and a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury.

Principal Investigators:

Professor Benny Cheung Chi-fai (third from left)

Chair Professor of Ultra-precision Machining and Metrology, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering;

Director of State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

Professor To Chi-ho

Visiting Chair Professor of Experimental Optometry, School of Optometry;

Co-founder, Vision Science & Technology Co Ltd (a PolyU academic-led start-up)

Mr Jackson Leung Tze-man (second from left)

Co-founder, Vision Science & Technology Co Ltd (a PolyU academic-led start-up)

Learn more about this novel innovation 

The International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) Best Invention Award & Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury

ABarginase: first-in-class drug for the treatment of multiple obesity-related metabolic diseases

The long-acting anti-obesity and insulin-sensitising drug won the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) Best Invention Award and a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury.

Principal Investigators:

Professor Thomas Leung Yun-chung (first from left)

Lo Ka Chung Charitable Foundation Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences;

Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology 

Professor Alisa Shum Sau-wun (second from right)

Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine,

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

ABarginase was engineered using an advanced fusion protein strategy that enables an inexpensive and highly efficient fabrication process, making it affordable and widely adoptable for clinical applications.

ABarginase is the world's first therapy that uses arginine starvation to safely and effectively treat multiple metabolic diseases related to obesity and insulin resistance, including prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The drug’s long circulating half-life and strong enzymatic activity starves the semi-essential amino acid arginine by maintaining it in circulation at low levels. The therapy is based on the research team’s breakthrough discovery that arginine starvation suppresses fat synthesis, promotes fat breakdown and sensitises cells to insulin.

Prize of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca Romania & Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury

Mars landing surveillance camera for Tianwen-1 Mars soft landing mission

The lightweight surveillance camera for the Tianwen-1 Mars mission won the Prize of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca Romania and a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury.

Principal Investigator:

Professor Yung Kai-leung (centre)

Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering;

Director of Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations;

Chair Professor of Precision Engineering and Associate Head, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

The camera, which can withstand a wide temperature range and 6,200g of shock, has low distortion and an ultrawide 170-degree diagonal field of view, making it suitable for use in the harsh environment of Mars.

Tianwen-1 was the Nation’s first mission to Mars. The Mars landing surveillance camera was onboard the Tianwen-1 lander in 2021 and monitored the landing status and the deployment of the Mars rover. The camera is designed for the harsh Martian environment. It can withstand a wide temperature range, and is shock resistant up to 6,200g, that is, 6,200 times the force of Earth’s gravity. It also has low distortion, and an ultra-wide 170-degree diagonal field of view. Weighing only 390g, the camera has a flexible shock metallic radiation protection. The key technology developed for the camera has been transferred to products for use on Earth, including surgery robotics and robotic devices for the in-line inspection of water mains.

Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury

AI-assisted design of functional clothing for scoliosis treatment

The AI-assisted design of functional clothing for scoliosis treatment won a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury.

Principal Investigator:

Dr Joanne Yip Yiu-wan

Associate Professor and Associate Dean, School of Fashion and Textiles;

Founder, Active Biotechnology (Hong Kong) Company Limited (a PolyU academic-led start-up)

The new approach offers a promising solution for improving the treatment of scoliosis and enhancing the quality of life for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients.

This innovation harnesses artificial intelligence to create tailor-made functional clothing to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The approach significantly improves scoliosis treatment and the quality of life for patients with AIS. Patient data is used to train a decision tree and three neural networks to prescribe and configure the brace, which is then customised by professionals. The design is optimised through adding padding, modifying the tightness of elastic straps and using configurable 3D structures to enhance functionality, increase comfort, and reduce the curvature of the spine in the wearer. It offers a superior alternative to the heavy and uncomfortable traditional braces prescribed by orthotists.

Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury

MicroGlue: microbial-derived technology to remove microplastic pollutants

The MicroGlue: microbial-derived technology to remove microplastic pollutants won a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury.

Principal Investigators:

Dr Chua Song-lin (left)

Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology

Dr Liu Yang (right)

GBA Startup Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology

MicroGlue supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals targeting Life Below Water, and Clean Water and Sanitation. By reducing the release of microplastics into the environment, it helps limit the harmful effects of microplastics on humans and ecosystems.

This microbial biotechnology offers a safe, low-cost and efficient way to remove microplastics from water, using biodegradable microbial-derived polymers to aggregate microplastic contaminants into clumps that can then be easily separated and removed from the environment. The technology can be integrated into the final purification stage of wastewater treatment or used as a standalone solution for polluted sea water or fresh water. It is scalable, simple to install into existing processes, and has low operating costs, making it a convenient way to retrieve microplastics for resource recovery and plastic recycling, and mitigate the harmful effects of microplastics on humans and ecosystems.

Gold Medal

A novel wireless self-adaptive hydropower harvesting system for applications in urban water supply pipelines

Principal Investigator:

Professor Yang Hongxing (second from left)

Professor, Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering

The self-adaptive hydropower harvesting system addresses the challenge created by the limited capacity and service life of chemical batteries used in the Water Intelligent Network (WIN) through generating electric power from water pipelines to supply the WIN, while limiting water head loss.

Gold Medal

Advanced real-time prediction and early warning system for the spread of emerging pathogens

Principal Investigator:

Professor John Shi Wenzhong

Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Professor in Urban Informatics;

Chair Professor of GISci and Remote Sensing, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics;

Director of PolyU-Shenzhen Technology and Innovation Research Institute (Futian);

Director of Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute;

Co-founder, Smart Space Technologies Limited (a PolyU academic-led start-up)

The platform uses novel patented spatiotemporal epidemic prediction models, automatic data collection/prediction engines to make real-time predictions about the spread of emerging pathogens with high accuracy and fine spatial resolution. Since 2020, it has successfully tracked different SARS-CoV-2 variants and supported COVID-19 control measures around the world.

Gold Medal

A sport-specific soft manikin system for sports bra design

Principal Investigator:

Dr Yick Kit-lun (left)

Associate Professor, School of Fashion and Textiles

The soft manikin system offers scientific guidelines and a complete solution for designing effective sports bras, using simulated breast tissue and running motions to measure the performance and pressure of sports bras in a scientific, objective, and reliable way.

Gold Medal

Revolutionary mussel-inspired polyester for next generation sportswear and functional clothing

Principal Investigator:

Professor John Xin Haozhong (second from left)

Lee Family Professor in Fashion and Textiles;

Chair Professor of Textile Chemistry, School of Fashion and Textiles

The invention makes polyester clothing more comfortable and gives it anti-bacterial properties by adding a special polymer that forms a strong long-lasting bond with the polyester. It was inspired by the way marine mussels stick to rocks.

Gold Medal

Safe and eco-friendly antimicrobial materials with high efficiency

Principal Investigators:

Professor Tao Xiaoming (second from left)

Vincent and Lily Woo Professor in Textiles Technology;

Chair Professor of Textile Technology, School of Fashion and Textiles;

Director of Research Centre for Smart Wearable Technology

Dr Zhang Ziheng (second from right)

Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Fashion and Textiles;

CEO, Ecolar Technology Limited (a PolyU academic-led start-up)

The innovation involves using novel proprietary technologies to create highlyefficient, eco-friendly antimicrobial polyhydroxyalkanoate oligomers (PHAOs). The PHAO materials are ideal for medical applications, as they are fully biodegradable, transparent, non-toxic and non-allergic. With wide-spectrum antimicrobial properties, they can eliminate more than 99.99% of S. Aureus, K. pneumoniae, C. albicans, Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, as well as COVID-19, H1N1 and H3N2 viruses.

Gold Medal

Advanced intelligent system for radiation-free scoliosis and posture evaluation

Principal Investigators:

Mr Jackal Xu Zhenda (left)

PhD student, Department of Computing;

Founder, Zero Dynamic Medical Technology Company Limited (a PolyU academic-led start-up)

Professor Guo Song

Professor, Department of Computing;

Chief Scientist, Zero Dynamic Medical Technology Company Limited (a PolyU academic-led start-up)

The innovative edge intelligence system provides a radiation-free, non-contact and cost-effective way to screen, diagnose, monitor, and provide real-time treatment feedback for common spinal deformities in teenagers

Gold Medal

Novel AI automated histological system for carcinoma detection

Principal Investigator:

Dr Martin Yeung Ho-yin (right)

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Health Technology and Informatics;

Co-founder, Anatomic Technologies Limited (a PolyU academic-led start-up)

The cost and time-effective AI solution enables more efficient and accurate cancer diagnosis by predicting and prioritising carcinoma cases for histopathological analysis without requiring pixel-levels.

Gold Medal

A portable non-invasive and ultrasensitive saliva glucose sensor

Principal Investigator:

Professor Yan Feng (second from left)

Chair Professor of Organic Electronics, Department of Applied Physics;

Associate Director of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems

This new type of ultra-sensitive glucose sensor is portable, cost-effective, and non-invasive. Based on a flexible organic electrochemical transistor, it detects real-time saliva glucose levels using a portable meter and a smartphone, making it possible to calculate corresponding blood glucose levels. 

Gold Medal

Gold-LAMP: A portable ultrafast nucleic acid testing system

Principal Investigators:

Professor Yip Shea-ping (second from right)

Chair Professor and Head, Department of Health Technology and Informatics;

Co-founder, Pocnat Limited (a PolyU academic-led start-up)

Dr Thomas Lee Ming-hung (second from left)

Associate Professor and Associate Head (Academic), Department of Biomedical Engineering;

Co-founder, Pocnat Limited (a PolyU academic-led start-up)

Gold nanoparticle-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (Gold-LAMP) technology offers a portable, fast, low cost, and highly accurate nucleic acid testing method that is convenient and efficient, especially in on-site and decentralised settings. Clinical validation conducted for on-site COVID-19 testing in a hospital's accident and emergency department achieved 98.4% sensitivity and 100% specificity with a total assay time of 25 to 45 minutes.

Gold Medal

High-throughput microfluidic platform for CTCs detection in cancer precision diagnostics

Principal Investigator:

Professor Yang Mo (left)

Professor and Associate Head (Research), Department of Biomedical Engineering

Detecting tumours early through analysing circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in the bloodstream is difficult due to the small proportion of these cells in the blood. The portable and non-invasive nanosensor-integrated digital microfluidic flow cytometry (Nano-DMFC) platform addresses this challenge by isolating CTCs from clinical samples within ten minutes, offering a CTC purity of greater than 95%.

Gold Medal

Long-lasting self-disinfecting materials technology

Principal Investigators:

Dr Chris Lo Kwan-yu (left)

Associate Professor, School of Fashion and Textiles;

Co-founder, Immune Materials Limited (a PolyU academic-led start-up)

Professor Kan Chi-wai (right)

Professor, School of Fashion and Textiles;

Co-founder, Immune Materials Limited (a PolyU academic-led start-up)

The world's first antiviral 3D printing technology developed by Immune Materials Limited is used to create products that can eliminate 70% of the pathogens on their surface within two minutes and 99.2% within 20 minutes. It is highly effective in preventing the spread of pathogens, e.g. E. coli and human coronavirus.

Gold Medal

Durable, high-selectivity and energy efficient CO₂ electroreduction system

Principal Investigator:

Professor Daniel Lau Shu-ping (left)

Chair Professor of Nanomaterials and Head, Department of Applied Physics;

Director of University Research Facility in Materials Characterization and Device Fabrication;

Associate Director of Photonics Research Institute

This durable, energy-efficient CO₂ electroreduction system offers a promising solution for reducing CO₂ emissions. It comprises a sandwich-structured membrane-electrodeassembly with a combined anion- and proton-exchange membrane separating the cathode and anode. The system converts CO₂ to C₂H₄ with a high selectivity of up to 50% Faradaic efficiency and remains stable for more than 1,000 hours.

Driving positive change

These innovations by the PolyU community embody the University’s motto: “To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind.” As society faces an array of complex challenges, PolyU will continue to focus on nurturing future-ready talents and empowering visionary academics and researchers to uncover knowledge and transform research excellence into impactful innovations that benefit Hong Kong, the Nation and the world.

Please click here for learn more about the full list of winners and awarded projects.