News

PolyU project develops assisted navigation and collision avoidance system to promote connected urban traffic safety, funded by Smart Traffic Fund

A safe transport environment is vital for a densely built-up city like Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) utilizes advanced technologies to improve urban traffic safety, and an innovative project has been granted funding from the latest batch of Smart Traffic Fund. Led by Dr Weisong WEN, Assistant Professor of the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering, the project titled “Development of an Assisted Navigation and Collision Avoidance System using AI and Location-based Service” has secured funding of approximately HK$6.7 million for a duration of 24 months. This project aims to develop a low-cost, high-precision co-location solution suitable for urban canyons. It includes developing an algorithm to solve satellite positioning offsets caused by building obstructions and reflections, as well as developing a collision avoidance warning application for issuing early warning and enabling emergency interventions to reduce collision risks in blind areas of sight. PolyU has long been committed to the research and application of vehicle-related innovation and technology, with a total of 18 projects receiving grants from the Smart Traffic Fund to date.  For more information on other approved projects.  

Media Interview: PolyU’s innovative ammonia pretreatment system enhances food waste management

Hong Kong is actively promoting green technologies in order to reduce carbon emissions. Implementing anaerobic digestion (AD) technology to convert food waste (FW) into biogas for electricity generation is one of the promising initiatives. However, the volume of digestate and recycling problems have yet to be broken through. Dr Ben Shao-Yuan LEU, Associate Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has led a research project to develop an ammonia pretreatment system to minimise odour, reduce the land footprint of digested solids, and produce high-quality organic fertiliser. In a recent interview with Ta Kung Pao, Dr LEU shared that his developed system will be applicable for achieving energy-efficient carbon sequestration at the Organic Resource Recovery Center (O-Parks). Specifically, an innovative Combined Thermal with Free Ammonia Pretreatment (CTFAP) System will be established to destroy flocs, extracellular polymeric substances and refractory organics (e.g., aromatic contents like lignin) for enhanced total solids reduction. This research project has been funded by the Green Tech Fund. In addition, Dr LEU revealed that another research team of PolyU has been working on ammonia-nitrogen power generation, and they may collaborate in combining technologies to explore further use of ammonia-nitrogen in the future. Full interview (Chinese only)   For more: PolyU leads in grants from Green Tech Fund, securing 3 projects for innovative sustainable development

PolyU chemistry scholar elected to European Academy of Sciences

Prof. Raymond Wai-Yeung WONG, Dean of Faculty of Science, Chair Professor of Chemical Technology and Clarea Au Professor in Energy at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has been recently elected a Foreign Member of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) in the Chemistry Division.  Prof. WONG is recognised for his research achievements in the design and synthesis of new metallopolymers and metallophosphors with photofunctional properties and energy functions. This honour is bestowed upon scientific scholars for their contributions to forefront research and the development of advanced technology, especially those related to the European countries.  Prof. WONG said, “I am honoured to become a Foreign Member of EurASc and I will definitely continue to make important scientific contributions to our country, the European community and other parts of the world. “  Excelling in the study of organometallic optoelectronic polymers and molecules, Prof. WONG’s research on advanced materials proves highly valuable in energy-generating applications for solar cells and energy-saving applications in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). He has made remarkable contributions to the development of multifunctional metallopolymers and metallophosphors. His research is advancing the field of energy science, aiming to promote efficient energy generation and consumption, and contributing to the mission of building a sustainable society.  The EurASc is a non-profit non-governmental, independent organisation of the most distinguished scholars, who are performing leading research and developing advanced technologies, while promoting excellence in science and technology by fostering social and economic development. In the latest round of election, only twelve new members were elected and Prof. WONG is the only one working in China.  Prof. WONG also received the Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Award (Science and Technology) 2022 for his research in organic photovoltaic materials. He was bestowed the Second-Class Award in Natural Science for a collaborative research project titled “Alkylthio Side-Chain Engineering of High-Performance Organic Photovoltaic Materials.”   

Visit by Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology

 A delegation led by WANG Yueqin, Director of Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology visited the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) on 29 January.  The delegation had in-depth meetings and discussions with Prof. Jin-guang TENG, President; Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation); Prof. Zuankai WANG, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation), Prof. Xiang-doing LI, Dean of Faculty of Construction and Environment, Ir Prof. H.C. MAN, Dean of Faculty of Engineering, and Prof. Qingyan CHEN, Director of PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research. During the meeting, Prof. TENG presented in details on PolyU’s development goals in applied research, innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as its outstanding achievements in engineering and technology disciplines. He emphasised that PolyU has always been committed to addressing societal challenges, creating courses that align with industry applications, and cultivating talents with international vision and innovative spirit. Director WANG suggested that Guangdong and Hong Kong have a deep-rooted foundation and broad prospects for cooperation in technological innovation. To better meet the national strategy and the innovation and economic social development needs of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangdong Province has established multiple platforms for technological innovation cooperation. These platforms provide strong support for scientific research cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, focusing on areas of common interest to carry out in-depth research collaborations. PolyU places a strong emphasis on application-oriented research and holds the confident to play an important role in leading industrial development through technological innovation.  

11 PolyU projects secure RGC Collaborative Research Funding

11 projects from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has secured support from the Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) of the Research Grants Council (RGC) in 2023/24. Nine of them are funded from the Collaborative Research Project Grant (CRPG) and two projects from the Young Collaborative Research Grant (YCRG). Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said, “This outstanding result is encouraging and highlights PolyU's prowess in impactful research. The University is committed to providing outstanding and creative interdisciplinary research to support Hong Kong's innovation and technological development, as well as to nurturing young talented researchers in a mutually supportive, interdisciplinary, and forward-thinking research culture. We look forward to collaborating with various partners in supporting our future professional scientists.” The nine projects funded from the CRPG received total support of over HK$55.5 million, with this funding amount being the highest among local institutions. The projects embrace a number of leading areas, including edge artificial intelligence, artificial auditory systems, nanomaterials, cancer diagnosis, age-related metabolic disease, and construction and environment. The other two projects, funded from the YCRG, cover neural networking in psychology and behaviour and 6G-based sensing technologies respectively. The CRF supports multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary projects to encourage research groups to engage in creative and high-quality cross-disciplinary / cross-institutional projects. Under the CRF, the CRPG aims to enhance the research output of universities in terms of attainment level, quantity, dimensions and impact. The YCRG aims to support early-stage academic staff members in gaining first-hand experience in leading and managing collaborative research. For further information of these PolyU funded projects, please refer to the appendix.

PolyU develops the first self-adaptive platform for tourism demand forecasts across the Greater Bay Area

Total international visitor arrivals to the Greater Bay Area (GBA) are forecasted to recover to the pre-pandemic level at close to 130 million by the end of 2024, and the total number of inbound visitor arrivals to Hong Kong to recover to the 2018 level of 65 million by 2025. These are some of the findings released by the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today at the launch of a new forecasting platform under the project entitled “The Development of an Automated and Self-Adaptive Tourism Demand Forecasting Platform for the Greater Bay Area (GBA-TDFP).” Led by Prof. Haiyan SONG, Principal Investigator and SHTM Associate Dean, Chair Professor and Mr and Mrs Chan Chak Fu Professor in International Tourism, the project adopts an interdisciplinary approach to integrate well-established theories in economics, tourism management and computer science to develop GBA-TDFP. It features key functions that include big data visualisation, market sensitivity analysis, short-, medium- and long-term forecasting, sentiment analysis, and interactive scenario forecasting, and will serve as a valuable tool for industry professionals, policy makers and academics to adapt and generate forecasts of visitor arrivals to the GBA in different economic scenarios. Tourism is considered a key industry in the GBA, with its sights set on becoming a world-leading destination by 2035. While the economy has now largely recovered from the shocks caused by travel restrictions and public health measures taken during the pandemic, there are still challenges to overcome, including labour shortage, supply constraints, changing economic conditions, and shifts in consumer behaviour. “It all points to the fact that in order to sustain ongoing recovery,” Prof. Song remarked, “accurate forecasts of tourism demand recovery are crucial for policy makers and practitioners to be able to develop sustainable tourism strategies that foster long-term economic growth in the region.” To facilitate accurate forecasting, the project has collected macroeconomic data such as GDPs, CPIs and exchange rates of the GBA cities and their key source markets from statistical departments and international organisations such as the International Monetary Fund. For short-term tourism demand forecasting, the project has leveraged big data collected from popular online and social media platforms such as Google, Ctrip and Baidu. Analysis reveals that: According to the short-term forecasting results, it is expected that there will be a significant rebound in inbound visitor arrivals to Hong Kong and Macao, by the end of 2024. Mainland Chinese cities within the GBA are projected to experience a substantial recovery in domestic visitor arrivals and visitor flows within the GBA, by the end of 2024. These projections suggest that the volume of visitors will reach levels comparable to those observed before the pandemic. The five-year-ahead long-term tourism demand forecasting results indicate that the total number of domestic and inbound visitor arrivals into the GBA, as well as visitor flows within the GBA, will return to the pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024. By 2027, the GBA as a whole is expected to witness over 335 million domestic visitor arrivals, along with 195 million inbound visitor arrivals. Visitor flows within the GBA are projected to reach 200 million. In the GBA, visitor reviews overwhelmingly lean towards the positive side for all destinations. These encouraging reviews not only validate the robust recovery of the tourism industry in all GBA destinations but also signify the immense potential for further growth in the GBA tourism market. Meanwhile, moderate and negative reviews still point out critical areas for the destinations to further improve, including service quality and border control. Across all destinations, the monthly average satisfaction levels of visitors, as reflected by sentiment scores extracted from their reviews, are consistently positive. However, there are fluctuations in daily satisfaction levels, indicating that experiences may vary from day to day. There are also noticeable discrepancies in satisfaction levels across different tourism activities. Forecasting results for the GBA generated by the platform.   The GBA-TDFP serves to simplify the process for policy makers and industry leaders to conduct “what-if” scenario analyses on tourism demand forecasts. Users can input hypothetical values for determinant variables (such as GDP and price levels) through web browsers, which are then incorporated into the estimated econometric models to generate scenario forecasts. This functionality is deemed particularly valuable for policy evaluation and decision-making purposes. With advances in technology, destinations and visitors are increasingly dependent on information and communications technologies. By integrating cloud computing, big data and artificial intelligence techniques with advanced forecasting methods, the GBA-TDFP offers innovative insights and valuable guidance for both industry professionals and academics, effectively transforming vast amounts of data into actionable information, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions and maximise the value derived from it. Prof. Kaye CHON, SHTM Dean, Chair Professor and Walter and Wendy Kwok Family Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management, said, “This is another contribution that our School has made to the tourism industry. We are committed to bringing the results of cutting-edge research to business practice, thereby addressing the global challenges that the tourism industry faces.” About PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management For 45 years, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has refined a distinctive vision of hospitality and tourism education and become a world-leading hotel and tourism school. Ranked No. 1 in the world in the “Hospitality and Tourism Management” category in ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023 for the seventh consecutive year; placed No. 1 globally in the “Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services” category in the University Ranking by Academic Performance in 2022/2023 for six years in a row; rated No. 1 in the world in the “Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism” subject area by the CWUR Rankings by Subject 2017; and ranked No. 2 in the world among university based programmes in the “Hospitality and Leisure Management” subject area in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 for the seventh consecutive year, the SHTM is a symbol of excellence in the field, exemplifying its motto of Leading Hospitality and Tourism. The School is driven by the need to serve its industry and academic communities through the advancement of education and dissemination of knowledge. With a strong international team of 90 faculty members from 20 countries and regions around the world, the SHTM offers programmes at levels ranging from undergraduate to doctoral degrees. Through Hotel ICON, the School’s groundbreaking teaching and research hotel and a vital aspect of its paradigm-shifting approach to hospitality and tourism education, the SHTM is advancing teaching, learning and research, and inspiring a new generation of passionate, pioneering professionals to take their positions as leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry. Website: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/shtm/

PolyU participated in the Asian Universities Science and Technology Innovation Forum

The Asian Universities Science and Technology Innovation Forum jointly organized by the China Association for International Exchange of Personnel (CAIEP) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) was held from 27 to 28 January in Hong Kong. More than 30 presidents or vice-presidents from leading universities in China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Japan and other Asian countries and regions were invited to attend the Forum. They held discussions and exchanged views during the event, which aimed at strengthening cooperation among Asian universities in response global challenges and building collaboration platforms to drive science and technology innovations. Professor Christopher Chao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the forum and participate in a roundtable discussion. The top management of Asian universities discussed the strategies to nurture and retain young talents, aiming to contribute to the advancement of technological innovation in Asia and worldwide. On the second day of the event, leaders from these universities visited PolyU’s National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Center (Hong Kong Branch) and the University Research Facility in 3D Printing. The visitors were impressed by the high-impact applied research and development achieved by these research centers.

PolyU develops high-efficiency carbon dioxide electroreduction system for reducing carbon footprint and progressing carbon neutrality goals

Global warming continues to pose a threat to human society and the ecological systems, and carbon dioxide accounts for the largest proportion of the greenhouse gases that dominate climate warming. To combat climate change and move towards the goal of carbon neutrality, researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have developed a durable, highly selective and energy-efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction system that can convert CO2 into ethylene for industrial purposes to provide an effective solution for reducing CO2 emissions. This research was recently published in Nature Energy and won a Gold Medal at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva in Switzerland. Ethylene (C2H4) is one of the most in-demand chemicals globally and is mainly used in the manufacture of polymers such as polyethylene, which, in turn, can be used to make plastics and chemical fibres commonly used in daily life. However, it is still mostly obtained from petrochemical sources and the production process involves the creation of a very significant carbon footprint. Led by Prof. Daniel LAU, Chair Professor of Nanomaterials and Head of the Department of Applied Physics, the research team adopted the method of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction - using green electricity to convert carbon dioxide into ethylene, providing a more environmentally friendly alternative and stable ethylene production. The research team is working to promote this emerging technology to bring it closer to mass production, closing the carbon loop and ultimately achieving carbon neutrality. Prof. Lau’s innovation is to dispense with the alkali-metal electrolyte and use pure water as a metal-free anolyte to prevent carbonate formation and salt deposition. The research team denotes their design the APMA system, where A stands for anion-exchange membrane (AEM), P represents the proton-exchange membrane (PEM), and MA indicates the resulting membrane assembly. When an alkali-metal-free cell stack containing the APMA and a copper electrocatalyst was constructed, it produced ethylene with a high specificity of 50%. It was also able to operate for over 1,000 hours at an industrial-level current of 10A – a very significant increase in lifespan over existing systems, meaning the system can be easily expanded to an industrial scale. Further tests showed that the formation of carbonates and salts was suppressed, while there was no loss of CO2 or electrolyte. This is crucial, as previous cells using bipolar membranes instead of APMA suffered from electrolyte loss due to the diffusion of alkali-metal ions from the anolyte. The formation of hydrogen in competition with ethylene, another problem affecting earlier systems that used acidic cathode environments, was also minimised. Another key feature of the process is the specialised electrocatalyst. Copper is used to catalyse a wide range of reactions across the chemical industry. However, the specific catalyst used by the research team took advantage of some distinctive features. The millions of nano-scale copper spheres had richly textured surfaces, with steps, stacking faults and grain boundaries. These “defects” – relative to an ideal metal structure – provided a favourable environment for the reaction to proceed. Prof. Lau said, “We will work on further improvements to enhance the product selectivity and seek for collaboration opportunities with the industry. It is clear that this APMA cell design underpins a transition to green production of ethylene and other valuable chemicals and can contribute to reducing carbon emissions and achieving the goal of carbon neutrality.” This innovative PolyU project was a collaboration with researchers from the University of Oxford, the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Centre of Taiwan and Jiangsu University.

Visit by Delegation of Wenzhou Municipal People’s Government

A delegation led by Mr. WANG Zhenyong, the Deputy Mayor of Wenzhou Municipal People's Government, visited the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) from January 23 to 24 to exchange views on deepening technological innovation cooperation between Hong Kong and Wenzhou. On January 23, the University’s senior management and researchers represented by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, had a discussion with the Wenzhou delegation on the PolyU-Wenzhou Technology and Innovation Research Institute (Research Institute), and the planning and construction of the Zhejiang (Hong Kong and Macao) High-tech Industrial Park. Subsequently, Prof. Tao YU, Associate Director of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development, and Dr Yu XIANG, Assistant Professor (Research) of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, led the delegation to visit the Industrial Centre Laboratory and introduced PolyU's achievements in new-material structural technologies for marine engineering. Dr Qiyao HUANG, Assistant Professor of the school of Fashion and Textiles, team of Prof. Zijian ZHENG, Associate Director of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, introduced the Liquid-metal fiber mats and their applications in epidermal electronics and implantable electronics, as well as Textile lithium batteries. On the second day, under the guidance of Prof. KEE Chea-su, Head of School of Optometry and Prof. Benny C. F. CHEUNG, Director of State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology (PolyU), the delegation visited the Centre for Eye and Vision Research and the State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology (Hong Kong Science Park Branch), gaining insights into PolyU’s scientific research achievements and future development direction in cutting-edge technology fields. The State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology (Hong Kong Science Park Branch) focuses on the development of ultra-precision machining equipment, precision measurement system, precision manufacturing technologies, as well as the development of core optical components for advanced optics, optometry and electronic products. On 9 November 2023, PolyU and the Wenzhou Municipal People's Government held a signing and unveiling ceremony at the Wenzhou People's Hall, marking the official landing of the PolyU-Wenzhou Technology and Innovation Research Institute, with the aim of promoting Wenzhou to become a key innovation and technology hub for entrepreneurs and talents. This visit will greatly promote the progress of the Research Institute and deepen the technological innovation cooperation between Wenzhou and Hong Kong.

PolyU scholar wins APEC INPUT2 Excellence Award as the sole honoured university from Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) scholar has developed innovative outdoor cooling solutions aimed at creating a more comfortable and livable urban environment. This achievement has been recognised with the Excellence Award at the Innovating for Public Urban Technology Transformation Competition (INPUT 2), which is organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China and supported by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). PolyU is the only university in Hong Kong to receive this honour in the competition. Led by Prof. NIU Jianlei, Chair Professor of Building Environment and Energy at Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering of PolyU, the project titled “Human-oriented outdoor thermal environment evaluation and optimization design” won the Excellence Award at INPUT 2. Prof. NIU, along with members of the research team, including Dr YU Yichen and Dr XIE Yongxin Sherry, Research Assistant Professors of Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, has developed a simulation tool for assessing outdoor pedestrian thermal comfort levels and a logical design for optimising cooling strategies. It includes a novel membrane-assisted radiant panel that enhances localised spot-cooling effects. This innovative approach will enable better design for outdoor thermal comfort and promote the utilisation of outdoor spaces by residents. Ultimately, it improves public health and the overall quality of urban life and contributes to the reduction in city-wide energy consumption by reducing reliance on air conditioning systems. INPUT 2 is proposed by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China to APEC and approved by APEC’s Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI). INPUT 2 focuses on three key areas: green economy, sustainable transport development, and livable cities, with a view to promote the idea of sustainable urban development, exchange and cooperation in innovation and application of scientific and technological achievements.