The Inauguration Ceremony of the City University of Macau Advanced Research Institute (Hengqin) and the Knowledge Transfer Center of City University of Macau (CityU) was held today (29) in the Guandong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (Cooperation Zone). This marks a new stage for the University’s research innovation and knowledge transfer in the cooperation zone, promoting the deep industry-academic-research integration and the coordinated development of scientific and technological resources between Guangdong and Macao.
The Inauguration Ceremony was attended by distinguished guests including Fang Binxing, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE); Guan Xiaohong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); He Yuerong, fellow of The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM, UK); Li Yongxian, deputy director of the Department of Education and Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Li Chong, member of the Working Committee of Hengqin of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and deputy director of the Executive Committee of the Cooperation Zone; Wu Chuangwei, level II inspector of the Working Committee of Hengqin of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and director of the Economic Development Bureau of the Cooperation Zone; Cheang Hio Man, deputy director of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) of the Macao SAR Government; Cheang Kun Wai, member of the Administrative Committee of the Science and Technology Development Fund of Macao; Xu Fengmei, deputy director of the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone; Carlos Roberto Xavier, head of the Department of Tertiary Education of Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) of the Macao SAR Government; Chan Meng Kam, chancellor and chairman of the University Council; Ung Choi Kun, vice chairman of the University Council; Amber Li, member of the University Council; and Rector Jun Liu.
Before the ceremony began, the guests visited the research and innovation environment and laboratories at the Institutes of Advanced Research and the Knowledge Transfer Center in Hengqin.
Going forward, he expressed hope that the two institutes will be able to deliver the mission of talent cultivation, establishing new hubs for nurturing and gathering young Macao talent and strive to be the source of original innovation and breakthroughs in key core technologies; and playing their roles as links for the cross-border flow and efficient allocation of innovation elements between Hengqin and Macao.
Rector Jun Liu pointed out that coinciding with CityU’s 45th anniversary, the establishment of the two institutes mark an important implementation for delivering its responsibility of “taking roots in Macao, integrating into Greater Bay Area, and serving the national strategies”. He highlighted CityU’s remarkable advancement in research output in both the quantity and quality, forming distinctive strengths characterized by substantial achievements, solid platforms and application orientation.
Rector Liu mentioned as the University’s first industry-academia-research demonstration base, the Advanced Research Institute (Hengqin) will transform into an “acceleration hub” and “ecological connector” by leveraging the strategic advantages of the Cooperation Zone, translating research breakthroughs into real-world industrial applications. He pointed out a number of key joint laboratories launched, and multiple industry-academia projects underway. Rector Liu emphasized that the two institutions will continue to harness the “Macao + Hengqin” positioning advantage, actively respond to the strategic deployment of the national 15th Five-Year Plan, enhance innovation and translation capabilities, and serve the community, empower industries, and contribute to society through scientific research.
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Under the witness of the officiating guests, the Advanced Research Institute (Hengqin) and the Knowledge Transfer Center were officially inaugurated. To precisely align with the industrial development needs of the Greater Bay Area, the first batch of distinctive sci-tech innovation hubs was launched. These include:
- The Joint Laboratory on Cross-Border Data Compliance and Security, jointly established by the CityU Faculty of Data Science and the School of Cyberspace Security of Guangzhou University;
- The Hengqin Center of the State Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging Science and System, co-built with the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences;
- The Frontier Interdisciplinary Research Center, co-built with the School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology;
- The Joint Laboratory for Intelligent Decision and Control, co-built with the Guangxi Key Laboratory of Machine Vision and Intelligent Control;
- The Joint Laboratory on Embodied Intelligence and Robotics (Hengqin), co-built with Unitree Robotics.
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In addition, several agreements on industry-academia cooperation projects have been signed, involving partnerships with a number of leading enterprises and research institutions, such as the Industrial Design Center (National-Level) for Rail Transit Equipment, the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Boardware Intelligence Technology Limited, LightChip Technology Co. Ltd., Guangdong Junfeng Bfs Technology CO. Ltd., Hong Kong Wah Yip Technology Development and Investment Limited, and Zhuhai Jiu Cheng Mafang Technology Co., Ltd. These collaborations aim to expand science and technology innovation cooperation between Hengqin and Macao.
Meanwhile, the “CityU Macao-Hengqin Sci-Tech Innovation Partner Program” was also launched. The plan aims to empower sci-tech enterprises in Macao and Hengqin across all stages of development, including R&D, result translation, talent support, and resource matching. The Knowledge Transfer Center also issued certificates to the partners — Guangdong Showmac Technology Co., Ltd., Singularity Medical AI Co., Ltd., and Macao Showmac Technology Co., Ltd. — establishing a new platform for Guangdong-Macao sci-tech partners to achieve collaborative development, resource sharing, and mutual benefits.
Other guests also attended in this ceremony including, CityU Vice Rectors Zhou Wanlei and Ip Kuai Peng; distinguished professor of the Faculty of Data Science and dean of the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Institute of Soochow University, Sun Lining; University Council Member Cintia Chan; Pro-Rectors Wicky So Kam Hung and Vince Chu Te Lin; dean of the Faculty of Data Science, Zhu Tianqing; executive associate dean of the Faculty of Health and Wellness, Sun Pei; executive associate dean of the Faculty of Innovative Design (FIAD), Po-Hsun Wang; distinguished professor of FIAD, Song Wu; executive director of the Advanced Research Institute (Hengqin) and the Knowledge Transfer Center, Li Jin and distinguished associate professor Zou Yuntao.
Also attending were leaders and representatives from institutions and companies including the Medical AI Center of the State Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging Science and System, Zhuhai Gree Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd., Zhuhai Technology Industry Group Co., Ltd., and Guangdong Shenling Environmental Systems Co., Ltd., among others.
