HKUST Engineering Alumni Unicorn Trail 2026 in Shenzhen

On August 8, the School of Engineering (SENG) hosted the HKUST Engineering Alumni Unicorn Trail 2026 in Shenzhen. The entrepreneurship-focused event brought together nearly 40 engineering alumni and their friends and family to join SENG faculty and staff for an exclusive journey to visit technology enterprises founded by the School’s outstanding and visionary alumni entrepreneurs. The gathering provided a unique opportunity for alumni to gain firsthand insights into cutting-edge technologies, entrepreneurial success stories, and the vibrant innovation ecosystem across the Greater Bay Area, while reconnecting and building new ties with each other.

The high-tech trail began at DJI Sky City, where participants stepped into the drone leader's iconic twin-tower headquarters, and discovered the latest in drone technology. The group then headed to Xeno Dynamics for live demonstrations and some even had the unique opportunity to try on the wearable exoskeleton systems powered by robotics, biomechanics, and AI. At PUDU Robotics, participants experienced advanced service robots through interactive showcases set within realistically mocked commercial environments. The inspiring day concluded at the newly opened HKUST Blue Bay Qianhai Innovation Center, a dedicated incubator driving the growth of start-ups founded by HKUST faculty and alumni.

This visit offered a glimpse into HKUST’s growing footprint in the GBA and capped off with closing remarks from the Dean of Engineering, Prof. Hong K. LO. Overall, the event highlights the strength of the broader HKUST entrepreneurial ecosystem, which has spun off over 1,900 active start-ups, including 11 unicorns and 22 successful business exits.