HKUST Sweeps 20 Awards at 48th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government Prof. Sun Dong (front row, fifth right) with all the HKUST delegation members. [Download Photo]

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has achieved remarkable success at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, as all 19 teams on the delegation have won a total of 20 awards. These accolades include one Prize of the Chinese Delegation for Invention and Innovation, three Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury, five Gold Medals, six Silver Medals, and five Bronze Medals.

The research on protein biomarker panels for assessing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) led by HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP won the Prize of the Chinese Delegation for Invention and Innovation, as well as Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury. This biomarker-based detection system can identify AD five to 10 years before symptoms manifest by detecting changes in blood biomarker levels.

Other Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury winners from HKUST include advanced polymer-based therapeutics for chronic disease led by Prof. CHAU Ying of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and metal 3D printing by ultrasonic excitation and active temperature control led by Professor Emeritus Matthew YUEN Ming-Fai of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

This year is HKUST’s first institutional participation in the world’s most prestigious award devoted exclusively to inventions, with a record high of 19 projects ranging from cell therapy to histological imaging, nanomembrane materials to manufacturing 3D printing. Four of the 19 inventions on water treatment are in collaboration with the Drainage Services Department (DSD) of the HKSAR Government. These inventions feature new technologies such as odor control, solid-liquid separation, and pipeline monitoring.

HKUST Vice-President for Research and Development Prof. Tim CHENG said, “We are proud that HKUST’s inventions and technologies have been well recognized at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva. It demonstrates our strong research capabilities on frontier research, which best positions us to help fill the gap by building a robust ecosystem from basic research to impact. Our success also shows the entrepreneurial spirit of our students, alumni, and faculty. We will continue to advance the readiness of our research and technology, while at the same time engage our industry and government partners at an early stage to shorten the journey of tech transfer and push the boundaries of knowledge to create meaningful impact to society, not only in Hong Kong but all over the world.”

According to Nature’s leading 200 academic institutions by patent influence metric rankings, HKUST is the best Chinese university and comes 33rd globally based on data collected from 2000 to 2020.

The 48th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva is being held from April 26 to 30 in Switzerland with a record number of inventors, universities, institutes, and companies showcasing nearly 1,000 inventions from about 40 countries and regions. A total of 293 inventions from Hong Kong are participating in the show.

For more details on HKUST’s inventions at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, please refer to the full list here.