MAINLAND PLATFORMS AND STRATEGIC
ALLIANCES
The Un i ve r s i t y ha s s eve ra l r e s ea rch ba s e s i n
Guangdong, namely the Fok Ying Tung Research
Institute (FYTRI) in Nansha, the Shenzhen Research
Institute and the Peking University-HKUST-Shenzhen
Medical Center, and the HKUST LED-FPD Technology
R&D Center at Foshan. In 2013-14, RMB44 million of
grants was secured through these platforms.
In strategic moves to increase impact, FYTRI was
repositioned to lead HKUST technology transfer
activities in Mainland China. The Shenzhen Research
Institute launched an Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Center to better support technology transfer and
entrepreneurship activities while the Biopharmaceutical
Research Center and RFID Center began operations.
The HKUST LED-FPD Technology R&D Center at Foshan
obtained certification from China National Accreditation
Service to provide national-level third-party testing
services. The Center will further develop its high value-
added LED products and technical consultancy services
to assist local and regional industry. In June 2014, the
Center received funding of RMB3 million from the
Nanhai Government in continued support for its work.
On the international front, the University launched
a seed-funding Sponsorship Scheme for Targeted
Strategic Partnerships to build collaborative research
initiatives with overseas strategic partners. Nineteen
awards were made for partnerships, which involved
École Normale Supérieure, the California Institute of
Technology, the University of Southern California, École
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, and Technische
Uni ve r si t ät München, encompas sing s ci ence,
engineering, business, humanities and social science,
and interdisciplinary studies.
HKUST is also participating in the €1.5 million Erasmus
Mundi EURASICAT project on material science and
catalysis, involving 11 universities and institutions in
nine countries in Europe and Asia. Prof King Lun Yeung,
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is serving as
the Asia coordinator.
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION AND
TRANSFER
With the University’s rich research culture, 101
inventions were recorded and 166 new patent
applications filed. Three major technology patent
portfolios were established, covering novel acoustic
materials, aggregation-induced emission materials and
their applications, and novel medical devices. With 68
newly granted patents, the University’s total current IP
portfolio, including satellite campuses, comprises 831
active patents and patent applications. The Proof-of-
Concept Fund continued to provide important gap-
funding support for faculty members working toward
technology commercialization with 9 new projects
receiving the Fund during 2013-14.
During 2013-14, the HKUST R and D Corporation
(RDC), a separate not-for-profit legal vehicle wholly
owned by the University, was engaged in 207 contract
research and consultancy projects (154 contract
research projects and 53 consultancies), amounting to
$64.8 million received in total. RDC signed 134 new
contract research and consultancy agreements, with a
total value of $62.8 million. University research centers
performed 524 analytical and testing jobs, generating a
total of $2.6 million. RDC managed 41 active licensing
agreements, with such commercialization generating
$4.3 million in total.
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RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT
