HKUST Annual Report 2016-17

20 HKUST 2016-2017 Annual Report POWERING FORWARD KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER Moving HKUST discoveries into the business and community sectors through knowledge transfers is an important way that the University drives forward economic and social innovation. During 2016-17, HKUST strengthened the management of its knowledge transfer activities and impact through administrative restructuring and the setting up of a new knowledge transfer committee and a new knowledge transfer advisory group. The Office of Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship Center became independent offices in August 2016. The Office of Knowledge Transfer is headed by the Associate Vice-President for Knowledge Transfer cum Dean of Fok Ying Tung Graduate School, overseeing the University’s technology transfer, commercialization and entrepreneurship efforts and assumes overall responsibility for the Technology Transfer Center, HKUST R and D Corporation and Entrepreneurship Center. The Entrepreneurship Center organizes entrepreneurship programs and activities while working closely with the Center for Education Innovation to link credit-bearing courses with seminars, workshops, and training camps that can help HKUST’s potential entrepreneurs learn the needed skill sets. The HKUST Council set up the Knowledge Transfer Committee to advise the Council on how the University formulates its knowledge transfer policies and strategies and to oversee the implementation and promotion of related University activities. During the year under review, the Committee gave advice on the revision of HKUST’s intellectual property policy, subsequently approved by the Council in May 2017, and on developing the University’s knowledge transfer mission and vision. In addition, the Knowledge Transfer Advisory Group held its first meeting in February 2017. Comprising members from the business sector, NGOs, and the University, the group advises University management on advancing its knowledge transfer endeavors, and facilitates and elevates HKUST’s external engagement and knowledge transfer impact. FOSTERING INDUSTRY INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY START-UPS The HKUST-MIT Research Alliance Consortium helps to build the network and mechanisms required for R&D collaboration between world-class universities and technology companies through industry-driven pre-competitive research. Clusters currently focus on Internet of Things for intelligent buildings and transportation, data 43 projects received $173.5 million of funding from the Innovation and Technology Fund ” “