HKUST held an opening ceremony for the Fok Ying Tung Research Institute Building at the Nansha IT Park in Guangzhou on 16 December 2014, marking another milestone for the University’s development on the Mainland.

Officiating guests at the opening ceremony included Mr Ma Linying, Director of Office of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Affairs, Ministry of Science and Technology; Prof Li Lu, Director of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Mr Eric Ma, Under Secretary for Development of the HKSAR Government; Mr Ding Hongdou, Member of Standing Committee of Guangzhou Municipal Communist Party and Party Secretary of Nansha District, and other senior government officials, as well as Mr Timothy Fok, Chairman of Fok Ying Tung Group, and Mr Ian Fok, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nansha IT Park. From HKUST, Acting Council Chairman Mr Martin Y Tang, President Prof Tony F Chan, Executive Vice-President and Provost Prof Wei Shyy, Vice-Presidents Prof Joseph Hun-wei Lee, Dr Eden Y Woon and Mr Mark Hodgson and other senior management also attended the ceremony.

HKUST signed an agreement at the ceremony on setting up the National Supercomputer Centre in Nansha to further strengthen the development of the platform for technology transfer between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The Fok Ying Tung Research Institute also signed various agreements with its partners, including the Ministry of Public Security, Guangdong Environmental Monitoring Centre, China Telecom, SINOPEC Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry, East China University of Science and Technology, Guangdong University of Science and Technology, NXP Semiconductors and Shandong Qiquan Group, to laying down the foundation for further education, research and industry collaboration with the Mainland.

As part of the University’s strategic repositioning of its Mainland China platforms last year, the Institute has spearheaded HKUST’s technology transfer and commercialization endeavors in the Mainland, and coordinated the University’s innovation and technology advancement effort among the Mainland platforms, including Shenzhen Research Institute, Foshan LED-PFD Technology R&D Center and Zhejiang Advance Manufacturing Institute.

The Institute focuses on research and development, technology and innovation, in four main divisions: Internet of Things, Advanced Manufacturing and Automation, Advanced Materials, and Green Buildings and Environment. A series of joint laboratories and applied engineering centers have been set up by the four divisions with renowned universities and major companies. The collaborations not only boost the research capability of the divisions, but also inspire more joint activities, making the Institute a valuable platform for HKUST faculty and students to collaborate with Mainland industry and explore further research opportunities.

The Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, built with the generous donation from the Fok Ying Tung Foundation, has a total floor area of 36,000 square meters and houses many advanced laboratories and facilities for research and education. With the new building now completed, the Institute is well positioned to seize further opportunities that are emerging in Nansha, which has seen rapid socio-economic development since its designation as a National Special Zone in 2012.