A contest linked to Google's high-flying Solve For X think tank project has been organized at HKUST to encourage far-sighted ideas that can be transformed into real products and technologies with wide-reaching impact, with the winning entry becoming Hong Kong and Mainland China's first project accepted on to the Solve For X innovation platform.

 

Solve for X is a global initiative designed and promoted by Google to encourage game-changing "moonshots" – radical solutions that may currently appear to be science fiction yet can practically be put into action through breakthrough technology to assist with problems or issues affecting millions of people. The collaboration with HKUST brought this exciting platform to the University campus, giving participants the opportunity to discuss pioneering technical innovation and integrate the expertise of faculty and students. It also fostered the internationalization of research in line with both organizations' outlook.

 

To get the competition underway, the School of Engineering (SENG) arranged an introduction and question-and-answer session by Google representatives for potential entrants in Summer 2014, with over 200 people from all Schools attending.

 

The winning proposal was provided by Prof Michael Sung, Electronic and Computer Engineering, and his team for their idea to improve battery technology for electric vehicles (EVs) and reduce the world’s carbon footprint. The project, "Mass-Volume Graphene Production Using Waste Carbon Emission Harvesting to Enable EV Battery Technologies", was selected from a field of 14 groups, comprising 40 students, academics and external parties, and a shortlist of five entries. Prof Sung was recently appointed SENG's Director of the Center for Industry Engagement and Internship.

 

SENG arranged an award ceremony for the winning team and those submitting the shortlisted proposals on 18 March to honor their achievements.