Spotlight on Innovators

New inventions and deep technological expertise are in high demand in the community, where HKU scholars have had increasing success by applying and sharing their outputs.

Problem-solving Inventions

Another HKU winner was a water filter membrane that is compact enough to fit into a pocket, can filter various contaminants including both heavy metals and bacteria, and does not require electricity for use. The gold award-winning nanofibrous membrane, developed by a research team led by Professor Tang Chuyang in the Department of Civil Engineering, has been patented in the US and China. The membrane was initially developed as a solution for providing clean, drinkable water in the aftermath of disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, but it can also be used for household water and portable water filtration. The device is expected to be 30–50% cheaper than carbon filters on the market and deliver safe drinkable water in less than one minute.

iCLASS Goes to Market

An electronic learning platform developed by Dr Wilton Fok and his team in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering has been picked up by the Hailiang Group, a large education group that is publicly listed in the US, which also plans to collaborate with HKU on new areas of online learning and information technology in education, such as artificial intelligence, educational big data and an intelligent question bank.

The iClass Learning Management System, which is a mobile interactive learning platform, was developed by HKU’s e-Learning Development Laboratory in the wake of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to provide reconstructed schools with e-learning resources. It has been refined over the years to include functions such as multimedia, big data and intelligent assessment, and to allow easy interactivity between students and teachers. iClass has also been adopted by many schools in Hong Kong, Mainland China and overseas. HKU’s wholly owned technology transfer arm, Versitech Ltd, signed the agreement with Hailiang, which plans to expand the reach of the iClass platform.

A Better Way to Build

The construction industry faces major challenges due to an ageing workforce, labour shortage, and safety and other concerns. But there is a solution in the form of Modular Integrated Construction (MiC), which uses new technology and off-site pre-assembly to reduce the cost, wastage and time involved in building construction and is also safer than conventional methods.

Dr Pan Wei, Executive Director of the Centre for Innovation in Construction and Infrastructure Development, has been a leader in investigating MiC’s applicability in Hong Kong and his work formed the basis of an MiC strategy paper published in 2019 that was supported by the Development Bureau. The Hong Kong government has already started piloting MiC in several public projects, including the Disciplined Services Quarters for the Fire Services Department in Pak Shing Kok. HKU is also using it in the construction of a new student residence in Wong Chuk Hang to accommodate more than 1,200 students and staff. Dr Pan estimates MiC can reduce local construction costs by up to 20% and shorten construction time by up to 50%.

“I believe MiC is the future of construction technology because it is capable of dealing with various problems, such as labour shortages, land use limitations and severe weather challenges,” he said – all of which are present in Hong Kong.