TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE 43 42 HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2022 To deepen the impact of our research, the HKU Techno-Entrepreneurship Core (HKU TEC) was launched in autumn 2022 to coordinate innovation and entrepreneurship activities across campus, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, connect with stakeholders and external partners, and train students and incubate startups. Already we have arranged for iDendron to come under the HKU TEC umbrella, which will report directly to the Vice-President and Pro- Vice-Chancellor (Research). iDendron was launched in 2017 and in the 2021–22 academic year provided coaching, mentorship, legal and funding support to 45 new start-ups by HKU The infrastructure to support innovation comes as the University’s research is attracting growing interest from industry, particularly in the Greater Bay Area. For example, we have embarked on 11 collaborative projects with different business units of Huawei and we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Huawei Research Centre (HK) in November 2021 to explore deeper, closer partnership. We have also signed license or collaboration agreements with several companies to develop COVID-19 vaccines based on our research, including Wantai BioPharm, Immuno Cure Biotech Ltd in Hong Kong and China National Biotec Group (Sinopharm) (see page 48). The University offers several funding awards for start-ups initiated by HKU students and staff. The TSSSU@HKU Awards support about 20 teams each year and in 2022 allocated HK$1 million Grand Awards to each of four start-up teams and up to HK$500,000 in Seed Fund Awards to each of 16 teams. The SEED Programme, a six-month collaboration with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, offers up to HK$100,000 to early-stage start-ups and in 2022 supported 20 teams. Fourteen HKU teams also benefitted from the Gear Up Startup Seed Fund & Incubation Programme organised by the Youth Development Commission, receiving up to HK$600,000 each plus mentorship, legal and professional support. ENTREPRENEURIAL BOOSTS INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS INVESTING IN IMPACT students, researchers and alumni, bringing the total to 180 since it opened in 2017; it also prepared to launch an incubation programme on deep tech projects in early 2023. The new Tam Wing Fan Innovation Wing, run by the Faculty of Engineering, is also fostering innovation by students and researchers. Innovation Wing One opened in December 2020 with a focus on interdisciplinary innovations by undergraduate students and teachers, while Innovation Wing Two opened in December 2021 for researchers to collaborate across disciplines to tackle grand challenges facing society. HKU DeepTech100 is a one year co-ideation programme aiming for translating deep tech research outcome from top universities into future businesses. In 2022, we announced a new Strategic Impact funding scheme that provides a maximum of HK$500,000 each to projects at HKU that have impact in areas of national and global importance. Seven themes have been identified: green and sustainable energy; health and medical technologies; industry 4.0; smart cities; food security and nutrition; use of IT in education; and community engagement for governance and law. The separate Impact Projects scheme also continues to fund projects regardless of whether they fall under these themes, offering a maximum of HK$150,000 per project; 45 projects were supported in 2022. HKU’s efforts to deepen the impact of its research and expertise beyond academia have escalated sharply as we position the University to be a springboard for innovation and a leader in producing solutions for major global challenges. In 2022, we consolidated our framework for innovation and entrepreneurship, sharpened our strategy on developing impactful research, and continued to invest in incubating new start-ups and entrepreneurs and strengthening collaboration with industry. The Gear Up Startup Seed Fund & Incubation Programme aims to provide entrepreneurial support and incubation services that befit the needs of young people who are about to start their businesses, helping them turn ideas into reality. Cutting-edge HKU innovations were showcased in the InnoCarnival 2022 organised by the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong government in October 2022.
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