Knowledge generated from the University, whether through research or teaching, needs pathways into the community to be able to achieve impact. The University takes a broad view of what those pathways can be, covering knowledge exchange and community engagement on one hand and technology transfer and entrepreneurship on the other. This wide-ranging approach recognises that not all forms of impact fall under the definitions of ‘impact‘ adopted by the University Grants Committee for its 2020 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). The latter focuses on impact underpinned by research produced by the University within roughly the past 20 years that also has supporting evidence on the positive changes made in society (see Research chapter for details). It is not always straightforward to gauge the impacts of raising awareness and sharing knowledge, but these activities are valuable in enriching the community. Impact can arise with the opportunities in tomorrow’s uncertain world; our approach is therefore in raising awareness, creating multiple pathways, deepening capabilities and widening our knowledge bases. HKU has been the leader in Hong Kong in promoting and valuing impact in all its forms from our academic activities. In terms of impact assessment, the University has been building our scholars’ capacity to translate research, knowledge exchange and technology transfer activities into impact and record the results. In 2013–14 the Knowledge Exchange Office (KEO) began offering workshops on preparing and writing impact case studies led by experts involved in the UK’s 2014 Research Excellence Framework, on which the 2020 RAE is modelled. Five such workshops were held in 2017–18. It also conducted a special funding exercise during the year, which supported 19 RAE coordinating teams from different faculties and units of assessment to collect impact evidence for completed research or KE projects to facilitate their preparation of impact case studies for RAE 2020. The KEO also funds knowledge exchange projects and in 2017–18 it supported 52 projects carried out by HKU scholars and 33 projects carried out by students. It continued to honour the best efforts through the annual Knowledge Exchange Awards. Other areas of the University also promote knowledge exchange, such as the HKU Scholars Hub which added pages for research postgraduate students in 2018 to give them a profile and make their publications accessible to the public, the Asia Global Institute which brings leading figures to speak on topical issues in open forums, and the scholars and the Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative that are behind HKU’s MOOCs (massive open online courses – see page 14) which are offered on the Coursera and edX platforms. To signal the importance of KE to HKU’s mission, the University approved KEO’s proposal to make KE explicit and articulate the KE elements in its promotion and tenure criteria for professoriate staff, which was implemented in spring 2017. The University also provides tangible support for technology transfer activities, such as commercialisation of research and partnering with industry, through the Technology Transfer Office (TTO). In 2017–18 the TTO showcased HKU inventions at international events, including the 46th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva where HKU inventions won eight awards, the 2018 TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo where they won two awards, the 2017 China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen, and the 2017 InnoCarnival in Hong Kong. The TTO also facilitated strategic partnerships, such as the HKUGuangdong Pharmaceutical University Innovations Platform (see Research chapter). In June 2018, the TTO also published a bilingual guidebook, called An Inventor’s Guide to Technology Transfer, that covers everything from patent protection to marketing and funding sources and is aimed at HKU researchers and staff and anyone interested in understanding the tech transfer process at HKU. These were new activities and unprecedented accomplishments in our history. Entrepreneurship also comes under the TTO’s remit and is fostered through iDendron, which opened in October 2017 as a hub where students, staff and alumni can identify partners and mentors, test-bed their ideas, develop start-up companies and build up their entrepreneurial skills. As of October 2018, iDendron was at near-full capacity in hosting 42 companies, and holding workshops, talks and various educational and pitching events almost weekly. iDendron is also the base for DreamCatchers, which provides $100,000 in seed money for start-ups through the annual DreamCatchers 100K event – in 2018, 85 applications were received. DreamCatchers also held a MedTech Hackathon in June with 55 students from local universities, Shanghai Jiaotong University and Stanford University, as well as young professionals from the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park (HKSTP). iDendron is also the base for the Entrepreneurship Academy, a 10week programme in which about 300 HKU students, alumni, staff and friends enrolled in autumn 2017. Tech start-ups are an important avenue for commercialising and applying our research in the community. The HKU version of the government’s Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities – TSSSU@HKU – has seen 30 new tech start-ups supported since its launch in 2014, including 16 start-ups that were awarded a total $4 million in 2017–18 (including eight new start-ups and eight on-going start-ups, which are eligible for funding up to three consecutive years). The start-ups involve HKU scholars, students or alumni and 12 of the 16 in the recent batch are commercialising HKU technologies. HKU also has a strong presence at the HKSTP, which hosts 50 HKU-affiliated companies, and Hong Kong Cyberport, which hosts about 25 HKU-affiliated companies and two platforms: the HKU x Cyberport Digital Tech Entrepreneurship Platform and the HKU x Cyberport FinTech Nucleus. The TTO is also working with the HKSTP to trace and analyse patent citations and histories so it can refine its strategy for marketing HKU technologies. Taken together, the activities in knowledge exchange and technology transfer are helping to create opportunities and an environment that encourages scholars and students to engage with community, share their knowledge, and find the means to achieve impact well beyond the campus walls. iDendron is a hub where students, staff and alumni can meet to share ideas, develop start-ups and build their entrepreneurial skills. By October this year, just 12 months after its launch, iDendron had played host to 42 fledgling companies. Chief Executive of the HKSAR Mrs Carrie Lam officiated at a reception for winners of the 46th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva. HKU research teams won eight awards at the prestigious event. ︱29 28︱ KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
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