The Centre of Functional Materials for Energy and Sustainability (CFMES) of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has been officially approved for admission to the third InnoHK research cluster, SEAM@InnoHK, which focuses on sustainable development, energy, advanced manufacturing, and materials. This marks an important expansion of HKU's involvement in InnoHK, adding to the existing seven HKU research labs within the Health@InnoHK and AIR@InnoHK clusters.
CFMES will leverage on the unique strengths and competitive edges to address bottleneck challenges in advancing discovery of advanced battery materials and electric-enabled technology for energy storage, green conversion and sustainability applications, and innovative light-emitting materials, and light-enabled and responsive materials and technology for energy and materials conversion, and recyclable sustainability through international, national and local inter-institutional and industrial collaborations.
Led by Professor Vivian Wing-Wah Yam, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global Innovation Centre) (Interim), Philip Wong Wilson Wong Professor in Chemistry and Energy, and co-headed by Professor Hongjie Dai, Sapientia Eminence Professor, both Chair Professors at the Department of Chemistry of HKU, the Centre will work with renowned collaborators, including The University of Groningen, the Max Planck Institute, Peking University and Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, and The University of Tokyo.
Professor Yam highlighted the significance of the initiative, saying, "We are thrilled to be selected as a SEAM@InnoHK Centre, and we envision our CFMES as the premier Centre to provide solutions to important global real-world energy and sustainability challenges through innovative original research in advanced functional materials and processes. This will also serve as an international S&T hub to bring top talents both from academia and industry to Hong Kong and the GBA, to tackle the grand challenges, and to actively align with the National S&T strategy."
Professor Stephanie Ma, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) of HKU, said, "I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to ITC for its funding and unwavering support of HKU's research initiatives. I would also like to warmly congratulate Professor Vivian Yam and for her vision for this new InnoHK Centre. With HKU's outstanding research capabilities and distinguished scholars, together with the strengths of InnoHK's world-renowned universities and research institutions, we are confident that these international collaborations will significantly accelerate the translation of research outcomes into real-world impact, bringing tangible and far-reaching contributions to a sustainable future."
InnoHK is a major innovation and technology initiative by the Hong Kong SAR Government to develop Hong Kong as a hub for global research collaboration. Two InnoHK research clusters have already been established: Health@InnoHK focusing on healthcare technology, and AIR@InnoHK focusing on artificial intelligence and robotics technologies.
For details about InnoHK@HKU, please visit: https://www.hkuinno.com.hk
