The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) selected eight cutting-edge projects for the latest round of Sustainable Smart Campus as a Living Lab program for testing on campus. Covering a wide range of sustainability challenges on campus, the projects address energy efficiency, renewable energy optimization, water management, wellness, ecosystem enhancement, and predictive maintenance strategies, providing students and faculty with hands-on experience with prototypes before real-world implementation.
With a total funding allocation of HK$3.3 million, these eight project teams - representing scientists and staff from eight different departments - will transform various areas of the campus starting later this year. The Living Labs program emphasizes real-world impact, accelerating sustainability research by faculty, students, and alumni to support HKUST's 2028 Sustainability Challenge and Net-Zero Action Plan 2045, while turning the Clear Water Bay campus into a vibrant testbed for practical new innovations. Projects are selected through a rigorous selection process that incorporates feedback from panels of industry leaders and campus operations experts.
"Year after year, our Living Lab project teams find novel ways to apply their expertise to address our critical sustainability challenges," says Prof. TAM Kar-Yan, HKUST Vice-President for Administration and Business. "Ranging from biodiversity to robotics, this year's projects represent a new benchmark in the breadth of proposals from our community to tackle a myriad of sustainability issues our society faces. We look forward to nurturing these vital projects from lab concepts into high-impact applications, paving the way for accelerated adoption in Hong Kong and beyond."
Dr. Kenneth LEUNG, Director of Sustainability/Net-Zero of HKUST, added, "The Living Lab concept we have developed over the years has transformed our campus. This initiative has not only accelerated research and development but also fostered collaboration across our university community. Through this approach, students, faculty, and campus operations staff can seamlessly connect to implement innovative solutions together. This collaborative model now extends beyond our campus, bridging early-stage startups (such as those at HKSTP) with HKUST scientists for joint research - with the long-term goal of expanding into commercial applications in the near future."
The eight 2025 Living Labs projects are:
- Robot-led facilities inspection: Builds on HKUST's digital twin platform to deploy AI-enabled robots for autonomous safety inspections, air quality monitoring, and maintenance recommendations (Project Leader: Prof. Jack Chin Pang CHENG).
- Detecting hidden water leaks: Addresses HKUST's estimated 25% water loss by digitizing the water network with smart sensors and AI-driven predictive maintenance and monitoring (Project Leader: Prof. Mohamed Salah GHIDAOUI).
- Smart wall for temperature regulation: Reduces cooling needs using phase-change materials which can be tuned to absorb internal heat during daytime and release the heat at night (Project Leader: Prof. Qiye ZHENG).
- AI-optimized chiller selection: Dynamically selects the most efficient chiller combinations for HKUST's cooling plant based on real-time performance (Project Leader: Prof. Walter Zhe WANG).
- GenAI for better building comfort: Replaces rule-based air conditioning controls with AI-driven adjustments to improve tenant comfort and energy efficiency (Project Leader: Prof. LI Mo).
- Automated large-scale solar panel monitoring: Boosts renewable energy output by automatically monitoring HKUST's large-scale solar system to identify dirty, broken, or underperforming solar panels (Project Leaders: Prof. Walter Zhe WANG).
- Oyster habitats for water quality and biodiversity: Introduces 3D-printed biodegradable reefs to enhance water filtration, marine biodiversity and oyster growth along HKUST's shoreline (Project Leaders: Mr. Dean CHAN & Prof. Larry LI).
- Collective digital moodboard for the community: Converts QR-submitted mood responses from the community into AI-generated designs for a collaborative campus display (Project Leader: Prof. Tristan BRAUD).
About the Sustainable Smart Campus as a Living Lab Program
Launched in 2019, the Living Lab program, co-led by the HKUST Sustainability/Net-Zero Office and the GREAT Smart Cities Institute, has pioneered a novel approach of testing ideas across HKUST campus. Students and faculty are encouraged to submit project proposals, with selected initiatives receiving funding for implementation within campus operations. This allows researchers to refine ideas, assess real-world impact, and explore scaling the initiatives to the wider community.
With a focus on enhancing campus operations, the projects are part of a broader effort to fulfill HKUST's 2028 Sustainability Challenge and Net-Zero Action Plan 2045, which includes targets concerning energy, water, landfill waste, and community well-being. Today, the Living Lab program is financed by funds generated from the Feed-in-Tariff Scheme. Since 2023, the program has matched early-stage startups with HKUST scientists to conduct joint research.
View details of all accepted HKUST's Living Lab projects.
