The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) announced that has entered into a partnership agreement with a China-based consumer electronics company towards the setting up of the “PolyU-OPPO Joint Innovation Lab” (Joint Lab).
The laboratory will focus on joint research projects including AI-driven computational imaging and its chipisation, computer vision, immersive multimedia and AR/VR technology. The tech firm is working to provide total funding of no less than RMB10 million to support PolyU research and innovation projects and the establishment and operation of the Joint Lab.
The Joint Lab will leverage the expertise of PolyU’s applied research and the market-leading advantages of the tech firm to facilitate innovation and breakthroughs in innovative technologies, the cultivation of talents and the provision of social benefits, according to Prof. Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU.
The two will use the Joint Lab as a platform for academic exchange and joint science and engineering research projects, sharing these research outcomes and nurturing highly skilled talents together. The lab will be a leading force in catalysing academia-industry cooperation and innovative technology development in the Greater Bay Area.
The cooperation agreement was signed on 22 September 2022 by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU and the Vice President and President of the tech firm’s Research Institute during a video conference officiating the launch of the Joint Lab. Prof. ZHANG Lei, Chair Professor of Computer Vision and Image Analysis at the Department of Computing, PolyU, will be the Joint Lab’s director on behalf of the University.
Prof. Christopher Chao noted that the University collaborates with local and international enterprises to promote knowledge transfer and advance economic and social development through the transformation of research outcomes into practical applications. He reiterated that the Joint Lab would leverage the expertise of PolyU’s applied research and the market-leading advantages of the tech firm to facilitate innovation and breakthroughs in innovative technologies, the cultivation of talents and the provision of social benefits.
Meanwhile, the tech firm’s VP noted that the company abides by the concept of making the best use of science and technology for humankind and strives to develop innovative technologies and excellent products to bring the best technology experience to users around the world.
In its pursuit of innovation, the firm aims to work alongside those in academia to explore various modes of cooperation for joint research and development as well as talent cultivation. By integrating the insights and experience of the industry with the excellent foundational talent and research capabilities of the University, we will be able to develop an ongoing and win-win industry-university partnership.
The global computational photography market was valued at US$10.7 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach US$29.0 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 22.0% during the forecast period. The growing incidence of sharing images and videos via advanced media sharing technologies is a key component of social networking across the globe within the smartphone and multimedia tablet ecosystem.
In addition, the enhancement in the image resolution of sensors along with the technological advancements in camera modules, components, and design is driving the market. The growing demand for superior vision technology in the computer vision industry is expected to lay new growth opportunities for computational cameras industry growth during the forecast period.
