According to a recent press release, projects led by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have recently received funding support from the inaugurated Research Impact Fund (RIF) under the Research Grants Council (RGC).
Among them, half of them are health-related, covering areas of drug development, detection of scoliosis, myopia control and food safety (by using big data and IoT enabled approach).
This has rightly demonstrated not only the strong research capabilities of the University but also the contribution of its research to the well-being of the community.
The first project is the development of a colistin/adjuvant antimicrobial regimen that exhibits low toxicity and high efficacy in combating multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. It received HK$6 million.
The second project, i.e., the Early Detection of progressive adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and optimization for non-surgical treatments using novel 3D ultrasound imaging, received HK$8.4 million.
The third project, i.e., tackling grand challenges in food safety: a big data and IoT enabled approach, received HK$5.4.
The fourth project which will work on the effects of bright light therapy, myopic defocus, atropine and the combinations for controlling myopic eye growth in schoolchildren: a randomized control trial, received HK$8 million.
The Vice President (Research Development) at PolyU noted that as an institution that is committed to conducting impactful research for the benefit of the community, it has made healthcare and medical-related research one of the foci of research.
From drug development, AI-powered medical images, predictive analytics and diagnosis, to surgical robotic systems and preventive medical intervention, the university is leveraging its cross-disciplinary strength to come up with solutions to help prevent and treat illnesses as well as to enhance the health and well-being of the community.
The 10 PolyU projects funded by RIF received a total of HK$65 million, representing one-third in terms of both funding and number of projects of the RIF in 2018/19.
Other than the health-related projects, the other projects are related to the development of the Smart City, transportation and marine reclamation.
The support that PolyU is receiving is in line with the region’s smart city goals.
Part of the HKSAR Government’s strategy for nurturing talent is to enhance research and development (R&D) capability through collaboration with renowned institutions in other jurisdictions. In addition, the Government seeks to attract and retain more I&T professionals, especially in biotechnology, data science, artificial intelligence, robotics and cybersecurity.
Hence, the funding that PolyU has received will enable students to remain to continue their research.
Ultimately, the aim is to have a local supply of data scientists and other technology practitioners in need and to have more successful entrepreneurs in their new ventures.
Looking ahead, the city will continue to explore and formulate initiatives to nurture a highly adaptive population to embrace changes in technology and build a knowledge-based society to support future development of I&T.
The mission of Hong Kong’s Smart City manifesto embraces I&T to build a world-famed Smart Hong Kong characterised by a strong economy and high quality of living. The Mission is to make people happier, healthier, smarter and more prosperous, and the city greener, cleaner, more liveable, sustainable, resilient and competitive.
