HKU INNOVATION WEEK 2025
Project Showcase
| Project Name | Innovative Solutions | Principal Investigator(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 5D Power – Engineering Intelligent Power Systems for the e-Mobility Era | Electric systems encounter a critical “energy-power” trade-off: energy sources for endurance lack the peak power needed for high-demand tasks like steep ascents. 5D Power’s electro-electrical hybrid system overcomes this by intelligently integrating high-energy batteries with high-power supercapacitors, managed by AI in a modular architecture, thus enabling unprecedented performance and extended lifespan for drones, eVTOLs, and robotics, potentially reducing total operating costs by half. | Prof. Zheng Xiao GUO Professor, Chair of Chemistry and Materials Science Department of Chemistry Faculty of Science |
| A First-in-class Drug Treating the Root Cause of Atopic Dermatitis | Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects an estimated 220 million people worldwide. Current mainstay treatments often rely on steroids and other immunosuppressants, which can cause significant side effects, or antibiotics, which contribute to antimicrobial resistance. Antenovus Biotechnology is pioneering a new approach with a first-in-class, non-steroidal, non-immunosuppressant, non-antibiotic topical drug. Our treatment is specifically designed to inhibit the virulence mechanisms of Staphylococcus aureus—a key pathogen identified by scientists as a critical driver of the debilitating itch and inflammation in AD. By precisely targeting this root cause, we aim to provide lasting relief and significantly improve the quality of life for patients. | Prof. Richard KAO Associate Professor Department of Microbiology Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine |
| Active Earth Intelligence | iEarth delivers a disruptive leap in Earth observation by fusing multi-sensor satellite data into a single, AI-powered intelligence platform, providing near real-time, high-resolution monitoring of essential climate and earth variables—a capability unique in the world. Our proprietary technology reduces computational costs by 1,000x, transforming vast data into intuitive analytics, providing a critical advantage for government, financial, insurance, and carbon trading sectors that depend on precise, timely geospatial insights. | Prof. Peng GONG Professor, Chair of Global Sustainability Department of Geography Faculty of Social Sciences Prof. Yuyu ZHOU Professor Department of Geography Faculty of Social Sciences Dr. Fan DAI Research Committee Member Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality Prof. Bin CHEN Associate Professor Department of Architecture Faculty of Architecture Prof. Dong XU Professor School of Computing and Data Science Faculty of Engineeringand other HKU members |
| AI-Powered Platform Towards 3D Content Generation, Visualization & Interaction | XIntelligence is creating groundbreaking AI-powered communication and entertainment systems that transform flat 2D videos into stunning, interactive 3D experiences. Using advanced deep learning, we bring ordinary visuals to life—adding depth, motion, and realism. This technology opens the door to immersive storytelling, gaming, education, and more, making it easier than ever to step into the world beyond the screen. | Prof. Dong XU Professor School of Computing and Data Science |
| Autonomous Driving Systems for Low-altitude Economy | The future of delivery and transport is in the air, but current autonomy fails where GPS drops and obstacles cluster. Spatial Robotics develops the core autonomous systems that enable safe, autonomous flight even in complex environments, such as GNSS-denied, cluttered scenarios. Using advanced navigation, Real2Sim closed-loop simulation, and AI-driven control, we create reliable aerial solutions ready for real-world missions. This opens up huge commercial opportunities in logistics, urban mobility, surveillance, and beyond across global low-altitude markets. | Prof. Fu ZHANG Associate Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering |
| Bianque Station: Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Pulmonary Large AI Model | Our point-of-care diagnostic device makes top-tier Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) expertise accessible to all. Powered by AI avatars of renowned TCM doctors, it non-invasively monitors lung health and analyzes conditions through pulse diagnosis and medical imaging. This all-in-one station blends TCM and Western medicine to accurately identify issues and suggest treatments. Its cloud-edge setup empowers clinics, pharmacies, and telemedicine services to provide faster, easier, and more accessible respiratory care. | Team of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering: Prof. Yuanwei LIU Professor Jie DONG CEO of Wenda Science and Technology Limited Prof. Hongyang DU Assistant Professor |
| Chinese Medicine Formula GC01 against Diabetic Retinopathy | Current treatments for diabetic retinopathy—which affects 27% of diabetics—require painful eye injections, leading to low patient compliance. GC01, an innovative Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula, offers a promising non-invasive alternative. Targeting the novel myoferlin-related pathway, it has demonstrated encouraging vision-restoring results in early human trials. With strong industry support, the project is aiming at becoming the first NMPA-approved TCM in Hong Kong and the second botanical drug approved by FDA. | Prof. Yibin FENG Professor School of Chinese Medicine LKS Faculty of Medicine |
| Compact and Dynamic Zoom Ultrasound for Medical Diagnosis | SonoMeta is pioneering the next evolution of medical ultrasound. While unmatched in accessibility and cost-efficiency, ultrasound’s utility is constrained by its inability to image through bone. Our world-leading innovation—an AI-powered MetaLens—is a proprietary add-on device that uses dynamically controlled metalens to enable precise penetration of bony structures, drastically improving imaging depth, clarity, and accuracy. By overcoming this fundamental barrier, we are unlocking ultrasound’s full potential to become the new gold standard for early diagnosis. | Team of Faculty of Engineering: Prof. Nicholas X FANG Professor, Chair of Photonics Innovation Department of Mechanical Engineering Prof. Weining LEE Associate Professor Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering |
| Wearable Robots for Assisting Older Adults Using Artificial Muscle Technology | Exynergy creates lightweight, wearable robots with artificial muscles made from Shear Thickening Gel to help older adults move more easily. Controlled by real-time neuro signals, these devices work like natural muscles without delay. After successful testing and positive feedback, the team focuses on commercializing these smart wearables, first for seniors and later expanding to global rehabilitation markets, improving mobility and independence worldwide. | Prof. Ning XI Professor, Chair of Robotics and Automation Department of Data and Systems Engineering Faculty of Engineering |
| A Safe and Effective Platform for Administration of Lutetium177-DOTATOC Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy for Neuroendocrine Tumours or Other Tumours Highly Expressing Somatostatin Receptors | Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), a rare cancer, lack accessible treatment options in many parts of Asia. While advanced radioligand therapy exists in Europe, its short radioactive half-life prevents widespread use in Asian markets. L’Ord’Invent is bridging this gap. We are developing smarter, safer next-generation radioligands that precisely target cancer cells to minimise side effects and maximise quality of life. By establishing the first radiopharmaceutical capability in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, we are positioned to lead this high-growth market and deliver life-changing and epoch-making treatments to millions of patients. | Prof. Victor LEE Clinical Professor Department of Clinical Oncology LKS Faculty of Medicine |
| Guiding Clinical Surgery by Intraoperative Infrared Fluorescence Imaging | We are revolutionizing surgery with advanced dyes and imaging tools that work in the infrared 1000–1700 nm range. This technology gives surgeons “infrared vision” to see tumors, blood vessels, and organs clearly and deeply during operations. Our solution helps overcome current limits like low image quality, enabling precise tumor removal, ureter detection, and sentinel lymph node identification—making surgeries safer and more effective for patients. | Prof. Hongjie DAI Professor, Chair of Chemistry Department of Chemistry Faculty of Science Prof. Feifei WANG Assistant Professor Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Faculty of Engineering |
| Horizon: A Large AI-driven Robotic Nurse Assistant Platform | Horizon is an innovative AI-powered robotic nurse platform improving healthcare in hospitals , care centers and at home. Created by experts in medicine and technology, it provides professional emotional guides, treatment assistants, and analyse risks. Designed to offer health compassionate, reliable care for children and seniors, Horizon aims to make healthcare more accessible and caring in today’s fast-paced world—helping patients heal and feel supported every step of the way. | Dr. Teng ZHANG Assistant Professor Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology LKS Faculty of Medicine |
| Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Islet Organoid for Diabetes Treatment | Nordia has developed 3D islet organoids from human stem cells that closely mimic real islets—offering a promising long-term treatment for diabetes. The islet organoids not only provide the potential for personalized therapy, but are also being developed as universal products for different patients. Nordia is now in the pre-IND stage and has secured HK$7M in angel funding, led by HKX, to accelerate commercialization. | Prof. Zhongjun ZHOU Professor School of Biomedical Sciences LKS Faculty of Medicine |
| Innovative Molecular Emitters For Practical OLEDs And Wearable Devices | Our project creates new, eco-friendly molecular emitters to improve OLED technology without relying on rare metals like iridium. We focus on making stable, efficient full-color emitters, especially blue ones, which are not yet available commercially. We also develop orange-red to near-infrared emitters for use in biomedical wearables. Our innovation aims to make OLEDs more sustainable, reliable, and suitable for both displays and health-related devices. | Prof. Chi-Ming CHE Professor, Chair of Chemistry Department of Chemistry Faculty of Science |
| Innovative Panel-level Nanomanufacturing | InterLitho Innovation Limited uses advanced laser and nanoimprint technologies to create tiny, precise patterns on materials. Their unique two-beam fiber-optic laser system allows fast, accurate, and large-scale production. By combining these methods, InterLitho offers practical, high-volume manufacturing solutions for products like nanophotonics, metasurfaces, biochips, and AR glasses—turning innovative nanotechnology into market-ready, mass-produced items. | Prof. Wendi LI Associate Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering |
| Liver-in-Cube: Bio-printed Novel Precise Theranostics for Liver Cancer & Diseases | Oncoimmunostics has developed “Liver-in-Cube,” the world’s first 3D-bioprinted platform that precisely reconstructs the liver cancer microenvironment in the lab using a patient’s own cells and extracellular matrix. This platform offers a fast and reliable service to help patients find the most effective personalized treatment and a standardized and high-throughput solution for drug assessment and development. This innovative approach is paving the way for a new standard in personalized cancer care. | Team of Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine: Prof. Nancy Kwan MAN Professor, Chair of Transplant Oncology and Immunology Dr. Jiang LIU Research Assistant Professor Dr. Oscar WH YEUNG Postdoctoral Fellow |
| Mass Production of High-quality Flexible Diamond Membranes | Diamond is the ultimate semiconductor material, but the prohibitive cost of synthetic diamond membranes has limited its commercial use. DiamNEX introduces the world’s first edge-exposed exfoliation technology, enabling the production of scalable, single-crystal diamond membranes at 1/1000th the cost, therefore unlocking its unmatched material properties for high-power electronics, quantum computing, and next-generation RF systems. | Prof. Zhiqin CHU Associate Professor (joint appointment with School of Biomedical Sciences) Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Faculty of Engineering |
| MattVerse Limited | MattVerse’s Battery Design Automation (BDA) platform uses advanced AI and quantum tech to revolutionize battery creation from start to finish. It helps discover new materials, design better battery cells, and smartly manage battery use. This all-in-one digital system creates a unique “battery passport” that connects every step of the battery supply chain, speeding up innovation and making batteries safer, cheaper, and more efficient for electric vehicles, gadgets, and beyond. | Prof. Guanhua CHEN Professor, Chair of Theoretical Chemistry Department of Chemistry Faculty of Science |
| Next-generation cancer immunotherapy: A platform based on γδ-T cell-derived exosomes | Our team developed a groundbreaking platform that harnesses the power of immune cell population (γδ-T cell) to create tiny natural particles called exosomes, designed to fight cancer. This technology has already sparked new treatments for multiple tough cancers such as lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, lung cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer and skin cancer. Even more exciting, it could lead to cancer vaccines that not only treat but also prevent cancer before it starts—offering a powerful, new way to save lives and transform healthcare. | Team of Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine: Prof. Wenwei TU ProfessorDr. Xiwei WANG Research Assistant Professor Dr. Yinping LIU Research Officer |
| NPU Chiplet Solution with Advanced Memory Architecture for Emerging Edge-to-Endpoint AI Application | The future of intelligent edge devices requires powerful, efficient AI built directly into hardware. Our innovative NPU (Neural Processing Unit) chiplet—a specialized AI accelerator—integrates memory directly with the processor. This eliminates memory-computing bandwidth bottlenecks, enabling real-time decision-making for endpoint applications while drastically reducing latency and power consumption. Our plug-and-play solution empowers next-generation IoT products across rapidly growing edge AI hardware markets. | Team of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering: Prof. Han WANG Professor Prof. Can LI Assistant Professor Hongjie LIU Hongzhao ZHENG |
| Peptide Drug Innovation and Discovery | The peptide drug market is booming—over USD 100 billion—and China has yet to capture it. SeriTide is seizing this opportunity and positioning itself as a peptide drug discovery powerhouse by leveraging its peptide drug innovation and discovery platform to continuously generate new peptide drug candidates which can overcome traditional peptide limitations in stability, permeability, and half-life, aiming to provide effective and accessible therapies to patients worldwide. | Prof. Xuechen LI Professor, Chair of Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology Morningside Endowed Professor Department of Chemistry Faculty of Science |
| Δ42PD1 Antibody Drug as an Immunotherapy against Cancers and Infections | Orimmune discovered a new drug target called Δ42PD1 that regulates the immune system in a unique way, different from existing anti-cancer immunotherapies. By activating a special immune pathway, Δ42PD1 plays a critical role in diseases like HIV/AIDS and liver cancer. Prof. Chen’s breakthrough unlocks the door to innovative immunotherapies, promising to transform patient care and create significant opportunities in the biotech market. | Prof. Zhiwei CHEN Professor, Chair of Immunology & Immunotherapy Suen Chi-Sun Professor in Clinical Science AIDS Institute and Department of Microbiology LKS Faculty of Medicine |
| Unlocking the Potential of a Promising Peptide Drug in the Fight Against Obesity | Following the success of GLP-1 drugs, OBPHARM Limited, a University of Hong Kong spinoff, is developing Hong Kong’s first “magic pill” to fight obesity. After 25 years of research, this breakthrough drug promises to revolutionize how obesity is treated—offering a safer, more effective solution. With huge global demand, OBPHARM is poised to lead the next wave in weight-loss medicine and tap into a vast, rapidly growing market. | Prof. Yu WANG Professor Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy LKS Faculty of Medicine Prof. Xuechen LI Professor, Chair of Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology Morningside Endowed Professor Department of Chemistry Faculty of Science |
| Advanced Cooling Materials for Power Semiconductor | Overheating is an emerging critical challenge across electric vehicles, AI and supercomputing, low-altitude aircraft, and other sectors reliant on high-power semiconductors. Dynano addresses this with a series of advanced thermal management materials and innovative packaging designs for high-power semiconductor systems. Our integrated technology boosts system performance while extending operational lifetime, enabling safer, more reliable high-power applications. | Prof. Mingxin HUANG Professor, Chair of Materials Technology Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering |
| Redefining ADC Therapeutics Through Target-Driven Precision with AI | We built an AI-powered drug discovery platform that rapidly and cost-effectively generates novel drug candidates. By integrating AI, computational chemistry, and bioinformatics, our technology addresses the inefficiencies of traditional pharmaceutical R&D, reducing toxicity risks and improving success rates. Leading global pharma companies have shown strong interest in our approach, and we are actively pursuing commercialization through strategic partnerships, licensing, and pipeline sales to bring innovative therapies to market. | Team of Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science: Prof. Chi-Ming CHE Professor, Chair of Chemistry Dr. Serena YANG CEO of AILSI (AI and Life Sciences Institute (HK) Research Assistant Professor |