News & Stories

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) showcased its groundbreaking advancements in medical technology and thought leadership at the 2025 Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH) today.  As the event’s exclusive Thematic Session and Health Innovation Partner, HKUST highlighted how technology and collaboration can create a more equitable and sustainable healthcare system for hundreds of participants, including policymakers, healthcare experts, industry leaders, start-ups and investors from around the globe.  

Two healthtech innovators nurtured by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) - PanopticAI Limited (PanopticAI) and SmartCare Technology Co Limited (SmartCare), have entered a landmark collaboration with Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong (Gleneagles). Witnessed by Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST; Dr. Prem Kumar NAIR, Group Chief Executive Officer of IHH Healthcare; and Dr. Patrick LAU, Deputy Executive Director of Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the tripartite collaboration agreement signing marks a strategic effort to deploy AI-powered smart clinic solutions at Gleneagles MediCentre, set to launch in late 2025. The partnership exemplifies the commitment of both HKUST and Gleneagles to translating research excellence into real-world applications with a view to facilitating healthcare advancements through the University’s robust entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Pursuing undergraduate studies in Hong Kong 15 years ago marked the start of a highly rewarding journey for Malaysian native Dr. Nick CHIN Jing-Wei. He not only realized his dream of establishing a technology start-up, but also set up his own family here.

Echoing the HKSAR Government’s strategy to develop artificial intelligence (AI) as a core industry, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today announced the establishment of the Von Neumann Institute (VNI). This pioneering research institute is dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration by integrating embodied intelligence, generative AI, and advanced supercomputing to drive new quality productive forces in the evolving era of AI.

HKUST’s Engineering Commons, opened in 2013, has been the School of Engineering’s “family room” that enhances interaction of the engineering community and enables the display of top-notch research of its faculty members. Located at a key intersection of the campus, the Engineering Commons was renovated in 2024 after being used for more than a decade. As the Commons officially reopened in October 2024, it features an array of new research applications that are most relevant to campus life, including AIoT sensing research led by Prof. Gary CHAN Shueng-Han of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

Staff and students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) can now access Hong Kong’s first homegrown artificial intelligence large language model (LLM), developed by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center (HKGAI), at no cost! Previously exclusive to civil servants for pilot use, HKUST is the first local university to trial the HKGAI V1 LLM, marking a significant milestone in the University’s AI development, unlocking new possibilities for learning and teaching while fostering innovation, collaboration, and responsible AI practices.

Standing at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the three visionary HKUST alumni—Dr. Kyle WONG, Dr. Nick CHIN, and Teric CHAN—never underestimate the power of their school-day dreams to safeguard the health of their fellow citizens. With unwavering dedication and innovative spirit, they have poured their hearts and souls into their inventions over the past five years, ultimately giving rise to the world’s first mobile app for contactless pulse rate measurement cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2024. That same year, Kyle and Teric were named on Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in the healthcare and science category, gaining global recognition as rising entrepreneurs.

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs has predicted that by 2050, over 68% of the global population will reside in cities. This massive projected urban population (6.5+ billion) will no doubt put a great deal of strain on infrastructure, resources and the world’s ecosystems, but, from an engineering standpoint, such large-scale urbanization also presents tremendous opportunities for technological, human as well as other societal and economic development.