HKAES holds the 2nd Hong Kong Engineering Science and Technology Award
HKAES holds the 2nd Hong Kong Engineering Science and Technology Award
Commends Hong Kong’s I&T Elites for their Extraordinary Achievements
11 September 2024
Picture 1: The HKAES held the 2023 HKEST Award Ceremony cum Distinguished Lectures
on 23 August, at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
In order to commend and recognize the outstanding contributions and achievements of Hong Kong's young generation in the field of engineering science and technology, the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES) has launched the prestigious Hong Kong Engineering Science and Technology (HKEST) Award since 2022. The 2nd HKEST Awards (2023) Ceremony cum Distinguished Lectures was held at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 23 August. Four local experts from materials science, renewable energy engineering, and color and imaging science won the award. On the day, around 200 engineers, scholars, industry experts and leaders gathered physically and virtually to celebrate the event.
Founded in 1994, HKAES was formed by eminent engineers to promote scientific advancement and the practice of engineering for the benefit of Hong Kong. With the sponsorship of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong SAR Government, the HKAES established the HKEST Awards in 2022, aiming to acclaim young scientists, engineers, and technologists from diverse disciplines who have excelled in developing creative solutions to problems through research, development, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and have made significant advancements to the betterment of society. Ir Dr Alex CHAN, SBS, Senior Vice President of the HKAES and Chairman of the Selection Committee of the HKEST Award, said in his welcome speech: “We envision this award as an excellent platform for young researchers and engineers to demonstrate their skills and expertise in the field of engineering. It not only highlights their accomplishments but also fosters innovation and technology development. With the unique advantage of closely connecting with the Greater Bay Area and the rest of the world, we hope to collectively enhance Hong Kong’s recognition as a leading hub for I&T on the global stage.”
The winners of the 2nd HKEST Awards are (in alphabetical order):
- Prof. Mingxin HUANG
- Chair Professor and Head of Department, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong
- Ir Prof. Yi-Chun LU
- Professor, Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Co-founder, Luquos Energy Ltd
- Prof. Minchen Tommy WEI
- Professor, Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering; Director of Color Imaging and Metaverse Research Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Prof. Angus Hin-Lap YIP
- Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering and School of Energy and Environment; Associate Director, Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong
Ir Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, BBS, JP, President of the HKAES and President of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, introduced and read the citations of each awardee. Prof. TENG described the four award winners as “having made extraordinary achievements in their respective fields. Their research not only presents world-class advancements and solutions to their industries, but how their research outcomes have translated into successful products also brings numerous opportunities for engineering science and technology development in Hong Kong”.
Picture 2: (front, from left) Prof. Angus Hin-Lap YIP; Ir Prof. Yi-Chun LU; Ir Dr Alex CHAN; Mr Tim LUI;
Ir Prof. Jin-Guang TENG; Prof. Minchen Tommy WEI; and Prof. Mingxin HUANG
The award ceremony invited Mr Tim LUI, GBS, JP, Chairman of the University Grants Committee as the guest of honor. “As we celebrate these achievements today, we are reminded of the importance of supporting and nurturing our next generation of engineers and scientists. In the Policy Address last year, the Chief Executive stressed the importance of further strengthening the promotion of STEAM education, for which, the pursuit of engineering study is an intergrow and indispensable component". He also applauded that four local scholars had won the award not only proved the success of local universities in cultivating innovation and technology elites, but also encouraged aspiring students to join related academic research.
In addition to the lecture sessions conducted by the four award winners, the event also invited Ir Ricky Wing-kee LEUNG, Executive Director of Engineering & Technology of the Airport Authority Hong Kong, as well as Prof. Joe S. QIN, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University, to deliver keynote speeches to the attendees. Ir Ricky Wing-kee LEUNG shared his topic on “The Development of Autonomous Vehicles at Hong Kong International Airport” and elaborated on the vision of the Hong Kong International Airport, from the application of driverless electric train systems to the future development of driverless vehicles and autonomous transportation systems. Prof. Joe S. QIN gave a lecture on “Probabilistic Reduced-Dimensional Modeling of Multidimensional Time Series in Engineering and Science” and shared with participants the latest research and development of data modeling in the field of data science.
Introduction to the winners of the 2023 HKEST Awards:
- Prof. Mingxin HUANG is a renowned scientist in materials engineering, especially in the development of high-performance metals. His invention of "super steel" has set two world records. This new type of steel has ultra strength, ductility and toughness, and is four times stronger than ordinary construction steel. "Super steel" is also much lighter than traditional steel and has lower production costs. In addition, Prof. HUANG successfully developed the world's first stainless steel for hydrogen production, enabling its potential application for green hydrogen production from seawater. During the COVID-19 epidemic, he also developed stainless steel with high copper content that can kill COVID-19 and other viruses on its surface. At present, his project has received approximately HK$80 million in research funding, which he aims to further develop lighter and stronger metals, especially for the production of electric vehicles.
- Ir Prof. Yi-Chun LU specializes in materials science and energy engineering. The charge-reinforced ion-selective (CRIS) membrane she created has overcome the technical bottleneck of the short battery life of sulphur-based redox flow batteries. She also developed another groundbreaking technology which can greatly improve the reaction rate and energy efficiency of this environmentally friendly battery, providing an important solution for large-scale storage of renewable energy, such as solar and wind energy. Prof. LU co-founded Luquos Energy in 2020, focusing on scalable, safe, and sustainable battery technologies for grid storage. She is also a recipient of multiple international awards, such as Top 10 Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year Award (2020).
- Prof. Minchen Tommy WEI dedicates his research to color and lighting science, His works not only bring innovative progress to film and television production, but are also essential for the development of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and Metaverses. The six-color RGBACL (red, green, blue, amber, cyan, lemon yellow) lighting module and control algorithm he created have been widely used in the global film and television industry, including Hollywood blockbusters such as "Avatar" and "Batman" movies. Earlier this year, he developed breakthrough solutions to achieve accurate color capturing and rendering for Huawei and Xiaomi. Moreover, he has been working with Meta (i.e., Facebook) to develop solutions for VR/AR/MR, the new generation of imaging products.
- Prof. Angus Hin-Lap YIP is an expert in materials science and renewable energy technology. He promotes the use of renewable energy in cities through the development of innovative photovoltaic technologies. His research includes new printable perovskite solar cells that are as thin and flexible as film, increasing the possibility of using solar power and developing more smart products. Prof. YIP also introduced a new perovskite material for producing solar cells at a lower cost. He was also honored as ESI “Highly Cited Researcher” by 2014-2022, and currently serves as an editorial board member of Science Bulletin and Nanomaterials, and the international advisory board member for Matter.
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