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HKBU launches international symposium and initiatives to drive green technology innovation
31 Oct 2025
To address pressing environmental challenges and help Hong Kong achieve carbon neutrality, HKBU hosted the International GreenTech Symposium 2025 on 9 October. The event marked two major milestones — the launch of the Global Circularity Incubator, designed to attract and nurture international green technology start-ups, and the establishment of the International GreenTech Alliance (iGreenTech), a global network connecting academia, industry, and research institutions to accelerate green innovation.
Supported by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and the Hong Kong–Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (HSITP), the Symposium drew strong participation from academia, industry, government, and investors. It provided a vibrant platform for collaboration, focusing on translating research breakthroughs into sustainable, real-world solutions.
Officiating guests at the opening ceremony included Ms Lillian Cheong, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China; Mr Arthur Lee Hok-yin, Commissioner for Climate Change, Environment and Ecology Bureau of the Government of the HKSAR; Ms Xu Jian, Director of the Department of Education, Scientific and Technology Affairs from the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in HKSAR; Professor Alex Wai, HKBU President and Vice-Chancellor; and Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer of HKBU.
Turning ideas into impact
For Professor Alex Wai, the challenge lies in scaling ideas from lab prototypes to real-world applications. “This Symposium brings together distinguished experts and industry leaders to address this critical challenge through meaningful dialogues and shared insights, exploring the journey of sustaining innovations from inception, or ‘zero to one’, through successful commercialisation and scale-up, or ‘one to ten’,” he says.
The Symposium featured six panel discussions on trending topics such as clean hydrogen production, energy storage, and waste valorisation. Visionary leaders shared insights on transforming technological advances into practical solutions. Speakers included Mr Norman Chan from The Hong Kong Electric Company Limited; Dr-Ing. Timo Hardiman from Fraunhofer IGB; Dr Giuseppe Indelicato from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center; Mr Thomas Lui from CLP Power Hong Kong Limited; and Professor Xu Rong from Nanyang Technological University.
Building a global GreenTech ecosystem
A highlight of the event was the official launch of the Global Circularity Incubator, jointly developed by HKBU and HKSTP. The programme will leverage HKBU’s research strengths in green and sustainability technologies to attract start-ups and entrepreneurs worldwide. It aims to turn circular economy principles into viable business solutions by connecting academia, technology-transfer bodies, and industry partners.
Meanwhile, the newly formed iGreenTech brings together 12 globally renowned institutions, including the Technical University of Munich, five Fraunhofer institutes from Germany, Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore, A*STAR, the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, and NAREE International Limited. The Alliance will advance research on hydrogen value chains and waste valorisation, fostering international collaboration to address global sustainability challenges.