HKUST Unicorn Day Strengthens Innovation Ecosystem with Over 1,800 Participants

HONG KONG SAR – The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) hosted its annual “Unicorn Day” on June 2, 2026, attracting over 1,800 participants. This flagship event in Hong Kong’s innovation and entrepreneurship landscape included students, faculty, alumni, government representatives, industry partners, investors, and researchers. The gathering aimed to foster collaboration within the innovation ecosystem and accelerate the translation of research into practical applications.

Key Participants and Highlights

The event featured notable attendees, including Prof. Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, along with consuls-general and senior officials from countries such as Australia, France, India, and Japan. They were joined by Prof. Nancy Ip, President of HKUST; Prof. Lionel Ni, President of HKUST (Guangzhou); and Prof. Tim Cheng, Vice-President for Research and Development at HKUST. Together, they toured over 100 startups nurtured by HKUST, showcasing innovations in healthcare, electronics, artificial intelligence, new materials, green energy, and sustainability.

Prof. Sun emphasized the importance of innovation and technology (I&T) in the Hong Kong SAR Government’s agenda. He acknowledged local universities as essential partners in building Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem. He noted HKUST’s rapid ascent as a global leader in deep tech and entrepreneurship, highlighting its role in nurturing unicorns and deep-tech ventures. He expressed confidence that Hong Kong is entering a golden era of I&T development, focusing on research and development in key fields.

Celebrating 35 Years of Innovation

Prof. Ip remarked on HKUST’s 35th anniversary, celebrating the university’s long-standing commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. The establishment of the Technology Transfer Center and the Entrepreneurship Center in the university’s early years has supported faculty and students in their entrepreneurial endeavors. Over the past three and a half decades, HKUST has made significant strides in various fields, including medical education. The newly established HKUST Medical School aims to integrate life sciences with advanced technologies to produce interdisciplinary medical professionals.

HKUST’s involvement in national initiatives, such as the Chang’E 8 lunar exploration mission and research for the Tiangong Space Station, underscores its commitment to impactful research. These achievements resonate with the event’s theme, “From Ideas to Miracles—35 Years of Impact and Beyond.” Looking forward, HKUST aims to cultivate a vibrant innovation ecosystem that ensures research benefits society and creates lasting global impact.

International Collaboration and Partnerships

To facilitate global market expansion for startups, HKUST introduced an “International Pavilion,” featuring startups and innovation organizations from various countries, including Thailand, Singapore, and Korea. This initiative aims to strengthen connections between Hong Kong and nations along the Belt and Road in technology application and industry development.

The event also included the signing of multiple partnership agreements, establishing six strategic collaborations with organizations such as:

• GPTX Investment Management Limited
• China Everbright Water Limited
• Jiangsu Daotop Environmental Technology
• Samsung R&D Institute China – Guangzhou
• CalmCar Physical AI Innovation Center
• InnoAngel

These partnerships are designed to enhance talent development, foster industry-academia integration, and promote innovation-driven research.

Driving Economic Growth Through Research

In conjunction with the event, HKUST released a report titled Driving Socioeconomic Impact Through Research and Innovation: Insights from HKUST, prepared by the international research analytics organization Elsevier. The report highlights HKUST’s impressive performance in innovation and entrepreneurship, noting an average research output growth of 10% over the past five years—approximately 9% higher than other local institutions.

More than 65% of HKUST’s research is concentrated in engineering and computer science, with 6.2% involving academia-industry collaboration, significantly surpassing the global average of 2.7%. These collaborations have resulted in approximately 1,670 patent applications and 700 grants, with an intellectual property utilization rate exceeding 30%.

Prof. Cheng noted that the findings reflect HKUST’s strengthening capabilities in research translation and collaboration with industry. The university’s publications achieved a Field-Weighted Citation Impact of 4.40, indicating a citation impact 4.4 times the global average, underscoring its contributions to Hong Kong’s socioeconomic development.

Showcasing Startup Innovations

The event featured a “Marketplace” showcasing products launched by startups, including AI analytics tools, healthcare technologies, and smart city solutions. This exhibition demonstrated the progress made in translating research into practical applications.

Source: www.zawya.com

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Published on 2026-06-02 17:57:00 • By the Editorial Desk