HKUST Annual Report 2021-2022

19 HKUST Annual Report 2021-2022 Learning for Life FOSTERING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET Building technology transfer opportunities and an entrepreneurial spirit, the University and Beijing Institute of Collaborative Innovation (BICI) established the HKUST SENG-BICI Entrepreneurship PhD Program. Under this program, engineering students can pursue doctoral studies in stipulated key technology areas at HKUST and enhance their experience through learning and training opportunities in innovation and entrepreneurship at BICI. In September 2021, HKUST joined the “Level Up Digital Talent Program” launched by Facebook as a lead partner to nurture future entrepreneurs’ digital skills. The University has used Facebook’s Blueprint digital marketing materials to help develop a curriculum for HKUST students and those from partner universities (Lingnan University and Singapore University of Technology and Design). The goal is to provide participants with opportunities to deepen their skills in this area using real-world scenarios. To boost start-up development and progression, the HKUST Entrepreneurship Center (EC) inspired over 1,500 students and alumni to participate in EC-organized competitions, including hackUST 2022 and the HKUST Social Entrepreneurship Climate Challenge 2022. Another flagship entrepreneurship event is the HKUST One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition. The Grand Final of the 2021 contest, held in Nansha in December 2021, was won by X-MAGTECH, a start-up from Beijing specializing in quantum sensing technology and selected as national champion by a jury consisting of 10 HKUST professors and 10 investors. In 2022, the Hong Kong regional contest was opened up to overseas as well as local contestants for the first time, attracting over 700 participants from 175 teams and nine countries and regions. The winner was AutoSafe, co-founded by civil engineering postgraduates and faculty from HKUST. The company provides a computer vision-based solution for automated site condition and safety monitoring for construction project owners, such as governments or developers. HKUST also became the university with the largest number of participants and start-up teams to receive championships and awards at Hong Kong’s first City I&T Grand Challenge. The event was organized by the Innovation and Technology Commission and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, with the focus on environmental sustainability and social connectivity. HKUST teams won three championships, two innovation awards, and a “most favoured” honor in the Open and University/Tertiary Institute sections.