HKUST Annual Report 2023-2024

27 HKUST Annual Report 2023-2024 joined two HKUST Industry Engagement Day Plus (IED+) events, focusing on microelectronics innovation and technologies to realize the dual carbon target respectively. In another valuable forum, the Founders’ Club created connections between the University’s dynamic graduates-turned-entrepreneurs and helped bridge the gap between HKUST founders and industry, government, and investors. Over the year, more than 160 fellows and members joined the club. Empowering Enterprise Beyond Borders HKUST has established several Mainland platforms that take forward our role in Greater Bay Area innovation and spur knowledge transfer to regional industries. Over 2023-24, HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute (FYTRI) in Nansha expanded its facilities, equipment, and incubation services, providing a hub for start-ups from HKUST and HKUST(GZ). This led to official recognition as a provincial-level university science and technology park in April 2024. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) S&T Park is the first of its kind nationwide, with deep Guangdong-Hong Kong integration a major feature. FYTRI also received laboratory accreditation from the China National Accreditation Service (CNAS) for Conformity Assessment. The accreditation enables FYTRI to conduct testing and evaluations under relevant domestic and international standards, and for test data issued by FYTRI to be mutually recognized in more than 100 countries and regions around the world. On the start-up funding front, in September 2023, FYTRI endorsed the establishment of the RMB200 million Guangzhou Redbird Set-sailing Fund. The fund managed by HKUST alumni company Midas Capital focuses on early-stage start-ups in areas such as IT, advanced manufacturing, new energy, and advanced materials. In Shenzhen, 59 start-ups joined the University’s Blue Bay incubator in 2023-24, six of which secured over RMB100 million in external investment. Now moving into its 2.0 incubation program, Blue Bay is set to develop more distinctive services for start-ups at different stages of growth and development. More space is also being sought for experiments and manufacturing activities. 261 Invention Disclosures 416 IP filed 385 IP granted 90 new IP utilized