PolyU Sets Record with Multiple Awards at International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva

Impactful innovations from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) won a record-breaking number of accolades at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (Geneva Inventions Expo), a widely recognised annual event devoted exclusively to invention.

43 PolyU innovations seized 45 accolades, including two Special Prizes, five Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury, 18 Gold Medals, 13 Silver Medals and seven Bronze Medals. Among them, 19 were developed under the InnoHK research centres led by PolyU in collaboration with top research institutions around the world. This achievement underscores the commitment of the PolyU community, encompassing scholars, students and alumni, to embracing research breakthroughs.

The PolyU innovation which grasped the Prize of the Saudi Arabian Delegation and Gold Medal is the world’s first portable High-Definition corneal topographer developed by a research team led by Prof. KEE Chea-su, Head and Professor, PolyU School of Optometry and Deputy Director of Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR). It is commercialised through the PolyU academic-led startup GOOD Vision Technologies Co., Limited. The award-winning innovation supports eye care practitioners in assessing risks and facilitating timely interventions, which are critical for visual development in children as young as four years old. It outperforms existing devices with its flexibility, compact size, utlisation of normative data from Chinese populations, and affordability, allowing for early diagnosis of vision conditions such as astigmatism and corneal ectasia.

Centre for Advances in Reliability and Safety (CAiRS) was awarded the Prize of the International Federation of Inventors’ Association – IFIA and Gold Medal for its RailSwinX project, which enhances rail track defect detection through cutting edge AI technology.

Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation), extended his congratulations to the University’s winning teams and stated, “I am thrilled about the exceptional accomplishments of PolyU’s research teams at the Geneva Inventions Expo this year. The results are truly encouraging and serve as a testament to the outstanding research capabilities of our scholars and experts. The international recognition will inspire them to continue pursuing excellence, not only in basic research but also in translating their research outcomes into positive impacts for the benefit of Hong Kong, our Nation, and the world.”

This year, PolyU’s award-winning projects span the fields of life sciences and healthcare, renewable energy, new energy vehicles, materials and sensing technology, civil engineering, food science, and vision and eye health. These projects demonstrate the University’s dedication to improving human health and lives and contributing to sustainable development.

PolyU is at the forefront globally of driving innovation and entrepreneurship. Among the PolyU award-winning teams, 10 are PolyU-nurtured startups, some of which were founded by the University’s scholars. To-date, the University has trained over 7,600 entrepreneurs, including researchers, alumni and students, and nurtured nearly 500 active startups PolyU innovations and research projects have also garnered close to 400 international and local awards.

The 49th Geneva Inventions Expo attracted 1,035 entries from 38 countries and regions. PolyU’s award-winning projects are listed below. To learn more about these impactful projects, please refer to the Appendix or visit the website of the PolyU Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship Office.