The PolyU-Wuxi Technology and Innovation Research Institute, a project of Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Wuxi provincial government, opened at the aviation and aerospace industrial park in the Wuxi Airport Economic Development Zone on Thursday.

During the opening ceremony, the institute signed agreements with several enterprises, such as Wuxi Hyatech, APALT, CHISON Medical Technologies, Jiangsu Sunlant Bioengineering, and I·Campus, to launch research cooperation.

PolyU, a public research university with an 85-year history, is located in Hong Kong. In September 2022, the Wuxi government and PolyU signed an agreement via a video conference call to jointly establish the institute. This partnership highlights the synergy between Wuxi's economic strength and PolyU's exceptional education and research excellence.

Covering an area of approximately 2,800 square meters, the institute integrates research, education, and other functions. Its vision is to become a leading domestic strategic science and technology innovation platform, focusing on the development of core technologies with proprietary intellectual properties in aerospace, biomedical technology, advanced manufacturing, new materials, artificial intelligence, and new energy. It plans to leverage advantageous innovation resources from around the world.

Moreover, the institute will launch a PolyU engineering doctorate program tailored for working professionals and establish an industry cultivation base. It will also collaborate with governments, enterprises, and schools to facilitate interdisciplinary cooperation and the commercialization of research outcomes. Its ultimate goal is to become a sustainable science and technology innovation base.

The institute's innovation education and research center is expected to commence student recruitment later this year. By the end of 2027, the first and second cohorts of Ph.D. students are scheduled to complete their studies and obtain an engineering doctorate from PolyU.

A council, composed of representatives from PolyU, Wuxi National Hi-Tech District, partner universities, research institutes, and enterprises, among other organizations, governs the institute. The council serves as the supreme decision-making body and was established based on the cooperation agreement between PolyU and Wuxi National Hi-Tech District. The chairman and council members will be appointed for a five-year term.