Business Daily Media

Men's Weekly

.

PolyU establishes Otto Poon Research Institute for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure with support from Otto Poon Charitable Foundation

Driving innovative solutions to tackle climate change and extreme weather challenges

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 2 April 2025 - The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has established the Otto Poon Research Institute for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure (RICRI), a pioneering strategic research institute focused on global climate change, with the staunch support of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation.

The Research Institute aims to be a global leader in the research and development of resilient and sustainable solutions for urban areas and rural communities to mitigate the challenges brought about by global climate change. PolyU held an Opening Ceremony and Forum today at Hotel ICON that drew nearly 300 participants, including faculty members, students and industry experts.

With the generous support of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation, PolyU has established the Otto Poon Research Institute for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure. The opening ceremony was officiated by Ir Dr Otto Poon, Founder of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation and PolyU University Fellow (5th from right); Mr Tse Chin-wan, Secretary for Environment and Ecology of the HKSAR Government (5th from left), Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU, (4th from left); Prof. Wing-tak WONG, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU (4th from right); Prof. Miranda LOU, Executive Vice President (3rd from left); Mr CHEN Yulin, Director of Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (3rd from right); Ir Prof. Frank CHAN (2nd from right) and Dr Andrew CHAN (2nd from left), both Steering Committee Members of RICRI; Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU (1st from left); and Prof. Xiang-dong Li, Director of RICRI (1st from right).
With the generous support of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation, PolyU has established the Otto Poon Research Institute for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure. The opening ceremony was officiated by Ir Dr Otto Poon, Founder of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation and PolyU University Fellow (5th from right); Mr Tse Chin-wan, Secretary for Environment and Ecology of the HKSAR Government (5th from left), Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU, (4th from left); Prof. Wing-tak WONG, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU (4th from right); Prof. Miranda LOU, Executive Vice President (3rd from left); Mr CHEN Yulin, Director of Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (3rd from right); Ir Prof. Frank CHAN (2nd from right) and Dr Andrew CHAN (2nd from left), both Steering Committee Members of RICRI; Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU (1st from left); and Prof. Xiang-dong Li, Director of RICRI (1st from right).

RICRI brings together a distinguished collaborative network of renowned experts from Mainland institutions including Tsinghua University, Nanjing University and Beijing Normal University, alongside Hong Kong government departments and industry partners. The Research Institute will serve as an interdisciplinary research platform to build an effective and integrated scientific think-tank, aiming to foster deep integration across government, industry, academia and research for the advancement and application of sustainable development in Hong Kong, the Nation and the world.

In his welcoming remarks, Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, said, "The establishment of RICRI represents a landmark milestone in PolyU's endeavour to address the urgent realities of climate change. This visionary initiative has been made possible through the generous support of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation, and we are deeply grateful to Dr Otto Poon for his strong support and commitment to advancing research and innovation in climate resilience. Dr Poon is an outstanding alumnus of PolyU, a University Fellow, and has been a long-standing supporter of PolyU's development, empowering our University to make significant contributions for the betterment of society."

Ir Dr Otto POON, Founder of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation and PolyU University Fellow, said during the ceremony, "Climate change is becoming an increasingly severe global challenge. All sectors of society must work together to enhance infrastructure resilience through scientific research and innovative technologies. I am pleased to support the establishment of RICRI and hope it will become a world-leading research centre for climate-adaptive resilient infrastructure in both urban and suburban areas, the promotion of innovation, exchange of policy development, and establishment of guidelines, standards and good practices of infrastructures for Hong Kong, the Nation and the global community."

Speaking at the event, Mr TSE Chin-wan, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, outlined the Government's strategies and measures to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, along with efforts to enhance climate adaptation and resilience. He also highlighted advancements in green technology and finance. He said, "Building a climate-resilient city is important—not only for protecting our properties but also our lives. As we celebrate the establishment of RICRI, let us work together to build a climate-resilient Hong Kong and a new ecological civilisation for us and our children."

RICRI is led by Prof. Xiang-dong LI, PolyU Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment, Chair Professor of Environmental Science and Technology, and Ko Jan Ming Professor in Sustainable Urban Development. The Institute focuses on four key research areas: climate change and extreme weather; urban infrastructure and resilience; rural community and disaster mitigation; climate-resilient policy and implementation.

The forum held alongside the inauguration explored a wide range of topics, including: monitoring and prediction of extreme climate events in Hong Kong and surrounding regions; monitoring and adaptation of civil infrastructure towards resilience; urban resilience enhancement for energy-building-transport-water sector synergization toolbox; nature-based solutions for urban infrastructure resilience and water disaster management; resilience of rural infrastructure and communities to climate change; and intelligent platform and toolbox for urban infrastructure resilience.

In support of the University's research endeavours in the areas of smart city and sustainable energy, the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation has in recent years contributed to the establishment of two research institutes at the University — the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI) and the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE) — as well as two endowed professorships for related disciplines. The establishment of RICRI further strengthens PolyU's research capabilities in climate adaptation and infrastructure resilience, advancing the pursuit of sustainable development.

RICRI will offer research schemes and funding support in the field of climate-resilient infrastructure, including the Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Distinguished Lecture Series (CRIDLS), the Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Fellowship (CRIF) and the Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Research Scheme (CRIRS).
Hashtag: #PolyU #Climate-ResilientInfrastructure #GlobalWarming #ClimateChange #research #sustainablility

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

News from Asia

Reshaping Global Lubricant Supply Chains: Trump-Era Tariffs Driving Industry Pivot Toward Asia

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - With the global lubricants industry still adjusting to the lasting impact of U.S. trade policy enacted during the first presidential term ...

EPIC 2025 Outdid Itself with Record-High 1,200 Applications

Doubled from last year with 87% entering the Hong Kong startup competition from overseas HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - EPIC 2025, organised by Hong Kong Science and Tech...

Chongqing Qianxin Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Group Co., Ltd(CFTEC) Hosts the Global Trade Partner Matching Conference

CHONGQING, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - On July 16, the Global Trade Partner Matching Conference, organized by CFTEC and guided by the Chongqing State-owned Assets Supervision ...

Taiwan's Premier Music Festival Returns: 2025 Hualien Summer Festival Brings Star-Studded Lineup to Eastern Taiwan

HUALIEN, TAIWAN - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - In the wake of last year's April 3 earthquake in Taiwan, the Hualien County Government has launched "We Bloom!", a revitalization initiat...

SLiquid Global: All-in-One Liquid Cooling Ecosystem

BEIJING, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - On July 16, Data Center Asia 2025 officially opened in Hong Kong. As an innovation practitioner in the field of liquid cooling, SLiquid Gl...

Correcting and Replacing: Brand New TV Show "AI for Humans" Officially Premieres Exploring the Limitless Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - The brand-new TV show "AI for Humans" will premiere on 19 July (Saturday) at 8:30 PM on HOY TV Channel 78...

Singapore’s Biggest Beauty Sale Returns with $1 Deals, Rolex Prizes, and a BYD Electric Car Giveaway

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - Beauty Fiesta 2025 is set to dazzle beauty lovers once again with its most spectacular edition yet. Taking place at Singapore EXPO Hall 6A acro...

Cushman & Wakefield: China Leads REIT Market Expansion in Asia while India’s REIT Market Demonstrates Robust Growth

Chinese mainland REIT market joined the top three largest REIT markets in Asia for the first time with an 85% increase in market value in 2024 India's office REIT market attracted...

Cyberport "AI x Data Forum" Concludes Successfully Joining Hands with Industry to Drive AI and Data Innovation and Unlock New Value for Enterprises

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - Cyberport successfully hosted the "AI x Data Forum" today. Centered on the theme "AI in Action, Data at the Core: Unlocking Infinite Potent...

AUPU to Debut Cutting-Edge Home Comfort Innovations at ARCHIDEX 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 July 2025 - As a global pioneer in home comfort technology, AUPU is set to showcase its latest advancements at ARCHIDEX 2025—the 24th Internat...

Hays launches FY25/26 Salary Guide: ‘Salary Paradox’ deepens as pay rises fail Australians

Rising dissatisfaction with pay, progression and perks is fuelling a new wave of career change in FY25/26, as Australians demand more from employe...

Australian Businesses Still Stuck in the AI Hype Cycle

Data Governance Failures, ROI Gaps and Unclear Strategy Slowing Progress Despite artificial intelligence (AI) dominating headlines and boardroom ag...

How to ensure your manufacturing business survives international tariff turmoil

Optimising your operations in FY2026 will help you combat the challenges of a volatile trading environment. Up, down, in out…Since the commence...

Why Apptio is Enhancing Visibility into AI and Hybrid Cloud

AI investments have become a strategic priority for business with the mindset that if you're not using AI, you're falling behind. But according to...

Beyond borders: Building a scalable strategy for international hiring

For many Australian businesses, growth increasingly depends on thinking beyond local borders.  As wage pressures rise, and specialised talent pool...

The Next Generation of Maritime Sustainable Solutions

As organizations globally seek innovative ways to improve sustainability and their impact on Earth, the American Waterways Operators (AWO), a lead...

Sell by LayBy