Business Daily Media

The Times Real Estate

.

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

Hong Kong Life Sponsors Local Sailing Team B.L.U. for Races

Promoting the Development and Heritance of Sports, Advocating the Spirit of “Fearless against Challenges and Pursuing Excellence” HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 April 2025 - Hong Kon...

Delphos Advises on Historic $20 Million Investment for Fintech LendMN to Propel Financial Inclusion in Mongolia

WASHINGTON, DC and ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 April 2025 - Delphos, a premier advisor in private emerging markets, proudly announces its role as the exclusive financial a...

PolyU and Peking University Third Hospital establish Medicine-Engineering Collaborative Innovation Research Laboratory

Opening new frontiers in smart healthcare HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 April 2025 - The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Peking University Third Hospital (PUTH) have jo...

Galaxy Macau™ Teamed Up with SCMP Live to Spark Ideas and Innovation by Presenting the Capital Insights Forum

Leading Experts Gathered at GICC to Transform Wealth Strategies in a New Era for Chinese Investors MACAO SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 April 2025 - Galaxy Macau™ partnered with South China Mo...

Hainan fish on global tables: testament to successful Hainan Fresh Products initiative

HAIKOU, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 April 2025 - At the 5th China International Consumer Products Expo held in Hainan recently, Wang Kangzheng, a marketing staff member of the Hainan Haik...

ACES Awards 2025 Nominations Now Open

Singapore’s Leaders Invited to Benchmark Against Asia’s Most Rigorous Platform for Purpose-Driven Excellence SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 24 April 2025 - In a world overflowing with accol...

CUHK Faculty of Arts Achieves Global Recognition, Consolidating Position as Leading Asian Hub for Humanities Research

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 24 April 2025 - The Faculty of Arts at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has made remarkable advancement in the QS World University Rankings by ...

Octa broker wins the 'Best Proprietary Trading Platform 2025' award

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 24 April 2025 - Octa, a trusted and regulated broker founded in 2011, recently received its 10th award in 2025. This time, World Business Star M...

CDNetworks Empowers Global Enterprises to Seamlessly Enter Emerging Markets with Ready-to-Market Solutions

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 24 April 2025 – CDNetworks, the APAC-leading network to deliver edge as a service, is reinforcing its commitment to supporting global enterprises as they exp...

Wood Capitol Strengthens Environmental Practices with Responsibly Sourced Wood Policy

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 24 April 2025 - Wood Capitol, a Singapore-based manufacturer of live-edge and solid wood furniture, has formalised its commitment to environmental responsibil...

Little known law offers savvy Kiwis the opportunity to supercharge their retirement savings

A little-known legal amendment is being leveraged by savvy New Zealanders and expat Brits to supercharge their retirement savings. Not many peop...

Cutting edge AI technology designed for doctors to reduce patient wait times launched in NZ

New Zealand specialist doctors now have access to Artificial Intelligence technology to help reduce patient wait times and experts say it could be...

Launchd Takes Off: Former AFL Stars Lead Tech-Powered Platform Set to Disrupt Talent and Influencer Marketing

Backed by Institutional Capital, Launchd Combines Five Leading Agencies and Smart Technology to Deliver Measurable Results Influencer marketing i...

Meet the Australian fintech unlocking rewards for small businesses

Small businesses make up 98 per cent of all businesses in Australia, yet they continue to bear the brunt of economic uncertainty. According to Credi...

Teleperformance (TP) Business Insights Report Reveals Key Shifts in Consumer Behaviour

TP’s Business Insights report  into consumer behaviors and preferences, taking in more than 57,000 respondents across 19 sectors, is shedding new li...

HubSpot launches platform-wide AI tools to help businesses close the adoption gap

HubSpot today unveiled more than 200 updates across its customer platform to help businesses grow better. The release introduces smarter tools, new AI...

Sell by LayBy