HKUST Launches HK$100 Million RAISe+ Fund to Accelerate Research Commercialization
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has launched a HK$100 million RAISe+ Project Fund (RPF) to accelerate the market readiness of promising research projects. The initiative channels equity returns from HKUST's investments in campus-incubated startups to support research teams enrolled in the government's RAISe+ (Research Academic And Industry Synergy +) scheme, providing crucial late-stage funding for technology translation.
Key Points
- HKUST has committed HK$100 million to the RAISe+ Project Fund, sourced from returns on equity stakes in university-incubated startups
- The fund specifically assists teams participating in the government's RAISe+ initiative, which currently supports 19 HKUST research projects
- Funding priorities include biomedical, artificial intelligence, semiconductor, and new energy sectors
- Professor Su Hui (蘇慧) from Civil and Environmental Engineering will use the allocation to advance the "Tianyun Camera" for satellite applications, recruiting talent and procuring new materials
- Professor Huang Ziwei (黃子維) of Chemical and Biological Engineering will deploy funds for medical device certification and third-party testing of an AI-powered non-invasive medical imaging system
- A team led by Professor Sun Fei (孫飛) is developing a visible light-responsive hemostatic bio-glue, already undergoing trials at top-tier Beijing hospitals
- HKUST Vice President for Research and Development Christopher Cheng (鄭光廷) emphasized that the fund addresses talent and research outflows, noting entrepreneurship is "a high-risk path" where "most people do not succeed"
Why It Matters
The RAISe+ Fund represents a strategic recycling of successful startup exits into new research pipelines, creating a sustainable ecosystem for Hong Kong's innovation sector. By combining government-academia-industry collaboration with internal venture returns, HKUST aims to retain research talent and position Hong Kong as a regional deep-tech hub, with potential deployment in the Northern Metropolis .
The RAISe+ Fund represents a strategic recycling of successful startup exits into new research pipelines, creating a sustainable ecosystem for Hong Kong's innovation sector. By combining government-academia-industry collaboration with internal venture returns, HKUST aims to retain research talent and position Hong Kong as a regional deep-tech hub, with potential deployment in the Northern Metropolis .