Prof. Nancy IP, President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), warmly welcomes the 2026-27 Budget delivered immediately by the Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. She stated, “2026 marks the outset of the nation’s ’15th Five-Year Plan’. The Budget sets out important initiatives to enable Hong Kong to proactively align with national strategies, integrate into the country’s overall development, and drive long-term, high quality development for both the nation and Hong Kong.”
HKUST will actively assist the implementation of the Budget, and work intently with sectors throughout society to assist Hong Kong turn into a world innovation and know-how (I&T) hub, speed up I&T deployment within the Northern Metropolis and the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Hetao Hong Kong Park), whereas leveraging the town’s distinctive function as a gateway connecting the Chinese Mainland and the world to construct a magnet for international expertise.
President Ip additionally welcomes the HKSAR Government’s institution of the “Committee on AI+ and Industry Development Strategy” to formulate methods for AI-enabled industrial transformation and development, in alignment with the nationwide “Artificial Intelligence+” initiative. She famous, “In HKUST’s Strategic Plan 2031, ‘AI, Future Computing, and Electronics’ is designated as a core research focus. We are committed to pushing forward cross-disciplinary innovation through AI, empowering advances across education, medicine, materials science, arts and technology, climate science, finance, transportation, and more. In biomedicine and health technology, for example, around 30% of HKUST’s research output is related to these areas, alongside other high-impact applications such as new materials, new energy, and microelectronics.”
AI improvement calls for substantial computing power-an space the place HKUST holds a particular edge. Anticipating the explosive development of AI, the University made decisive investments to strengthen its computational capability. HKUST’s High Performance Computing Facility, now below building, will probably be outfitted with Hong Kong’s largest H800-based supercomputing module and is predicted to start operation by mid-year-underscoring the University’s foresight and dedication.
Regarding the Government’s plan to allocate HK$50 million to collaborate with know-how enterprises and universities to reinforce AI consciousness and sensible abilities amongst college students, youth, and the general public, HKUST provides its full assist and lively collaboration. In the 2021-22 tutorial 12 months, the University launched the modern “Major+X” prolonged main curriculum, enabling college students to amass cross-disciplinary competencies-including AI-alongside their core majors. To date, the initiative has outfitted greater than 1,300 college students to satisfy future challenges.
President Ip seems to be ahead to the Innovation and Technology Industry-Oriented Fund (ITIF) commencing operation throughout the 12 months, believing it can assist advance the strategic agenda set out within the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint. She famous, “Ensuring the long term sustainability of research requires a diversified and resilient funding model, where public-private partnerships are particularly effective. In recent years, the Government matching schemes have fostered collaboration among the government, industry, academia, research, and investment communities, further strengthening the I&T ecosystem. The InnoHK initiative has also propelled collaborations between Hong Kong universities and top global institutions to establish world-class research laboratories, injecting strong momentum into Hong Kong’s development as an international I&T hub.”
Talent improvement is pivotal to I&T progress. Since 2022, HKUST has efficiently recruited over 160 students from world-leading universities. Last 12 months, the University launched the Targeted Hiring Scheme to recruit top-notch students in strategic areas, together with mind science and brain-inspired analysis; gene and biotechnology; medical medication and well being; AI and robotics; and the exploration of deep house, deep sea, deep earth, and the polar areas, attracting world-class school to guide main nationwide analysis endeavors. Notable examples embody the establishment-with the Government assist below InnoHK-of the Hong Kong Space Robotics and Energy Center, which is spearheading a world analysis group to take part within the multi-functional lunar house operation robotic for the nationwide Chang’E 8 mission. In mid-2026, an HKUST-developed high-precision, level supply greenhouse gasoline detection instrument can be slated to launch aboard Tianzhou 10 for deployment on the China Space Station to watch greenhouse gasoline emissions.
Since 1999, HKUST has been actively shaping Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem. By bringing collectively authorities, traders, and business, the University has arrange joint laboratories in a number of strategic areas and fostered an surroundings that helps the interpretation of analysis excellence into startups with tangible societal impression. HKUST ranks thirty third globally and 1st in China in tutorial patent affect, with a patent utilization price exceeding 30%, on par with the world’s main analysis establishments. As of January 2026, with assist from the Redbird Innovation Fund and the HKUST Entrepreneurship Fund, the HKUST neighborhood has based over 1,900 lively startups, together with 10 unicorns and 21 firms which have efficiently exited by way of IPOs or M&As-continuing to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in Hong Kong, the area, and past.
Furthermore, President Ip hails the Budget’s dedication to fast-track the Northern Metropolis, together with an extra HK$10 billion funding to speed up improvement in Hetao Hong Kong Park, fostering deep integration between technological innovation and business. She expressed HKUST’s deep gratitude to the Government for approving the institution of its new School of Medicine, granting land at Ngau Tam Mei New Development Area within the Northern Metropolis for its everlasting campus, and planning an built-in instructing and analysis hospital. HKUST is dedicated to working alongside the Government in accelerating the preparatory section and contributing its experience to the event and operation of the great medical complicated, fostering the synergy between healthcare and modern know-how in Hong Kong.
A Steering Committee for the School of Medicine chaired by President Ip is offering strategic course on curriculum design, school recruitment, medical partnerships, and useful resource planning. In parallel, the University has commenced a worldwide seek for the Founding Dean. HKUST envisions the School working intently with hospitals and business to create a “bed-lab-industry-bed” full-cycle medical innovation ecosystem, producing robust synergies with the San Tin Technopole and the University Town throughout the Northern Metropolis.
The Hetao Hong Kong Park’s strategic priorities-life and well being, AI and information science, and superior manufacturing-are extremely aligned with HKUST’s analysis strengths. President Ip stated the University plans to determine laboratories in Phase 1 of the Park. Once the School of Medicine is established within the Northern Metropolis, HKUST will totally combine with the Hetao Co-operation Zone.
President Ip additionally affirmed that selling the “Study in Hong Kong” model will strengthen the town’s standing as a world training hub. HKUST actively helps the Government’s efforts to advertise this model and stays dedicated to fostering a various and worldwide campus. Among non-local college students admitted every year, except for these from the Chinese Mainland, practically half come from over 80 nations and regions-including Germany, France, Egypt, Brazil, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan-representing the best proportion amongst University Grants Committee-funded universities in Hong Kong. HKUST additionally attracts international expertise by a variety of scholarships and modern tutorial packages, and is increasing partnerships throughout Belt and Road areas, together with the Middle East and ASEAN, to draw extra college students to review at HKUST.
President Ip concluded, “HKUST remains steadfast in our guiding ethos of ‘Teaching and Research as the Core, Innovation for Impact’. We will fully support the implementation of the Budget and Hong Kong’s alignment with the nation’s ’15th Five-Year Plan’. We are confident that, by deepening internationalization in education and industrialization of innovation, Hong Kong will continue to lead globally in I&T and higher education, and contribute more significantly to the nation’s high-quality development.”