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HKUST gets funding for first-ever HK Institute of Synthetic Biology

Image Credit: HKUST, Press Release

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) received an HK$500 million donation from the Li Ka Shing Foundation (LKSF). The funds will be used for the establishment of Hong Kong’s first institute of synthetic biology – a best-in-class research platform focuses on synthetic biological technologies.

The new academic and research building of the Institute will provide the most advanced facilities, aiming to attract the world’s top scholars in a move to steer Hong Kong into a global pioneer in synthetic bio-technologies.

Synthetic biology is at the heart of future economic development. Combining physics, computer science, mathematics, chemistry and engineering, synthetic biology uses big data from genetics and related fields to explore new ways of interactions between biological and non-biological disciplines.

Through calculating, designing, coding and modifying microbial genomes, these genomes can be turned into smooth-operating machines that help resolve the conundrums and challenges in life sciences.

The need for synthetic biology

The United Nations forecasts that the world’s population will increase from 7.7 billion today to 8.1 billion in 2025. By 2050, it is estimated to reach 9.7 billion.

From a growth perspective, this is equivalent to bringing the entire population of India and China as an addition to Earth. Considering the impact of such population surge on our limited resources and the environment, humans need to adopt a new way of life and use sustainable materials.

The cross-disciplinary field of synthetic biology is set to be a core driving force of the future economy, it will appear in multiple aspects of our daily lives including medicine, plastics, materials, food and daily necessities. Hong Kong’s science and technology research and education must join the forefront of this competition.

How the institute will operate

The Institute is a special platform that emphasizes originality and application of foundation knowledge. Under this goal, the Institute will first develop scientific infrastructure and technologies to integrate genetic engineering with artificial intelligence and relevant analysis methodologies.

Through professional autonomous mechanisms, the Institute will bring about discoveries ranging from biomolecules to cells as well as actual products, thereby promoting public health, environmental sustainability and foster social advancement and co-sharing.

The vision of the Institute is to develop Hong Kong into a global hub of synthetic biology, transfer research results under new policies and new models of education and entrepreneurship.

The Institute also seeks to create opportunities in new industries, nurture a new generation of talent in scientific innovation, and offer Hong Kong citizens more opportunities in participating or starting their own businesses.

It was noted that the Institute will fully complement HKUST’s long-standing commitment to entrepreneurship, knowledge transfer as well as talent development, and enhance the region’s overall competitiveness at the same time, contributing to the development of Hong Kong and the world.

The Chairman of Li Ka Shing Foundation stated he has been advocating, since 2003, that HK must put resources behind science and technology-based manufacturing industries as it is a powerful geyser for upward mobility as well as a playground where entrepreneurship and innovation thrives.

Just as synthetic chemistry and petroleum were central to the 20th century, synthetic biology and DNA are the technology engines of this century, bringing disruption to traditional manufacturing and new opportunities in the industrialization of biology.

HKUST’s President stated that the Li Ka-Shing Foundation and HKUST share a common commitment – a deep devotion to science and Hong Kong. Thanks to the support of the Foundation, the university is able to establish Hong Kong’s first synthetic biology research platform and get connected with the world. This will enable the development of Hong Kong’s science and technology-based industry.

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Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

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CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

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Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

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SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

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HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

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IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

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