The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is actively seeking to expand its laboratory facilities within the Northern Metropolis university town as part of efforts to boost its research capacity and attract top-tier talent, according to its new vice-president for research, Professor Anderson Shum Ho-cheung.
Professor Shum, who assumed the position in August, emphasized the importance of increased government funding to support research activities, noting that grant application processes are often lengthy and the financial returns from research investments can take considerable time to materialize. He outlined a cyclical approach in which leading researchers drive innovations that are then developed into practical applications through industry partnerships and startups, which in turn generate new research questions for scientists.
“When our start-ups do well and form new industries, those industries bring new questions back to our scientists, and the cycle keeps going,” Shum said. He added that attracting and retaining talent is closely tied to the concentration of skilled researchers, stating, “Talent draws talent. Researchers hope to work alongside other talented people. When the density of talent gets higher, the attraction for talent will only increase.”
HKU has recently strengthened its academic roster by recruiting prominent figures such as Nobel laureates Andre Geim and Ferenc Krausz, as well as Fields Medal recipient Ngo Bao Chau. Shum underscored that physical infrastructure is a critical factor for researchers evaluating a university’s potential, particularly specialized facilities necessary for certain types of experiments.
“If a researcher needs to run a certain kind of infectious disease experiment and there is no laboratory with the required biosafety level, you can hire them, but they still cannot do their work,” he explained.
The Northern Metropolis initiative encompasses three university towns in San Tin, Hung Shui Kiu, and Ta Kwu Ling, covering more than 1,000 hectares. This development aims to position Hong Kong as a regional innovation hub. HKU’s expansion plans include establishing various types of laboratories—dry labs for computational and data-intensive research, wet labs for biological and chemical experimentation, as well as dedicated facilities for artificial intelligence.
Professor Shum, a biomedical engineering specialist with extensive experience in university research leadership roles, previously served as HKU’s associate vice-president for research and innovation from 2021 to 2024 before briefly joining City University. He is also a member of an expert advisory group under the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit focused on research strategy.
Highlighting the complexities involved in translating academic research into marketable products, Shum noted, “Turning research into products is never easy. Raising funds, writing business plans, passing regulatory approvals—every step is difficult, and returns can be years away.” He emphasized the need for sustained financial support from both government and university sources to enable researchers to fully realize their creative potential.
Shum will lead HKU’s upcoming Innovation Week, scheduled from October 12 to 16, which is expected to draw over 1,000 participants from government, industry, and academia to present more than 120 innovative projects.