International Conference on Green Technology and Launch of Green Technology Alliance and Incubation Program

On October 9, 2025, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) hosted the International Green Technology Conference 2025 to address urgent environmental challenges and promote Hong Kong’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality. During the event, HKBU announced the launch of the Global Circular Technology Incubator, aimed at attracting and nurturing global talent and startups in the green technology sector. Additionally, the International Green Technology Alliance was established to connect local and international organizations in advancing green technology research.

This initiative was supported by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park. It received strong backing from academic and research institutions, industry leaders, government officials, and investors, successfully fostering community collaboration to tackle challenges in transforming technology into sustainable practical solutions. The conference focused on two advanced technological developments: waste-to-material conversion and the entire hydrogen energy industry chain from production to utilization.

The opening ceremony featured distinguished guests, including Ms. Anne Cheng, Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Mr. Leo Lee, Climate Change Commissioner of the Environmental Protection Department of the Hong Kong Government; Ms. Xu Jian, Director of the Education and Technology Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR; Professor Alexander Wai, President of HKBU; and Professor Lau Lok-ting, Acting Chief Innovation Officer of HKBU.

In her video address, Ms. Anne Cheng stated that the Hong Kong Government is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, with the new energy industry as a key driver. The government is establishing the third InnoHK research platform, SEAM@InnoHK, focusing on sustainable development, energy, advanced manufacturing, and materials. Hong Kong will actively promote the commercialization of green innovation and accelerate the process of green industrialization. She expressed confidence in the establishment of the International Green Technology Alliance and the Global Circular Technology Incubator, believing these initiatives will advance cutting-edge technology research, foster technology transfer, and create numerous commercialization opportunities in the field of sustainable development.

Mr. Leo Lee remarked, “The themes of today’s conference—waste-to-material conversion and promoting hydrogen production and usage—are highly relevant to contemporary societal needs. Hong Kong has the unique advantage of being ‘backed by the motherland and connected to the world,’ allowing it to serve as a demonstration platform for various new energy technologies and push for the commercialization of relevant technologies in the global market.”

Professor Alexander Wai emphasized that a key challenge in the field of green technology is shortening the process of transforming breakthrough concepts into product prototypes and expanding them into practical applications. He stated, “This conference brings together top experts and industry leaders to engage in in-depth dialogue and experience sharing, exploring the journey of innovation from the ‘zero to one’ stage to ‘one to ten’ in terms of commercialization and scaling.”

The conference featured six thematic discussions covering popular topics such as clean hydrogen production, energy storage, and waste resource conversion, with industry leaders from around the globe sharing their insights. Notable speakers included Mr. Chan Lok-man, General Manager of Power Engineering at Hong Kong Electric; Dr. Timo Hardiman, Director of Industrial Biotechnology at the Fraunhofer Society; Dr. Giuseppe Indelicato, a researcher at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center; Mr. Lui Chi-wai, Deputy Director of Carbon Reduction at CLP Power; and Professor Xu Rong, Director of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

During the conference, HKBU announced its collaboration with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park to launch the Global Circular Technology Incubator. This program aims to leverage HKBU’s strengths in green and sustainable technology to attract and nurture global talent and startups into the innovation ecosystem. It will promote the transformation and commercialization of research achievements through collaboration with academia, technology transfer organizations, and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, cultivating world-class deep-tech startups that can translate circular economy concepts into practical solutions.

The International Green Technology Alliance (iGreenTech) was also officially established during the event, bringing together twelve leading institutions from around the world, including the Technical University of Munich, five research institutes under the Fraunhofer Society, Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore, the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis in Germany, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, and Nari International Consulting Co., Ltd. The alliance will showcase the innovative achievements of researchers, connect local and international organizations, and promote research on the hydrogen value chain and waste resource conversion to address the urgent challenges of climate change and carbon neutrality.

In his closing remarks, Professor Lau Lok-ting urged all stakeholders to embrace the spirit of the conference, strengthen collaboration, and drive transformative changes for the future of the planet.

Additionally, with the support of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, HKBU led attendees on a tour of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Cooperation Zone on October 10, allowing them to experience Hong Kong’s vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem and explore cutting-edge technological developments, strategic cooperation opportunities, and investment potential in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.