Press Release
HKBU wins nine awards in Silicon Valley International Invention Festival 2026
Monday, 17 August 2026
The research teams of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) won nine awards, including four gold medals, three silver medals and two special prizes at the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival, held in the United States from 14 to 16 August. The award-winning projects cover product design, biotechnology, food science, materials science, neuroscience and data science. These awards are a testament to HKBU’s outstanding achievements in innovative technology research and the translation of research results into real-world applications that aim to create positive societal impact.
The award-winning teams and projects are:
Gold medal and Prize of the China Association of Inventions
Project: AuraMist - Water Misting System for Enhancing Bathing Experience for Wheelchair Users
Researcher: Professor Anna Qin, Associate Professor of the HKBU Academy of Visual Arts and Assistant Dean (Teaching and Learning) of the School of Creative Arts
AuraMist is an innovative, mobile water mist system designed for wheelchair users and individuals with limited mobility. It provides a customisable bathing experience, allowing users to adjust the mist intensity via voice control. It is adaptable to various bathroom environments, further enhancing user independence and comfort during bathing. This dual version for wheelchair users and individuals with limited mobility reduces water consumption by more than 70.2% compared to traditional showers.
Gold medal
Project: Traceable Fruit Quality Detection Solution - Cloud-based Big Data for Fruit Quality Monitoring & Authentication
Researcher: Professor Zhu Furong, Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Studies) of the Faculty of Science and Chair Professor in Physics at HKBU
The portable fruit quality analyser incorporates a patented visible-blind NIR photodetector, enabling rapid and non-destructive prediction and assessment of fruit sweetness and its overall quality. Integrated with cloud-based data analytics, the device facilitates smart, traceable fruit monitoring, supporting digital agriculture and authentication.
Gold medal
Project: A Method to Produce an Unusual Monoterpenoid
Researcher: Professor Liao Pan, Assistant Professor of the Department of Biology at HKBU
This invention provides a cost-effective, eco-friendly method to produce lavandulol, a special monoterpene compound widely used in perfumes and fragrances. By expressing enzymes from Lavandula angustifolia in Nicotiana benthamiana, which serves as a host, the research team successfully reconstructed the natural pathway for making lavandulol. This innovative technology enables efficient, large-scale production suitable for industrial applications, while simultaneously reducing production costs and minimising environmental impact.
Gold medal
Project: New Nanofiber Coating Technology as a Versatile Platform for Enhancing Performance and Sustainability of Various Products
Researcher: Professor Leung Cham-fai, Associate Professor of the Department of Chemistry at HKBU
This novel, ultrasound- resonated nanofiber coating pigment technology enhances thermal stability, anti-corrosion, anti-scratch, and self-cleaning properties. The technology is suitable for industrial applications such as road paints, reinforced concrete, electronic parts, solar panels, and vehicles, as well as cosmetics products and sunscreen.
Silver medal and International Professional Inventor Award
Project: Development of Fe65-Engineered Exosome–Corynoxine B Nasal Spray for Alzheimer’s Disease Therapy
Researcher: Dr Ashok Iyaswamy, Visiting Assistant Professor of the Teaching and Research Division of the School of Chinese Medicine at HKBU
This invention provides a potential non-invasive therapeutic strategy for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers have engineered exosomes, extracellular vesicles released by cells, to act as carriers for the drug, loading them with Corynoxine-B, bioactive compounds extracted from the Chinese herbal medicine, for direct delivery to the brain via the nasal cavity. This approach promotes autophagy, a process that sustains the health of cells, thereby enhancing one’s cognitive function and motor abilities.
Silver medal
Project: Multifunctional Skin Patches for Promoting Wound Healing
Researcher: Professor Wang Yi, Assistant Professor of the Department of Chemistry at HKBU
This technology involves the development of a self-powered bioelectronic hydrogel patch by integrating novel nanosheets into a bioactive polysaccharide hydrogel, enabling the coupled conversion of thermal and bioelectrical energy. It provides a multifunctional therapeutic solution for the regenerative treatment of infected diabetic wounds.
Silver medal
Project: Towards Effective Temporal Anomaly Detection by Multi-Scale Hypergraph Transformer
Researchers: Professor Dai Hong-ning, Associate Professor of the Department of Computer Science at HKBU, and his research team
The project presents an innovative technology called the Multi-Scale Hypergraph Transformer for detecting time-series anomalies in power grids, public utilities, and urban infrastructure. Compared to existing state-of-the-art technologies, it demonstrates superior detection performance by identifying an additional 8.21% of anomalies earlier, helping users significantly reduce operational costs and losses.
Organised by the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations, the 2026 Silicon Valley International Inventions Festival showcased inventions from over 30 countries and regions. The event served to publicise state-of-the-art inventions around the world and provided opportunities for inventors to commercialise their inventions and explore the American market.
