The University of Hong Kong (HKU) launched the Hong Kong Branch of the National Center of Technology Innovation for Digital Construction (NCTI-DC), a big step ahead in DCM technology not only for Hong Kong but also for HKU. The launching ceremony is held in Rayson Huang Theatre.
The Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China established the National Center for Technology Incubation in 2020. An institution to promote the synergy of industry, academia, and research toward the commercial application of advanced technologies. Founded by Professor Lieyun Ding, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and former President of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, the NCTI-DC has been fully approved by the MOST and was established in January 2022.
It is the first of its kind in Hong Kong and also the first national engineering centre associated with HKU. It will be chaired by Professor Max Shen, HKU's Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, and overseen by Chair Professor Anthony Yeh and Chair Professor Wilson Lu.
The iLab is a part of the University Faculty of Architecture and has the aim of serving as a research hub for urban big data. Its activities in this regard have made great contributions to the modernization of the Hong Kong construction sector and received numerous awards, such as the prize from buildingSMART International.
Confronted with such challenges as an aging workforce and inefficiency in the construction industry, NCTI-DC Hong Kong Branch focuses on core research areas: smart building design, offsite component manufacturing, and lifecycle digital management. Goals include promoting technological innovation and creating pioneer DCM solutions.
Using these strengths of Hong Kong, a branch will initiate joint laboratories with other institutes by collaborating with institutions including C-Smart Digital Construction Lab and City University of Hong Kong's Sustainable Infrastructure Lab.
NCTI-DC Hong Kong Branch would spearhead the technological advancement in the city and facilitate integration among government, industry, academia, and practical applications. It would further support public housing digitalization, at the behest of recent policy goals set by the Chief Executive.
The ceremony included speeches by distinguished guests, such as Academician Lieyun Ding and Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho, as well as HKU President Xiang Zhang, who all especially underscored the significance of this branch both to HKU in particular and to the construction industry at large.
Immediately following the ceremony was an International Symposium on Digital Transformation in Construction, to which leaders of international thoughts were invited to share the latest thinking and future directions in this area.
