Hong Kong’s main public research funding body for universities has approved a record 12 projects worth about HK$478 million in its latest financing round. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a major focus, appearing in more than a third of the successful proposals. One notable AI project aims to cut power use in AI data centres by up to 20 percent.

The higher education institutions receiving the most funding are City University, with around HK$145 million, the University of Hong Kong (HKU), which received HK$119 million, and Polytechnic University, awarded HK$107 million.

The Research Grants Council (RGC) announced on Wednesday, July 29th, 2026, that funding had been approved under two flagship schemes. The Areas of Excellence (AoE) Scheme will receive HK$158 million—an increase of nearly 10 percent from last year’s HK$144 million—to support four projects covering medical imaging, smart manufacturing, neutron scattering, and sustainable wildlife trade.

Meanwhile, the Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) has been allocated HK$320 million for eight initiatives focusing largely on healthcare, green technology, and AI.

Additionally, the council said it will introduce “Low-altitude, Aerospace and Space Technology” as a new challenge topic under the TRS starting from the 2027-28 funding round, with the application process beginning in mid-July 2027.

Sources