Sustainable Smart Campus
Launched in 2019, the Sustainable Smart Campus a Living Lab (SSC) is one of the key initiatives that aims to transform the campus into a testing ground for learning, experimenting, and advancing smart and innovative ideas to address real-life sustainability challenges. Embracing the framework of using the HKUST campus as a living lab, the SSC emphasizes the interconnection of research, operation and community. Through trials and errors, and always being open to new ideas and approaches, SSC intends to promote a culture of learning and a sense of community.
Over the years, SSC has funded over 33 projects with over $33 million since its launch. Faculty members from different schools tested their research solutions to address campus sustainability challenges. Aligned with the HKUST 2028 Sustainability Challenge, SSC projects tackle issues in five key focuses - Energy and GHG, Water, Waste to the Landfill, Landscape and Biodiversity, Community Well-being.
In recognition of its outstanding contributions, we received the Honorary Member Award for the SSC initiative at the 2022 International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) Excellence Award ceremony. This prestigious accolade further solidified the organization's reputation as a leader in sustainable practices.
The initiative also hosts a highly competitive student competition every year engaging hundreds of students across different schools and backgrounds coming up with innovative solutions to create a more sustainable and smart campus. Winning teams got the opportunities to implement their projects on campus such as MoveUST, upcycling paper 3D printing.
The initiative has established strong collaborations with various industry leaders, government entities, and academic institutions welcoming over 300 visitors from companies from different industries and government representatives.
“Firsts of SSC”
Over the years, SSC has helped created many “first”. Throughout its existence, SSC has consistently been at the forefront of innovation, pioneering ground-breaking initiatives that were integrated with our operations and had a profound impact on the community. Here are some project highlights.
One notable achievement is SSC's status as the first university in Hong Kong to introduce a blockchain-based degree authentication system. This cutting-edge technology ensures the utmost security and credibility of certificates while simultaneously reducing paper waste. By embracing this innovative approach, SSC has set a new standard for educational institutions in the region, exemplifying its forward-thinking ethos.
SSC has also established itself as one of the global pioneers in the creation of 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM) models for the entire campus. This trailblazing endeavor involves integrating Internet of Things (IoT) and Building Management Systems (BMS) to conduct diverse simulations and gain real-time insights into the campus buildings. Not only does this advance contribute to enhanced building management practices, but it also leads to a significant reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions, aligning with SSC's commitment to sustainability.
On top of all, SSC serves as an incubator for several promising start-ups, fostering a nurturing environment for innovation and entrepreneurship. Among the notable ventures supported by SSC are TerraGreen Limited, specializing in eco-bricks, Coatlot Tech, dedicated to multifunctional nanocoating, and WeShare Tech Limited, focused on developing a smart tracking tray inventory system for wet laboratories. By providing these start-ups with the necessary resources and guidance, SSC actively contributes to the growth of sustainable and technologically advanced solutions that address pressing societal challenges.
The pandemic sparks the importance of mental health awareness. In the past two years, we have put well-being as one of the key themes for Call for Proposals. Related projects include a nap pod study to promote sleep hygiene and learning efficiency of students and a butterfly garden to promote well-being, biodiversity and community building.
Net-zero emission is another main goal in our SSC agenda. More than half of the funded projects are proposing solutions to help cut down greenhouse gas emissions. Some examples are developing a tree-inspired, solar-driven transpiration system for efficient humidity control of buildings; applying coloured façade integrated photovoltaic on campus buildings for solar energy harvesting and exploiting elastocaloric refrigeration technology that is zero-GHG-refrigerant and 100% recyclable.
Moving forward SSC will continue to support and encourage any innovative solutions that can contribute to a sustainable and smart campus, empowering members of the HKUST community to use the campus as a platform for learning, experimenting, and showcasing new ideas and approaches.