HKU Research Institutes: State Key Laboratories, InnoHK Centres and the Strategic Research Architecture

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) comprehensive information database · Module 04: Research This article maps out HKU's State Key Laboratories (SKLs), the government flagship InnoHK research centres, the HKU-SIRI Shenzhen institute, CAS-HKU joint laboratories, and the University's strategic research themes. Sources are HKU official pages, individual laboratory websites and official press releases; where possible, founding years, partner institutions and host faculties are each attributed. Entries on the incumbent Vice-Chancellor's own nano-optics/quantum-optics research are recorded factually by name, following this archive's convention for the neutral fact zone (modules 00–12).

# 1. Overview: the layered research architecture at HKU

HKU is one of Hong Kong's oldest and most research-intensive comprehensive universities. Its research platforms fall into several tiers; knowing who approves and funds each tier is the key to reading the University's research landscape.

According to an HKU press release, "State Key Laboratories honoured"^※, HKU "hosts the highest number of State Key Laboratories in Hong Kong"; its SKL system began in 2005 with the establishment of the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

# 2. State Key Laboratories (SKLs)

# 2.1 The five laboratories at a glance

According to HKU Quick Stats, "State Key Laboratories in Hong Kong"^※ and the HKU research page^※, HKU currently hosts 5 State Key Laboratories. On 25 August 2025, the five laboratories received their plaques at a State Key Laboratory plaque-presentation ceremony held in Hong Kong (per the HKU press release^※).

Note: partner institutions follow the mother State Key Laboratories listed on the HKU research page^※.

# 2.2 Profiles of each laboratory

• State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases (SKLEID): per the laboratory's official page^※, established in October 2005 with MOST's approval, housed in the Faculty of Medicine Building at 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam (within the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine / School of Public Health system). According to HKU admissions news^※ and multiple official reports, the laboratory was set up by MOST in recognition of HKU scientists' contribution to the 2003/2004 SARS response. Research spans emerging viruses (SARS, avian influenza, etc.), bacteria, fungi and antimicrobial resistance. This is HKU's flagship research platform; see signature-virology-infection.md.

• State Key Laboratory of Liver Research (SKLLR): per the laboratory's official page^※, established in June 2010, with the mainland partner being the State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes (SKLORG) of the Shanghai Cancer Institute / Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The laboratory spans basic research to clinical practice, focusing on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of liver disease (liver cancer, liver fibrosis, viral hepatitis, liver-transplant-related conditions). HKU is internationally renowned in liver disease and liver transplantation; see liver-transplant-breakthroughs.md.

• State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry: per the laboratory's background page^※, approved by MOST in 2010 and formally established in 2011 as the "State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry (HKU Partner Laboratory)", twinned with the State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC), CAS. The same page records that the laboratory was rated "Outstanding" in the 2017 assessment round, and that MOST agreed in 2018 to drop the "Partner" prefix. Research covers sustainable green catalysis, precision synthesis, synthetic biology and new functional molecules. Professor Vivian Yam (任咏华) of the Department of Chemistry is a leading scholar in this area.

• State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology: per multiple HKU/Faculty of Medicine reports^※ and the official research pages, approved by MOST in 2013 and established in the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, with the mainland partner being the State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Nanjing University. It focuses on basic research into chronic metabolic diseases and the development and clinical application of macromolecular therapeutics.

• State Key Laboratory of Optical Quantum Materials (newly established 2025): per the HKU press release^※ and HKU Horizons coverage^※, the laboratory received its plaque at the 25 August 2025 ceremony, and is HKU's most recently nationally recognised State Key Laboratory. It combines photonics with two-dimensional materials, advancing research into quantum materials and metamaterials. According to The Quantum Insider^※, the laboratory is led by HKU's Vice-Chancellor and President, the internationally renowned nano-optics and metamaterials scientist Xiang Zhang (张翔), and its research targets the "building blocks" of quantum communication, quantum sensing and quantum computing.

# 2.3 Other related national-level platforms

• State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution: per the HKU research page^※, this laboratory is hosted by City University of Hong Kong (CityU), and HKU is one of six collaborating universities — hence it does not count among the five HKU "hosts", and this archive records it only as a collaborative platform.

# 3. CAS–HKU Joint Laboratories

Beyond the State Key Laboratories, HKU co-founded 4 joint laboratories with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), per the HKU research page^※:

These joint laboratories date from earlier years (some predating the State Key Laboratory system), reflecting HKU's longstanding collaboration with CAS across core disciplines such as materials, chemistry and earth sciences.

# 4. InnoHK Research Centres (9 led by HKU)

# 4.1 The InnoHK scheme and HKU's position

InnoHK is the HKSAR Government's flagship R&D programme, designed to establish Hong Kong as a global hub for research collaboration, based at the Hong Kong Science Park. It comprises two clusters: Health@InnoHK (medical and health) and AIR@InnoHK (artificial intelligence and robotics).

Per an HKU press release of 2021^※ (14 October 2021), HKU holds the greatest share among local institutions in the Government's InnoHK research clusters — a total of 9 research laboratories, the most of any local university, with funding of over HK$3 billion over five years. Of these, 6 fall under Health@InnoHK and 3 under AIR@InnoHK.

# 4.2 The nine centres at a glance

Per the HKU 2021 press release^※ and the InnoHK@HKU website^※:

# 5. HKU-SIRI (Shenzhen Institute)

Per the official HKU-SIRI introduction^※ and the HKU opening press release^※, the HKU Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU-SIRI) was established in March 2011 with the support of the Shenzhen Municipal Government. It serves as HKU's principal vehicle for extending research into mainland China, handling technology transfer, industry incubation, the introduction of key laboratories and research centres, the training of interdisciplinary research talent, and the strengthening of collaboration between HKU and industry in Shenzhen, the Pearl River Delta and across the country. Early research units to move in included an e-commerce technology institute, a water environment research programme, a biomaterials research centre, and a smart grid research centre.

Note: HKU-SIRI (a research institute focused on science and technology transfer) is distinct from the teaching and training entity that HKU Business School operates in Shenzhen, which has its own separate page. This archive keeps the two apart and does not conflate them.

# 6. Strategic Research Themes and the Theme-based Research Scheme

# 6.1 University-level strategic research architecture

Per HKU's strategic development documents^※, since 2008 HKU has used a framework of Strategic Research Areas (SRA) and Strategic Research Themes (SRT) to focus its research strengths, covering areas including infectious disease, precision medicine, intelligent materials, computer security and environmental sustainability. In recent years the University has also organised several clusters of Strategically Oriented Research Themes spanning biomedical and health technology, future innovation technology, intelligent systems and sustainable society, and intelligent data, e-commerce and automation.

# 6.2 Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS)

The Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) is a competitive funding stream launched by the Research Grants Council (RGC) in 2010, targeting themes of strategic importance to Hong Kong (understanding diseases and disease prevention, a sustainable environment, Hong Kong's strategic position as a regional and international business centre, and emerging research and innovation). Per an HKU press release^※, in the 2022/23 TRS exercise five HKU research projects received a total of HK$168 million. For overall performance in competitive funding, see achievements.md.