CBE Students Named Champion at the 2026 VTech Innovation & Sustainability Award
The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE) and the Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD) are pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 VTech Innovation & Sustainability Award, which recognizes outstanding final-year undergraduate projects in Sustainable Energy Engineering. Generously sponsored by VTech Corporate Services Ltd. with a donation of HK$27,000, the award followed student presentations held on 20 July 2026, with adjudication jointly conducted by representatives from VTech and HKUST.
The Champion award (CBE) was won by Carson LEUNG Kin Chiu, Amber MA Wing Hei, and Jason TANG Tsun Ting for their project Developing an Electrolyzer to Convert Carbon Dioxide into Hydrocarbon Fuels. The 1st Runner-up award (ISD) went to Evan CHAN Kei Ching for FireEye: Computer Vision and VLM-Based Fire Safety Detection for Construction Sites. The 2nd Runner-up award (CBE) was presented to Krystal HE Xiao Ying and Joyce YAU Yuet for their project Ginger-Derived Activated Carbon for Li-S Battery Development.
Professor Minhua SHAO, Head and Chair Professor of CBE, expressed sincere appreciation to VTech for its generous support, to Dr. Allan WONG and the VTech team, and to Professor Frank LAM together with the judging panel for their time and thoughtful evaluation. He extended heartfelt congratulations to the winning teams, including the Champion team which he supervised, and to Professor Frank LAM, supervisor of the 2nd Runner-up team, and thanked all those involved in organizing the award for their dedication in nurturing the next generation of innovators.
These projects reflect the strong commitment of CBE and ISD students to innovation and sustainability. This prestigious award recognizes creativity, innovation, and dedication in advancing sustainability, while highlighting the collaborative spirit between academia and industry. VTech’s continued partnership has been instrumental in fostering innovation among HKUST students, and the Department looks forward to seeing their continued contributions to the field.
