COVER STORY • 封面專題 2022 UMAGAZINE 25 • 澳大新語 24 Applied Physics and Materials Engineering and head of the research team for the project, construction techniques and products using nano-foam concrete have matured and have entered the stage of market expansion. ‘Innovation in materials is the basis for innovation in industrial development, especially in the construction sector. In the process of exploring opportunities to commercialise our research results, we have found that material innovation together with technical innovation can drive the mass production of new materials and the development of industries.’ says Prof Sun. According to a report on the energy consumption of buildings in China released in 2020, the construction sector accounted for 46.5 per cent of the total energy consumption in the country in 2018, and cement production was a major source of carbon emissions. The lightweight and high-strength nano-foam concrete developed by Prof Sun’s team can significantly reduce cement consumption, improve the insulation capacity of buildings, and reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions during the heating and cooling processes in buildings. ‘Our nano-foam concrete is also suitable for cast-in-place projects such as roof insulation, floor damping, aerial structures (such as sky pools), road construction, and the backfilling of large mines. Using our material, we can reduce cement consumption by 30 per cent to greatly cut the cost of materials. The capacity for constant thermal insulation is also increased by 25 per cent,’ says Prof Sun. ‘With the data provided by China Construction Engineering (Macau) Company Limited and research platforms of the ZUMRI, we will continue to improve our cast-in-place concrete technique and investigate its downstream applications, so as to promote the commercialisation of our research results and the industry of green building materials in China,’ adds Prof Sun. Chip Research Results Transfer in Hengqin Entrepreneurship Valley Taking advantage of the research capacity of the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI (SKL-AMSV), UM continues to push the boundaries in advanced chip research. Through its robust system for research innovation and results transfer, the university aims to accelerate the commercialisation of its microelectronics research results and establish a brand identity for microchips developed in Macao. Among these research results is VHunter, a nucleic acid detection kit based on digital microfluidic technologies developed at UM. The research team for this project turned its initial lab findings into a business project through incubation at UMTec Limited. In 2018, the team members established Digifluidic Biotech Ltd and received an initial round of investment from UMTec. With ZUMRI’s support, the company was able to commercialise the research results in the Hengqin-Macao Youth Entrepreneurship Valley and the finished product has been launched on the market in mainland China. Prof Mak Pui In, head of the research team for the project, who is also interim director of the SKL-AMSV and deputy director of UM’s Institute of Microelectronics (IME), says that the university provided tremendous support for the team to market VHunter. ‘Not only did UM license the patented chip technology to the new start-up, but the university also took an equity stake in the company. This is also the first time that UM has taken an equity stake in a company founded by its graduates,’ says Prof Mak, who adds that Digifluidic plans to leverage the strengths of Macao and its partners to bring VHunter to the Southeast Asian market. VHunter can be widely used in infectious disease prevention and control as it can rapidly and accurately detect pathogens of diseases such as respiratory diseases (including novel coronavirus and influenza A virus), cervical cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, and drug-resistant tuberculosis. The detection kit can also generate real-time reports when connected to a computer. In addition to medical diagnostics, VHunter is also suitable for measuring health indicators, examining animals and plants with diseases, and conducting food safety tests. The detection kit has been purchased and used by various entities, including the Zhuhai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Gongbei Customs, and the Doumen Aquatic Products Testing Center. It has also received the CE marking, which affirms the product’s conformity with EU standards. The team is now in the process of registering VHunter as a medical device in mainland China. Dynamic Wireless Charging System Attracts Industry Attention With the help of the RSKTO, a dynamic wireless charging system developed at UM made its debut
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