The Hong Kong SAR imports over 90 per cent of its food, and it can be very difficult when food safety incidents occur to trace the source across a complex supply chain. Prof Leng Mingming, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Chair Professor of Operations and Risk Management at Lingnan University, has published a new study proposing the introduction of a unified product tracing system across the food supply chain. The study confirms that such a system would improve overall traceability efficiency, and analysis shows that cooperative mechanisms across supply chain tiers help reduce the entry of problematic food into the market, improving both food safety and consumer confidence. The research findings have been published in the internationally respected flagship journal IISE Transactions of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.
The Faculty of Business at Lingnan University.
The international research team, comprising Prof Leng and scholars from Hunan University, the University of Southern California, and McMaster University of Ontario, developed a three-tier food processing system covering upstream producers, midstream manufacturers or wholesalers, and downstream retailers, including supermarkets and catering groups, forming a “cross-tier” network. Using cooperative game theory, the team analysed independent decision-making versus coalition-based cooperation potential profit outcomes for stakeholders. Results show that when supply chain tiers act independently up to 90 per cent of total profits may be lost, but a unified cross-tier cooperative alliance between manufacturers and retailers can reduce losses to approximately 55 per cent.
The study also explains that the fewer “separate coalitions” there are within the supply chain, the more effectively manufacturers and retailers can share traceability responsibilities, leading to higher total profits. Adopting a unified product tracing system reduces fragmented decision-making, improves operational efficiency, lowers unnecessary costs, and promotes more equitable profit allocation. This strengthens incentives for cooperation across supply chain tiers, and helps alleviate concerns among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the high costs or limited resources that may discourage participation in a unified tracing system.
Prof Leng Mingming, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Chair Professor of Operations and Risk Management at Lingnan University, has published a new study proposing a unified product tracing system across the food supply chain. The system would improve traceability efficiency and food safety management, and the findings have been published in the flagship journal IISE Transactions of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.
Prof Leng noted “According to data from the Food Industry Association, about 64 per cent of consumers worldwide prefer brands that provide detailed product information and traceability records. A well-established product tracing system is better able to identify and intercept contaminated food or food that has deteriorated before it reaches retail markets, significantly reducing the risk of economic losses from product recalls.”
He added “Our study shows that cross-tier cooperation between manufacturers and retailers is key to improving overall supply chain efficiency. The Hong Kong SAR’s reliance on imported food underscores the importance of robust food traceability systems that enhance public confidence in food safety and support sustainable economic development. The use of innovative technologies such as blockchain and the artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) for food monitoring has become a global trend among major retailers and food companies. As an international trade hub, the Hong Kong SAR should encourage the adoption of these technologies for supply chain transparency and long-term sustainable development in the industry.”
The study also shows that many upstream farmers and manufacturers are SMEs with limited capital and technical resources, and it is difficult for them to shoulder the costs of implementing a tracing system independently. When penalties for distributing problematic foods are high, downstream retailers and manufacturers have a greater incentive to adopt a unified tracing system to intercept compromised food, thus appropriate regulatory measures can serve as an important lever to drive technology adoption in the industry.
Prof Leng has been named the recipient of the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS)’s 2026 Dean of the Year Award. He was the sole winner selected from over 640 universities across 39 countries and regions. The award is presented annually to one outstanding dean who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in business education and consistent support for students.
Read the full study here: System-wide incentives to trace food processing: A cooperative-game analysis
Lingnan University congratulates Hong Kong SAR astronaut Lai Ka-ying who has been chosen for the nation’s next space mission, where she will probably operate the Multi-Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory (MUSICO), a space-based research instrument led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Prof Li Jia, Director of the Lingnan University Shenzhen Research Institute (LUSZRI), and Associate Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies (WJYSIS) at Lingnan University, together with her research team, contributed key data from a carbon emissions source database for the project, which will be used to compare greenhouse gas data including carbon dioxide and methane emission sources observed by MUSICO, helping researchers identify emission intensity and distribution patterns of power and industrial facilities across different regions more accurately, thereby providing robust scientific support for China’s carbon-peaking and carbon-neutrality goals.
Prof Li said that currently many satellite monitoring systems worldwide focus mainly on greenhouse gas emissions at the regional level, and identifying carbon emissions from a single large stationary emission source from space remains challenging as relying on the high-sensitivity MUSICO instrument also depends greatly on long-term, ground-based carbon emissions data for comparison.
Prof Li Jia (right), Prof Su Hui (middle), and Dr Wang Fan (left) at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.
Prof Li said “Our database covers more than half of China’s carbon dioxide emission sources, and records emission volumes from different regions and industrial facilities. It is resolved down to the level of total emissions per square kilometre, with precise geographic coordinates, and functions much like a map and a navigation system, helping MUSICO identify the specific locations, intensities, and operational patterns of emission sources in space. This enables the instrument to observe the large-scale distribution of greenhouse gas concentrations, and also to analyse emissions from individual factories or facilities with greater precision, thereby increasing the accuracy and scientific value of space-based observation data.”
Prof Li continued “As an international financial centre, the Hong Kong SAR is well positioned to use Lingnan’s empirical data to advance the development of the green economy. In future, the database may be applied to carbon emissions verification, emissions reduction assessment, and urban low-carbon management, providing scientific support for low-carbon transformation in the Greater Bay Area and across China.”
For several years now, Prof Li Jia’s team has carried out extensive research on industrial carbon emissions in China, and participated in core national carbon neutrality projects, compiling inventories covering major high-emission industries, such as power generation, cement, steel, chemicals and electrolytic aluminium.
Over the past 20 years, Prof Li’s team has carried out continuous research on carbon emissions from the power and industrial sectors in China and Southeast Asian countries. The team has participated in and led carbon capture and storage planning projects in six Asian countries, and developed emissions inventories covering China’s major high-emission industries, including power generation, cement, steel, chemicals, and electrolytic aluminium. This is consistent with the analysis of individual emission sources such as ground-based power plants and oilfields, and helps verify whether observed measurements reflect normal fluctuations or abnormal emissions.
Between 2022 and 2025, Prof Li’s team collaborated with Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning (CAEP) under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and took part in a first-batch key research project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, which expanded the database to cover additional major emission sectors.
From left: Hong Kong SAR astronaut Lai Ka-ying, Prof Li Jia.
Prof Li Jia said that the opportunity to participate in space monitoring-related scientific research collaboration on behalf of Lingnan University was made possible by WJYSIS’ continued encouragement of cross-disciplinary integration, fostering collaborative research in environmental science, data analytics, and artificial intelligence; also, while the Chinese Mainland has taken a leading position in large-scale carbon capture and emissions reduction technologies, the Hong Kong SAR has many advantages in international academic networks and well-established research collaboration platforms, which promote scientific exchange, research related to sustainable development, and collaboration between China and the international community.
Council members of Lingnan University visit the Lingnan University Shenzhen Research Institute (LUSZRI).
Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, said that in recent years, Lingnan University has actively promoted its Liberal Arts + Technology development strategy, encouraging faculty and students to conduct interdisciplinary research that addresses real-world issues. Lingnan researchers’ involvement in national space and carbon monitoring projects shows the University’s strong foundation in inter-university and interdisciplinary collaboration, and highlights its academic contributions to public development in environmental science, data analytics, and low-carbon research.
The MUSICO research project is co-led by Prof Su Hui, Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Global STEM Professor at HKUST, and Prof Zhang Limin, Chair Professor and Head of the same department. Prof Zhai Chengxing, Associate Professor of the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas is the mission system engineer, and other team members are Senior Scientific Officer Dr Rong Pingping, Assistant Professor Zhang Jize, and Associate Professor Wang Zhe from HKUST’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Professor Ning Zhi, Associate Professors Shi Xiaoming, and Gu Dasa from the Division of Environment and Sustainability; Associate Professor Ma Xiaojuan from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Professor Zhu Pengyu from the Division of Public Policy; Professor Gao Meng from Hong Kong Baptist University; and Associate Professor Li Jia from Lingnan University.
