Lingnan University Unveils LU Xcelerator to Drive AI + X Innovation, Supporting Technology + Humanity Commercialisation in Tapping Opportunities across the Northern Metropolis and Greater Bay Area

Lingnan University announced the establishment of the innovation and entrepreneurship platform “LU Xcelerator (LUX)” and held its Opening Ceremony today, 21 August. LUX focuses on “AI + X” and the application of agentic AI in different industries, leveraging the unique strength of Lingnan University in data science and interdisciplinary studies. Benefitting from Lingnan’s location near the Northern Metropolis, LUX will spearhead an innovative mode of collaboration between “Government, Industry, Academia, Research, and Investment” in the Greater Bay Area. This new platform will assist our students and researchers in translating innovative research into market-ready applications with tangible commercial and social value.

Lingnan University launches the innovation and entrepreneurship accelerator platform “LU Xcelerator (LUX)”. From left: Mr Ernest Chan Chi-man, Vice-President (Administration) at Lingnan University; Mr Augustine Lui Ngok-che, Chairman of the Lingnan Education Organization; Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University; Prof Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government; the Hon Augustine Wong Ho-ming, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Lingnan University; Dr Patrick Wong Chi-kwong, Chairman of the Court; and Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning. Photo source: Lingnan University

The Opening Ceremony was officiated by Prof Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government; the Hon Augustine Wong Ho-ming, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Lingnan University; Dr Patrick Wong Chi-kwong, Chairman of the Court; Mr Augustine Lui Ngok-che, Chairman of the Lingnan Education Organization; Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University; Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning; and Mr Ernest Chan Chi-man, Vice-President (Administration). More than 70 representatives of government, business, and investment partners, and the academic research community attended the ceremony.

In his remarks, Prof Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, extends his warmest congratulations to Lingnan University on establishing this dynamic innovation hub. Photo source: Lingnan University

In his remarks, Prof Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, extended his warmest congratulations to Lingnan University on establishing this dynamic innovation hub. He said, “Innovation and technology (I&T) remain at the very top of the Hong Kong Government’s policy agenda. Our universities are not only our closest partners on this front, but also the foundational bedrock of Hong Kong’s thriving I&T ecosystem. We are expanding Hong Kong I&T’s footprint to the Greater Bay Area and the wider Mainland market. Under the National 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong continues to act as a ‘Super Connector’ and ‘Super Value-Adder’, bridging the Chinese Mainland with global markets. Located near the Northern Metropolis, Lingnan University and LUX are well-positioned to be a two-way springboard, empowering international ventures entering China while enabling Mainland enterprises to scale globally.”

The Hon Augustine Wong Ho-ming, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Lingnan University, says in his remarks that every day, researchers and students at Lingnan are generating innovative ideas, conducting high-quality research, and developing solutions to address pressing challenges facing our communities. Photo source: Lingnan University

The Hon Augustine Wong Ho-ming, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Lingnan University, said in his remarks, “Every day, researchers and students at Lingnan are generating innovative ideas, conducting high-quality research, and developing solutions to address pressing challenges facing our communities. Yet great ideas alone are not enough. They need opportunities to grow, networks to support them, and pathways to bring them beyond the laboratory and into society. LUX has been established to provide exactly that environment. By bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, investors, alumni, and government partners, LUX will help transform promising discoveries into practical applications, commercial ventures, and scalable solutions that can contribute to economic and social development.”

Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science, says that LUX will connect Lingnan’s breakthrough research with national development and industry needs. Photo source: Lingnan University

Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, said in his remarks that LUX will link Lingnan’s state-of-the-art research to national development and industry needs, promoting innovative applications with real impact and a human-centred approach. “Lingnan adopts an ‘AI + X’ development approach that unites AI with interdisciplinary research, and nurtures talents with both technical expertise and humanistic insight. In particular, Lingnan brings together leading international scholars in industrial data science, process control, and evolutionary computation, giving the University an advantage in industry-academia-research collaboration. The University will promote the application of research outcomes in smart cities and low-carbon technologies, expand collaboration with industries in the Greater Bay Area, and develop domestic and overseas markets.”

Two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub and iFLYTEK (Hong Kong) on the same day. Both parties will work together on the co-incubation of start-ups and joint investment matching, while advancing the commercialisation of Lingnan's research. Additionally, a fireside chat titled “The New Paradigm to Scaling Start-ups: Roadmap to Successful DeepTech Solopreneurship with Agentic AI” explored how AI and emerging technologies can support the development of start-ups.

Prof Sun Dong visits the Innovation and Technology Zone at the event, where he engages with the Lingnan team and learns about a number of cutting-edge technology projects that have received international invention awards. Photo source: Lingnan University

Prof Sun Dong also visited the Innovation and Technology Zone at the event, where he engaged with the Lingnan team and learned about a number of cutting-edge technology projects that have received international invention awards.

The Short-legged Horned Toad (Boulenophrys brachykolos), listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, is the only known small frog species in Hong Kong belonging to the genus Boulenophrys of the family Megophryidae. A study led by the Division of Science at Lingnan University has found that the Lantau Island population of the Short-legged Horned Toad shows clear genetic divergence from other local populations, along with several notable differences in the mating calls of males. The research team suggests that the Lantau population represents an early stage of speciation. Geographical isolation of Lantau Island from other landmasses likely contributed to these unique evolutionary traits. The team recommends treating the Lantau population as a separate conservation unit in future.

The Short-legged Horned Toad, an endangered species in Hong Kong, is a small frog measuring around 40 mm in length. It is characterised by short hind limbs, small horn-like projections above the eyes, and skin coloration and patterns that closely resemble dead leaves. (The photo shows the Short-legged Horned Toad population on Lantau Island.)

These findings have been published in international academic journal Current Herpetology.

The Short-legged Horned Toad is distributed across mountain streams on Lantau Island, Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories, and adjacent Shenzhen. The research team, led by Lingnan University, collected 19 samples of the Short-legged Horned Toad (nine from Lantau Island, six from Hong Kong Island, and four from Kowloon) to examine their genetic and morphological characteristics. The results show that the Short-legged Horned Toads on Lantau form a distinct genetic group separate from those on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and Shenzhen. This suggests that the Lantau population has been separated from other populations for a considerable period.

The study shows that Short-legged Horned Toads are visually almost identical, making evolutionary differences difficult to detect through traditional field surveys alone. (The photo shows the Short-legged Horned Toad population on Hong Kong Island.)

In addition, the team recorded and analysed the mating calls of male Short-legged Horned Toads from Lantau Island, Hong Kong Island, and Kowloon. They found significant differences in their calls between Lantau Island and other local populations. The Lantau population produces calls with a faster rhythm and shorter individual notes.

In terms of physical appearance, the team found no marked differences between frogs from Lantau Island and other regions, indicating that physical characteristics alone may be insufficient to distinguish the Lantau population from other populations.

Prof Jonathan Fong, the corresponding author of the study, Associate Dean (Administration and Education) of the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Associate Professor of the Division of Science at Lingnan University.

Prof Jonathan Fong, the corresponding author of the study, Associate Dean (Administration and Education) of the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Associate Professor of the Division of Science at Lingnan University, said the study provides a more comprehensive approach to evaluating evolutionary divergence among populations of the same species. He said, “Many amphibians look very similar, making evolutionary differences difficult to detect through traditional methods by examining morphology alone. By integrating genetic and acoustic data, we found that frogs on Lantau Island have distinct genetic make-up and male toads have different mating calls. This suggests that Lantau population is following a distinct evolutionary trajectory.”

Prof Sung Yik-hei, the first author of the study and Adjunct Assistant Professor of the Division of Science at Lingnan University.

Prof Sung Yik-hei, the first author of the study and Adjunct Assistant Professor of the Division of Science at Lingnan University, explained that Lantau Island became geographically isolated from the mainland approximately 10,000 years ago. The geographical isolation likely reduced gene flow between populations, allowing the Lantau Short-legged Horned Toad population to develop unique genetic traits over time. The study also highlights that Hong Kong may harbour undiscovered biodiversity.

Researchers conduct fieldwork in Hong Kong. (Click here to listen: Audio comparison of the calls of the Short-legged Horned Toad population in Lantau Island and the Kowloon population.

Prof Sung said, “The results suggest that the Short-legged Horned Toad population on Lantau Island may represent an early stage of speciation, although current evidence is insufficient to determine whether the Lantau population constitutes a distinct species. The Short-legged Horned Toad is an endangered species, and if the Lantau population declines or become extinct, its unique genetic traits could be lost and irreplaceable by populations from other areas. We therefore propose that conservation management recognise the Lantau population as an independent conservation unit, giving due consideration to its specific conservation needs to ensure the survival of this unique native population.”

Co-authors of the study include Franco Leung Ka-wah, PhD student at James Cook University in Australia, and Mr Henry Chan Man-ho, Senior Project Officer at Outdoor Wildlife Learning Hong Kong. The research was supported by funding from the Lantau Conservation Fund.

For the full study, please visit: Intraspecific Diversity of Short-Legged Horned Toad (Boulenophrys brachykolos) in Hong Kong: Identification of a Distinct Conservation Unit on Lantau Island