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City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has agreed to form a strategic partnership with Amer International Group (Amer) through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed on 29 June for collaboration in technology research, product development, promotion of technology application, application of technology projects and academic exchange.

The MOU was signed by Professor Way Kuo, CityU President, and Mr Wang Wenyin, Chairman of Amer International Group, at a ceremony held at the University. The agreement also signifies closer cooperation between CityU and mainland corporations for developing professionals and promoting social and economic development.

The ceremony was attended by Mr Tang Yihui, President of the Chairman Office of Amer, Mr Xu Nanzhang, Vice-President of the Investment Management Centre of Amer, Mr Zhou Qin, Manager of the Investment Management Centre of Amer, Professor Lu Jian, CityU Vice-President (Research and Technology), Professor Matthew Lee Kwok-on, Vice-President (Development and External Relations), Professor Chan Chi-hou, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves, Professor Lee Chun-sing, Director of the Centre of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films, Professor Jenny Lau Kwok-wah, Associate Director of School of Creative Media, and Mr David Ai Chuan, Director of Knowledge Transfer.

According to the agreement, CityU will propose advanced technology, professional management methods and professional skills to Amer, which will reciprocate by providing application venues and expertise in business operations. Both parties will jointly promote scientific and technological achievements in productivity, such as through the launch of incubator projects.

Professor Kuo said he was delighted to see CityU’s alliance with Amer. “The strategic partnership between CityU and Amer will bring together like-minded professionals who will work together to establish a technology research base. With this base, we can work on strategic projects in environment protection, new materials development, nanotechnology, digitisation, smart cities and creative media to achieve technology breakthroughs.”

Mr Wang said, “Amer is an innovative enterprise while CityU is an innovative university. I believe that Amer and CityU can utilise their respective strengths to help change the world and build a better future.”

Ranked 295th in the 2014 Global Fortune 500, Amer is a leading multinational corporation headquartered in Shenzhen. With its business in non-ferrous metals, cultural creativity, new materials and electronic information, it has set up a presence in many areas of the world as part of a trend towards “substantial growth, important industrial chains and leading industrial parks”.

With excellence in engineering and creative media, CityU can work together with Amer on development of new technology in the fields of metals, digitisation, smart city and creative media. CityU was ranked No. 5 among the world’s top 50 universities under 50 years of age and No. 9 among Asian universities by Quacquarelli Symonds. In the Academic Ranking of World Universities compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, CityU has been ranked No. 1 in Hong Kong in engineering for three consecutive years.

Under the principle of joint development through earnest collaboration, CityU and Amer will work closely together with extensive interactions to boost commercialisation of technology research as well as promote social and economic development.