The Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi), THEi-industry Applied Research Centre for Sustainable Development (TiARC), together with Nankai University and Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, have successfully organized the “NKU-THEi Symposium for Energy Applications: Towards an Innovative and Sustainable Future”, which took place in Tianjin, China, on 22 – 24 July 2025. The symposium brought together leading academics, scholars, and industry experts to disseminate their latest research on the development of advanced materials and technology for renewable energy, circular economy, and sustainable development. This collaborative symposium underscores both institutions’ commitment to foster cross-border academic exchange and innovative research for a sustainable future.

The symposium featured keynote and invited seminars by academics from THEi and Nankai University, scholars from renowned universities including The University of Hong Kong, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhejiang University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Nanjing Tech University, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, and Guangdong University of Technology, as well as industry expert from GP Energy Tech. The presentations introduced cutting-edge innovations such as novel materials for advanced battery systems (sodium, nickel-zinc, lithium-sulfur, and metal-air batteries), metal organic framework materials for ion-exchange and separations, pseudo-capacitance materials with high power and high energy storage capabilities, recycling of PET plastic wastes to develop high-performance battery separators, in-situ X-ray characterization techniques for materials research, advanced catalysts for enhancing efficiency of hydrogen evolution reaction, and environmentally friendly synthesis of photocatalytic materials. A dedicated roundtable discussion session was followed to facilitate academic exchange and research collaboration between participating institutions and industry.

Dr. Vanessa Li, Head of THEi’s Research Office, emphasized, “This symposium not only strengthens our research network with mainland universities and industries, but also enables participants to engage in globally significant sustainability research.” Professor Fujun Li of Nankai University’s College of Chemistry, added, “This symposium provides us an invaluable opportunity to establish research collaborations. Each of us may be working on different topics, but we all share a common irrevocable goal: bring transformative breakthroughs in green technologies to make our planet a more sustainable habitat, and through our collaborative efforts we strive to achieve this monumental task.”

The symposium was attended by nearly 100 participants from various universities, professional education institutes and companies from both Mainland and Hong Kong. Scholars and professionals from participating organizations reiterated their willingness to collaborate on strategic research areas such as electrochemistry, catalysis and materials for energy storage, hydrogen technology, and environmental pollution control.

The symposium also included a visit to “Chang Xing New Energy”, a spin-off centre of Nankai University which focuses on research, development and manufacturing of new battery materials for sustainable energy storage. The THEi team was introduced to the centre’s mass-production, quality control, compliance testing, and R&D facilities, and discussions took place on potential collaboration opportunities between THEi and “Chang Xing New Energy” to further advance research in the area of novel batteries and other electrochemical energy storage devices.