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Theme-based Research of the Research Grants Council (2)
(28-07-2011)

The Research Grants Council funded six projects of Theme-based Research Scheme with a total of some $248 million in July. Last week two of the funded projects were instroduced. This article introduces the other two projects (supported with a total of 70 million) of which research findings will greatly benefit the local logistics industry and development of renewable energy.

Transform Hong Kong's Ocean Container Transport Logistics Network

The logistics industry plays a critical role in Hong Kong's economy. Ocean container logistics is the lifeline of global supply chains, accounting for the majority of cargo throughput. Recent trends of increasing fuel costs and global warming concerns underscore the importance of ocean transport. In recent years, Hong Kong's leading position as a logistics hub is under serious threat from neighboring port cities. Against the manufacturing base of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) as a backdrop, we believe that Hong Kong should transform and strengthen its ocean container transport logistics network, using logistics as the foundation to promote new commercial opportunities.

Despite the importance of ocean container transport, this sector has been understudied by the academic community. Traditionally, academic research on ocean container logistics has mainly focused on improving efficiency of container terminal operations. How ocean container logistics is embedded in global supply chain networks, which is the core focus of our project, has been largely ignored. For an illustrative example, shipping lines tend to reduce vessel speeds (slow-steaming) in attempt to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions in recent years. It is important to investigate the impact of slow streaming on shippers and consignees, as well as the global supply chain network as a whole. Given this network relationship, a critical question to explore is whether it is possible for a shipping line to choose the optimal speed such that all parties, not only itself, may benefit.

The proposed project has two major goals.

1) To establish Hong Kong as the research hub for maritime logistics and supply chain management. A team of world-class researchers with extensive knowledge in this area, led by Chair Professor Chung-Yee Lee of the Department of Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, is geared toward generating state-of-art research on ocean container logistics networks, which is a very important emerging area in academia.

2) To develop an in-depth understanding of Hong Kong's role as a port city and its future direction. This proposed project will contribute to the transformation of Hong Kong's ocean container transport logistics network in the city's quest to remain and grow as a regional and international business center.

Challenges in Organic Photo-Voltaics and Light-Emitting Diodes- A Concerted Multi-Disciplinary and Multi-Institutional Effort

With the huge and fast-growing population and an upcoming depletion of fossil fuels, there is an urgent need and pressing demand for a low carbon or carbon-neutral energy economy. Development of clean renewable energy and new measures for reducing the energy demand are definitely needed to meet the grand challenges. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are recognized as a viable candidate for the launching of a more efficient solid-state lighting system, while the discovery and development of efficient organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices for solar energy conversion will have a major impact in addressing the energy issues. However, low power efficiencies, materials and device stability and relatively high manufacturing cost of OLEDs and OPVs present a major challenge for commercialization, and new breakthroughs in the development of new materials and fabrication processes that are much cheaper and more processable for efficient OLEDs and OPVs are highly desirable. This project integrates multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary efforts from The University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Baptist University, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and City University of Hong Kong, and the complementary expertise of chemists, physicists, materials scientists, and device engineers to form a team, in order to meet the grand challenges related to energy. With the funding support of the RGC Theme-Based Research Scheme, this project targets to develop libraries of robust, industrial competitive phosphorescent materials and OPV materials, coupled with the optimization of device architecture and fabrication processes, to improve the power efficiencies of OLEDs and OPVs. Particularly, our team members are holders of a number of innovative US and PCT patents, providing the basis for the development of new classes of patentable materials. The success of the proposed project would not only generate Hong Kong- and China-owned intellectual property (IP) rights, patents and technological know-how, but also creates new opportunities for knowledge and technology transfer to national and international industrial partners. These would definitely promote Hong Kong towards a low carbon economy and the development of a sustainable environment.

Research Grants Council