6G@HKU Consortium
The Hong Kong University Leading Hub for Innovation
6G
Communications
Edge
Intelligence
Foundation
AI Models
Industry
Collaboration
About Us
The 6G@HKU Consortium aims to position the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) as a leading hub for innovation at the intersection of next-generation wireless communication, edge computing, and foundation AI models. The Consortium promotes long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships between academia and industry in response to the accelerating convergence of intelligent networks and real-time data processing.
Its structure incorporates a tiered membership model and an intellectual property (IP) management mechanism tailored to 6G-AI research, while leveraging HKU’s strengths in networked intelligence. The ultimate goal is to align academic capabilities with real-world technological challenges and commercialisation pathways.
Objectives 🎯
Strategic Industry Collaboration
Attract industry partners to co-invest in research aligned with technological needs and strategic goals.
Integrated Academic-Industrial Programs
Leverage HKU's academic strengths to offer joint research, custom graduate training, and consulting.
Translational Innovation Platform
Build a sustained platform for translating frontier research into deployable solutions.
Who We Work With 🤝
Members of HKU@6G Consortium
Prof. Yuanwei LIU
Co-Director
Prof. Yuanwei LIU
Co-Director
Prof. Yuanwei LIU
Co-Director
Prof. Yuanwei LIU
Co-Director
Prof. Yuanwei LIU
Co-Director
Prof. Yuanwei LIU
Co-Director
Who We Work With 🤝
Members of HKU@6G Consortium
Members of HKU@6G Consortium
Prof. Yuanwei LIU
Co-Director
Prof. Kaibin HUANG
Co-Director
Prof. Xianhao CHEN
Founding Member
Prof. Hongyang DU
Founding Member
Prof. Yulin SHAO
Founding Member
Dr. Zhaolin WANG
Founding Member
The ECE International Advisory Board and research working groups are to be invited.
Target Industry Partners
Telecom Operators
E.g., China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom.
Network Equipment Vendors
E.g., Huawei, ZTE.
Vertical Integrators
(With Edge Intelligence and Communications Demand)
E.g., Meituan (drone logistics), DJI (UAVs), XPeng (autonomous vehicles).
AI and Cloud Infrastructure Providers
E.g., Tencent Cloud, Alibaba Cloud.
Benefits for Partners💡
Directed Research Collaboration
- HKU PhD student co-supervised by faculty and industry partner.
- Co-direct research topics aligned with the partner’s technical roadmap.
- Regular touchpoints with faculty and students to ensure progress.
Project Co-Funding Mechanism
- Annual Project Pitch Day: Consortium members propose or vote on research themes (1-2X/year).
- Matchmaking: Members directly fund prioritised projects (e.g., 70% industry + 30% Consortium seed funding).
Strategic Influence
- Complimentary registration for the annual Consortium conference.
- Guaranteed seat on the Industry Advisory Board (IAB) to influence research direction.
Technology Access & Transfer
- Access to selected research outputs, IPs, and unpublished results from government-leveraged projects (non-exclusive, internal use).
- Password-protected access to internal research databases and technical documents.
- Discounted enrolment in short courses, executive education, and lab-based workshops.
- Participation in monthly research briefings and centre-hosted webinars.
- Attendance at internal research reviews and facility access (1-2 times per year).
Workforce Development
- Priority access to student recruitment and internship placement.
- Participation in the Industrial Residence Program enables engineers to work on-site in HKU labs.
- Custom training opportunities through member-requested workshops.
- Voting rights on annual research themes, with a portion of Consortium funds allocated to member-driven projects.
Contributions at HKU📚
Joint Research Projects
Focused on themes such as edge AI inference, 6G architecture, distributed training, and LLM deployment on low-power edge devices.
Executive Training & Certification
Short courses and workshops taught by HKU faculty tailored to enterprise upskilling needs.
Custom Graduate Programs
Industry-driven MSc/PhD tracks with joint supervision, real-world project topics, and embedded internship opportunities.
Visiting Scholars & Expert Lectures
Faculty and researchers will engage with partners on-site for short-term consulting and technical support.
Membership & IP Framework 🔐
The Consortium adopts a flexible intellectual property (IP) policy that supports long-term collaboration, protects academic integrity, and enables practical commercialisation. It offers three main collaboration modes with distinct IP arrangements, including embedded personnel exchanges to strengthen R&D integration:
Leveraged Research
- Access to Public-Funded Research: Companies can obtain non-exclusive, royalty-free, non-transferable access to shareable IP and outputs from HKU’s government-funded projects, subject to internal approval, without additional cost.
- Short-Term Visits (1–3 months): Member employees may embed in HKU labs to collaborate on leveraged projects, with IP governed by HKU’s open research policies.
Sponsored Research
- Gift Projects (1 year): Designed for open-ended exploration and student sponsorship. These projects typically do not generate or transfer IP.
- Industry Sabbaticals (3-12 months): Faculty may spend sabbaticals at member companies to align research with market needs. IP is negotiated case-by-case (default: company retains foreground IP).
- Contract Projects (1-3 years): IP is generally co-owned by the company and HKU. Licensing terms are negotiated through the Technology Transfer Office (TTO).
-
Joint Laboratories
- Joint Laboratory:
Long-term collaboration with joint visibility and customised IP arrangements, typically under contract project terms, leveraging ECE’s existing framework. - Key Features:
- Long-term commitment (3+ years) with embedded personnel exchanges, such as company researchers at HKU or faculty sabbaticals in industry.
- Built-in commercialisation incentives and priority access to exchange programs (e.g., two lab rotations per year included in base funding).
Membership Fees (Annual)
| Model | Fee (USD) | Fee (HKD) | Fee (RMB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gift Project | 60,000 / pp | 480,000 / pp | 650,000 / pp |
| Contract Project | 90,000 / pp | 700,000 / pp | 650,000 / pp |
| Named Laboratories | ≥ 1,000,000 HKD / yr (on a case-by-case basis) | ||
Expected Impact 🚀
Academic Leadership
Strengthen HKU's leadership in tech-driven academic-industry collaboration.
Funding Growth
Attract diversified funding and long-term industry engagement.
Regional Innovation
Advance HKU’s contribution to regional innovation ecosystems in the Greater Bay Area and beyond.
Future Talent
Train next-generation talent ready to lead in AI-driven network transformation.
Join 6G@HKU Consortium
Interested in collaborating or learning more? Partner with us or request information at cons6g@hku.hk. 📝