The University of Macau (UM) said in a recent statement that it will establish four new research institutes as part of a broader restructuring of its research system, creating a network of 11 institutes aimed at accelerating technology transfer and supporting Macau’s appropriate economic diversification.
According to the statement, the initiative comes as UM marks its 45th anniversary and prepares for the launch of five new science and technology faculties in the 2026/2027 academic year. The statement said the expanded research framework will integrate faculties, research institutes and its three state key laboratories to strengthen collaboration in frontier research*, innovation and knowledge transfer, while speeding up the commercialisation of laboratory research.
The statement quoted UM Rector Yonghua Song (aka Song Yongshua) as saying that the university is establishing research institutes that meet high standards to encourage collaboration across disciplines and attract high-calibre talent worldwide, adding that the new framework will enable the university to continue supporting innovation and technology development in Macau, the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Chinese mainland.
The first two institutes – the Institute of Smart City Technologies and the Institute of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Brain Sciences – will begin operations on August 1, according to the statement.
Built on the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City (SKL-IOTSC), the Institute of Smart City Technologies will conduct research in intelligent sensing and network communication, urban big data and intelligent technology, smart energy, intelligent transportation, and urban safety and disaster prevention, the statement noted.
Meanwhile, the Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Brain Sciences will house four research centres dedicated to artificial general intelligence, robotics, cognitive and brain sciences, and data science, the statement added, pointing out that the institute will focus on interdisciplinary research combining intelligence science** and neuroscience to support healthcare, social governance and smart industries.
Coinciding with the launch of the Faculty of Medicine on August 1, the university is also establishing two additional research institutes specialising in life sciences and clinical and translational medicine***, the statement noted, adding that the life sciences institute will focus on fundamental research into medical and biological mechanisms, while the clinical and translational medicine institute will concentrate on clinical research and transforming scientific findings into practical applications.
Together with UM’s existing institutes – including the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, Institute of Microelectronics, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, the Institute of Collaborative Innovation, the University of Macau Advanced Research Institute in Hengqin, UM Hetao Integrated Circuit Research Institute, and the Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute – the additions will bring the total number of research institutes to 11, the statement said, adding that the university is also restructuring its Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) and Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) while launching five new faculties: the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Information Technology, and Faculty of Design.
Song said the expansion reflects the maturation of UM’s high-level talent development model and strengthens industry-academia integration between Macau and Hengqin, the statement said.
* Frontier research is bold, curiosity-driven investigation at the absolute edge of human knowledge. It pushes beyond existing disciplinary boundaries, tackles high-risk scientific or conceptual questions, and operates in uncharted territory where success is highly uncertain but the potential for groundbreaking discovery is massive. – Gemini
** Intelligence Science is a contemporary, highly interdisciplinary field dedicated to the joint study of the basic theories, mechanisms, and implementation technologies of intelligence. Rather than focusing solely on coding algorithms or behavioural psychology in isolation, it fuses insights from both natural intelligence (how brains and minds work) and artificial intelligence (how machines process information). – Gemini
***Translational medicine – often called “bench-to-bedside” research – is a rapidly growing discipline in biomedical research that aims to expedite the discovery of new diagnostic tools and treatments by using a multi-disciplinary, highly collaborative, “bench-to-bedside” approach. In simple terms, it is the bridge that connects basic laboratory science (the “bench”) with clinical practice and patient care (the “bedside”). – Gemini
This undated handout photo provided by the public University of Macau (UM) recently shows its scientific research base on its campus in Hengqin.
