Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming product design, production and use. Against this backdrop, City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and the University of Cambridge have established the Centre for Advanced and Smart Manufacturing (CASM) to position Hong Kong as a world-leading Industry 5.0 innovation hub. The vision is for advanced technologies to work alongside people, supporting more sustainable, resilient and responsible manufacturing.
Based in Hong Kong Science Park, CASM is one of the research centres under the InnoHK initiative of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – SEAM@InnoHK. Professor Lu Jian and Professor Colm Durkan co-lead the Centre. Lu is Chair Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at CityUHK, while Durkan is from the University of Cambridge.
“Hong Kong was once one of Asia’s leading manufacturing centers. Looking ahead, our aim is to leverage advanced manufacturing to enable Hong Kong to once again play a key role in the global industrial value chain,” said Professor Lu. “The vision of CASM is to establish Hong Kong as a world-leading Industry 5.0 manufacturing innovation hub.”
Key technologies and key areas of focus
CASM brings together researchers from Hong Kong and around the world to advance new materials, manufacturing methods and digital technologies for industries facing urgent challenges.
These include addressing the cooling challenges of data centers, developing next-generation environmentally friendly refrigeration technologies, making new energy vehicles lighter and more sustainable, and developing better materials for electronics and everyday products.
One of the Center’s defining features is its use of additive manufacturing as its core technology platform. This integrates materials design, digital engineering, manufacturing processes and end-use applications into a single research framework.
The Center’s research focuses on four major application areas: next-generation refrigeration technologies, thermal management for data centers, green manufacturing for new energy vehicles, and innovative materials for consumer electronics.
It is also exploring the use of recycled aluminum, also referred to as green aluminum, in the manufacturing of new energy vehicles. By combining AI-assisted design with additive manufacturing, researchers aim to reduce vehicle weight without compromising performance or safety.
Recycled aluminum requires substantially less energy to produce than primary aluminum. This approach therefore also helps reduce carbon emissions, paving a pathway towards more sustainable manufacturing.
Beyond its research and technological innovation, CASM will serve as a training ground for the next generation of researchers, engineers and technology leaders.
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