Hong Kong – February 2026 – AECOM and the School of Energy and Environment (SEE) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) have formalized a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating Hong Kong’s sustainability and climate resilience ambitions.
The collaboration was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), officiated by Ir Dr Otto Poon, Founding Chairman of the Hong Kong Climate Change Forum. The agreement establishes a framework to integrate leading academic research with industry expertise to develop practical, scalable environmental solutions.
Driving Climate Innovation Through Industry–Academia Collaboration
The AECOM CityUHK sustainability partnership will focus on:
- Joint research in sustainability and climate adaptation
- Environmental innovation and solution development
- Knowledge exchange initiatives
- Capacity-building programs
- Student internships and joint academic supervision
A cornerstone initiative under exploration is the establishment of a dedicated AECOM–SEE joint laboratory, designed to advance climate-related research and support translational applications in infrastructure planning and environmental engineering.
Dr Johnny Cheuk, Senior Vice President and Hong Kong Executive Leader at AECOM, emphasized the strategic importance of the collaboration:
“By uniting CityUHK’s renowned research capabilities with our technical excellence in sustainable infrastructure and on-the-ground experience — including integrated shoreline management, flood mitigation and nature-based solutions — we can fast-track the development of resilient, future-ready solutions for Hong Kong.”
Translating Research into Real-World Impact
Prof. Benjamin Horton, Dean of the School of Energy and Environment at CityUHK, highlighted the role of cross-sector partnerships in accelerating climate action:
“Partnerships between academia and industry are essential for accelerating innovation, scaling solutions and building resilience. Universities bring together diverse disciplines under one roof, making them ideal hubs for innovation and collaboration.”
The partnership is designed to strengthen the bridge between laboratory research and community-level implementation, aligning with Hong Kong’s broader decarbonization and climate adaptation roadmap.
Climate Change Symposium Highlights
Following the MoU signing, AECOM and CityUHK SEE co-hosted a Climate Change Symposium that convened representatives from government, academia and industry to address Hong Kong’s most pressing environmental challenges.
Key discussion themes included:
- Coastal resilience strategies
- Sustainable water management
- Climate risk disclosure frameworks
Distinguished speakers included:
Government & Real Estate Sector
- Chan Wai Tak, Principal Assistant Secretary (Works), Development Bureau, HKSAR Government
- Prof. Wong Kam Sing, Chairman of Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China) Charitable Foundation
- Hazel Cheng, Project Manager for Sustainability, Henderson Land Development Co., Ltd.
CityUHK SEE
- Prof. Benjamin Horton, Dean
- Prof. Jung Eun Chu, Assistant Professor
- Prof. Ping Han, Associate Professor
AECOM
- Robert Chan, Vice President, Water, Asia
- Stanley Liu, Executive Director, Ports & Marine, Transportation
- Delton Ng, Executive Director, Environment
Strengthening Hong Kong’s Climate Resilience
The AECOM CityUHK sustainability partnership underscores a shared commitment to embedding climate resilience into infrastructure systems, policy frameworks and community planning. By combining research excellence with implementation expertise, the collaboration aims to deliver measurable progress toward Hong Kong’s sustainability targets.
The initiative represents a model for how academic–industry alliances can catalyze innovation and accelerate the transition from research concepts to deployable, climate-resilient solutions.
