Arup Launches Second Research Competition to Drive Energy Transition in Cities

Arup Launches Second Research Competition to Drive Energy Transition in Cities

September 2025 — East Asia — Global sustainable development leader Arup has launched its second annual Research Competition, calling on postgraduate researchers to propose innovative solutions for advancing the energy transition in urban environments.

This year’s theme, “Empowering the Future: Energy Transition and Urban Development,” focuses on how cities can balance environmental, economic, and social needs as they shift toward sustainable energy.

The competition invites proposals across a wide range of topics, including:

  • Renewable energy integration in cities
  • Low-carbon and sustainable mobility
  • Smart grids and digital energy systems
  • Cross-sector collaboration for urban energy transition

The call is open to postgraduate researchers at universities and research institutes in Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mainland China, South Korea, and Taiwan.

“At Arup, we are dedicated to reimagining and reshaping the built environment. The Arup Research Competition represents our ongoing commitment to sustainable development through research and innovation,” said Dr. Ricky Tsui, Director of Research and Development, East Asia.

Peter Thompson, Director and East Asia Energy Business Leader, added: “Transitioning from fossil fuels and transforming our energy systems are critical to achieving a net-zero future. By encouraging forward-thinking research, we can unlock scalable solutions to accelerate sustainable energy transitions in cities.”

Through this competition, Arup aims to harness fresh perspectives from the next generation of researchers, encouraging scalable and actionable innovations that can help cities achieve their net-zero and sustainability goals.

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