Six new focus areas catering to the needs of society are launched to mark the Faculty 20th anniversary in year 2011: biomedical engineering, energy technology, cyber security, financial engineering, nanotechnology and systems integration — electronic / photonic packaging. The Faculty has also allocated additional resources to roll out new programmes and hire academic and research staff in order to strengthen its position as a leading engineering school in Asia.

Six focus areas of development:

Biomedical Engineering: Hong Kong is one of the most populous regions in the world, and the aging population has led to an increasing demand for medical services. As the training of medical staff in both skills and knowledge is relatively mature, medical advancement in recent years has been focused on technology and apparatus.

Energy Technology: Global warming is getting more serious and many industries are trying to seek solutions that will enhance energy efficiency. Developing green energy and programmes that streamline the supply chain are areas that engineers can contribute to help industries save resources while tapping new ones.

Cyber Security: As internet transaction and communication become increasingly popular, issues of internet security, for instance, risk of information leakage in communications between national leaders, has become more critical and need urgent attention.

Financial Engineering: The collaboration of engineering and finance is instrumental to Hong Kong's development as a financial hub in the region. The scientific approach of engineering can solve many difficulties faced by the finance industry. New research areas include incorporating scientific calculation into risk management, optimization of transaction, and developing secure and accurate electronic transaction.

Nanotechnology: There are numerous applications for nanotechnology, as the technology allows us to undertake delicate processes and manufacture tiny products. New materials developed using nanotechnology can replace certain environmentally unfriendly materials currently in use, thereby helping to protect our environment.

Systems Integration — Electronic and Photonic Packaging: The technology involves putting electronic components to form high-tech electronic products, such as mobile phones, lap top computers and all other consumer devices and high performance computers. All our five Engineering departments will be involved in this initiative. For instance, Departments of Computer Science and Engineering, and Electronic Engineering will involve in system design; Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering will address reliability testing and thermal management; Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management will ensure all manufacturing logistics; and Departments of Electronic Engineering and Information Engineering can focus on system utilization and manufacturing. The Faculty takes the initiative to work with and up-grade those thousands of manufacturers in the Pearl River Delta region.