At the first crossover Leadership Dinner jointly organised by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships and JC STEM Circle, Professor Andy NEELY, Professor of Manufacturing at the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, shared his perspective on the significance of translational research and the role of academics in driving innovation in the engineering community.

Translational research involves turning academic research findings into market-ready products, bringing positive changes to society.  Drawing from his experiences at the University of Cambridge, Professor Neely encouraged STEM talents to not only conduct groundbreaking research, but also to commercialise their innovations for real-world impact.  He emphasised that creating positive societal impact is the responsibility of academic researchers and urged young talents in the early stages of their research careers to be bold and proactive.  He also highlighted the need to foster a culture and environment that promotes continuous innovation.

Professor Neely is former Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise and Business Relations at the University of Cambridge.  He is currently a member of the Selection Committee of the Jockey Club Global STEM Postdoctoral Fellowship for Translational Research and Application, which supports early-career researchers in the fields of STEM to conduct innovative, interdisciplinary research that has the potential for real-world impact.

Nearly 80 JC talents, including JC Scholars, JC STEM Lab Directors and members, and Jockey Club Global STEM Post-doctoral Fellows, attended the Leadership Dinner.  The JC STEM Circle serves as a talent community to promote knowledge transfer to industries and facilitate collaboration and knowledge-sharing.  This event provided a unique opportunity for JC Scholars to connect and exchange ideas with JC STEM talents.

Words from participating JC Scholars

• Beyond gaining a better understanding of bridging academic findings and entrepreneurship, I also appreciated Professor Neely's advice to stay curious about the world, like "standing on the rabbit's fur".

• Professor Neely's sharing about contributing to society as a researcher is eye-opening.

Professor Neely encourages JC Scholars to be a catalyst for innovation

Professor Neely shares his academic journey with JC STEM talents

Professor Neely talks about the challenges and opportunities of translational research