Avnet, a leading global technology distributor and solutions provider, has joined The University of Hong Kong (HKU) in officially opening the Emerging Microelectronics and Ubiquitous Systems Lab (EMUS Lab), a collaborative innovation hub designed to accelerate AI hardware commercialization by connecting research, innovation, engineering expertise, and global supply chain capabilities.
Located at the Data Technology Hub in Tseung Kwan O InnoPark, EMUS Lab focuses on next-generation technologies including edge AI, physical AI, robotics, high-performance computing (HPC) and emerging microelectronics. By bringing together academic research, startups and industry, the Lab provides innovators with access to engineering consultation, GPU computing resources, prototyping support, manufacturability assessments and supply chain expertise needed to transform breakthrough ideas into scalable, market-ready products. Through Avnet’s broader ecosystem, including element14, an Avnet company specializing in proof-of-concept development and prototyping, innovators can access the tools, technologies, and support needed in the early stages of product development, while leveraging Avnet’s engineering, design chain, and global supply chain expertise to accelerate the journey from prototype to production.
As AI moves beyond cloud-based models into intelligent devices, robotics and industrial systems, bringing AI into the physical world increasingly depends not only on advanced AI models, but also on the ability to engineer, manufacture and scale AI-enabled hardware. Industry analysts project strong growth in the adoption of edge AI, physical AI and intelligent autonomous systems over the coming decade¹. With its strong research ecosystem, international connectivity and proximity to the Greater Bay Area manufacturing network, Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to accelerate the commercialization of AI-enabled hardware technologies.
Arthur Chung, Vice President, Sales and Supplier Management, Asia, Avnet, said: “Building a great AI model is only the beginning. Turning AI innovation into a reliable, manufacturable and scalable product remains one of the biggest barriers to commercialization. EMUS Lab was created to help innovators bridge that gap by combining research with engineering expertise, supply chain readiness and market access, enabling them to move faster from prototype to product.”
Prof. Ngai Wong, Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at HKU Faculty of Engineering, and Director of EMUS Lab, said: “EMUS Lab was established to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world application. By bringing together researchers, students, startups and industry partners, we are creating an environment where research excellence, engineering expertise and industry needs converge to accelerate AI and microelectronics innovation. Together with Avnet, we are helping transform research outcomes into technologies that deliver meaningful societal and economic impact.”
Prior to its official opening, EMUS Lab had already demonstrated measurable impact. Research supported by Avnet-sponsored GPU infrastructure has contributed to publications in Nature family journals and presentations at leading AI conferences including ICLR and ICML, highlighting the Lab’s early research impact.
The opening ceremony brought together representatives from Avnet, HKU and local universities, the broader innovation ecosystem, industry partners and the technology community for keynote presentations, a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony, laboratory tours and technology demonstrations.
Accelerating AI Innovation from Prototype to Product
One of EMUS Lab’s first major industry engagement initiatives is the DfMA Launchpad for AI MMP Programme, a 12-month co-incubation programme that connects EMUS Lab, Avnet and ecosystem stakeholders to support AI startups.
The programme combines Avnet’s engineering and global supply chain expertise with EMUS Lab’s advanced research infrastructure and the startup ecosystem of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) to provide technical mentorship, hardware-software co-design, system validation, manufacturability guidance and industry connections, helping startups move more efficiently from prototype development to scalable production.
The programme has already attracted strong interest from the startup community, with 27 startup teams selected to participate, reflecting growing demand for practical expertise that helps accelerate the path from AI innovation to market deployment.
As AI increasingly shifts from experimentation to large-scale deployment, EMUS Lab provides a collaborative platform where academia, startups and industry partners can accelerate AI hardware innovation across healthcare, robotics, industrial automation, smart living and smart city applications. By combining world-class research, startup innovation, engineering expertise and global supply chain capabilities within a single ecosystem, the Lab helps transform breakthrough ideas into products that can be built, scaled and deployed globally, while strengthening Hong Kong’s position as a leading hub for AI hardware innovation and technology commercialization.
