UM’s two state key labs pass mid-stage assessment with flying colours

The two state key laboratories at the University of Macau (UM), namely the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (QRCM Lab) and the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI (AMS-VLSI Lab), have passed their mid-stage assessment with flying colours. The expert assessment team said that the two labs successfully met the mid-stage targets in research direction and personnel training.

The mid-stage assessment meeting followed the instructions made at the seventh meeting of the Mainland-Macao Science and Technology Cooperation Committee and was held by the Science and Technology Development Fund of Macao SAR. It was hoped that the assessment could benefit the labs’ future development. The expert team from mainland China was led by Liu Changxiao and Yan Xiaolang, who oversaw the assessment of the QRCM Lab and the AMS-VLSI Lab respectively. Following on-site visits and assessment meetings, the team leaders recognised the labs’ achievements and agreed that they should pass the mid-stage assessment.

Liu mentioned that the research conducted by the QRCM Lab has clear objectives and distinctive characteristics, with breakthroughs in key quality control technologies; significant results have been achieved in the standardisation, efficacy, safety, and stability of Chinese medicines as well as in proteomics, glycomics, and lipidomics.

For the AMS-VLSI Lab, Yan noted that it was important and correct to make analog-to-digital converters, wireless ASIC, and bio-medical IC the main research areas. He also praised the lab for its effective implementation of the established plan, team building, and collaboration measures.

UM Vice Rector (Research) and AMS-VLSI Lab Director Prof. Rui Martins thanked the expert team for their comments and advice, saying that UM will continue to improve the software and hardware aspects of the labs, and make good use of the new campus to achieve better results and make greater contributions to the moderate diversification of Macao’s economy. QRCM Lab Director Prof. Wang Yitao described the assessment as signalling a new beginning for the labs, adding that UM will build on the successful experience, speed up talent training and importation, strengthen the transfer and protection of intellectual property rights, and step up the industrialisation of research results, as part of the effort to prepare for the next five years.