Source: Macao Magazine
The University of Macau (UM) last year established the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City in an effort to support the Macao SAR government’s strategy to develop Macao into a smart city. This is the third state key lab at UM, in addition to the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI and the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine. The lab will gradually initiate the implementation of urban innovations, and create technical support plans to improve the economic performance, people’s quality of life, and social management in Macao.
According to Yonghua Song, rector of UM and director of the IoT state key lab, the establishment of the lab reflects China’s increasing awareness of the importance of technological advances as well as UM’s commitment to promoting basic research and the commercialisation of research results in order to help Macao achieve high-quality economic growth. He adds that the lab will further strengthen Macao’s research capacity and will lay the groundwork for technological innovations in the city.
Under the IoT state key lab, five research groups have been established to initiate research projects in the following areas: smart sensors and network communication, urban big data and smart technologies, smart energy, intelligent transport system, as well as urban public safety and disaster prevention. The lab also conducts interdisciplinary research studies, such as IoT for smart healthcare and smart ocean technology.
On the teaching front, UM will launch various programmes in related fields, including a bachelor’s degree programme in business intelligence and data analytics as well as a master’s degree programme in data science. The first interdisciplinary programme in big data, the new master’s degree programme will cover various areas, including artificial intelligence, marketing, financial technology, and precision medicine.
