As global warming intensifies, window technologies that can automatically regulate indoor light and humidity in response to environmental changes could help reduce building energy consumption and support the development of a low-carbon city. A research team at the International Centre of Urban Energy Nexus (UEX) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed an innovative smart window film that leverages the unique properties of various materials to lower indoor temperatures during the day while absorbing moisture and reducing its transparency at night, thereby enhancing energy efficiency as well as improving indoor comfort and privacy. Antibacterial, durable and cost-effective, this innovative window film is particularly suitable for use in humid regions such as Hong Kong, offering a promising solution for green building development.

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Dr. Lee Ho Seong) has successfully developed a chlorinated graphene (Cl-Gr) gas sensor that uses readily available saltwater to rapidly detect and recover from harmful gases at room temperature. Because the sensor can operate without a separate heating element, it significantly improves the prospects for practical gas sensors in compact devices, where their use has long been limited by power consumption and heat generation.

Adelaide University researchers have developed an innovative wearable glove that uses heat, touch and physical objects to transform data into a sensory experience.

A research team led by Senior Researcher Hyeong-U Kim of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Research Center at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (President Seok-Hyeon Ryu, hereinafter referred to as KIMM) developed synthesis and etching processes for 6-inch next-generation 2D semiconductors (MoS₂ and WS₂) using low-temperature plasma-based PECVD and RIE equipment and implemented them into an AI-based intelligent system.

An RMIT innovation uses ultrasound to extract leaf protein from discarded cauliflower leaves, identifying a potential new use for vegetable scraps.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis remains a hard-to-treat lung disease with limited effective drugs. A recent study in Engineering used machine learning to screen natural compounds and found dihydromyricetin, a flavonoid from herbs, can block the TGF-β/ALK5 signaling pathway. It alleviates fibrosis and inflammation in cell and mouse models, shows good safety, and offers a new natural-product-based direction for pulmonary fibrosis treatment.