City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has achieved a historic milestone on the global research stage. Professor Dangyuan Lei from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering has been selected as one of 10 global finalists for the 2026 Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs in Engineering and Technology. This marks the first time a CityUHK researcher has reached the finalist round for this top-tier international award.

This global recognition honours Professor Lei’s groundbreaking technique in green electronics manufacturing. Traditionally, making parts for modern gadgets usually requires huge, energy-hungry factory ovens and airless rooms. Professor Lei’s team found a way to skip those heavy machines. By shining super-fast laser light onto tiny structures, their technique turns light into localised, instant heat. Working just like a microscopic pen, it draws tiny electronic parts on surfaces at normal room temperature and in open air. This method uses far less energy while fitting up to 48,400 tiny electronic transistors into a space no bigger than a thumbnail.

However, squeezing so many components into such a compact space introduces another major challenge: severe overheating. To fix this, the team flipped their idea around, turning heat back into light. They created thin, flexible cooling sheets that draw heat from gadgets and radiate it as invisible light rays. These clever sheets can cool devices by up to 9 °C in bright sunlight without using any battery power.

By combining low-energy manufacturing with power-free cooling, these two ideas pave the way for a greener and cleaner future for everyday tech like phones, screens, and computer chips.

For more details about Prof Lei's winning project, please visit: https://falling-walls.com/breakthroughs/finalists-interviews/dangyuan-lei