In the context of a new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation, artificial intelligence is profoundly reshaping scientific research paradigms, industrial development models, and the way society operates. In response to these trends, as well as to national strategic priorities and regional innovation needs, the Artificial Intelligence Cross Disciplinary Research Institute at Macau University of Science and Technology has been established.

Based in Macao, oriented toward the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and connected to the global innovation network, the Institute focuses on cutting-edge breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and major interdisciplinary application scenarios. It is committed to building an international innovation platform that integrates high-level scientific research, key technology development, translation and application of research outcomes, and the cultivation and aggregation of high-level talent, with the goal of becoming a leading center of international influence in AI interdisciplinary applications.

The Institute upholds the university motto of “dedication to practical studies and pursuit of knowledge, commitment to virtue and aspiration,” and adheres to the educational philosophy of “integrating Eastern and Western approaches and serving society.” With a strong sense of mission and a pursuit of excellence, it promotes the deep integration of artificial intelligence with fields such as medical and health sciences, life sciences, engineering, and data science. Centered on the “AI+X” development pathway, the Institute focuses on key areas including complex disease diagnosis and treatment, medical artificial intelligence, bioinformatics and omics analysis, intelligent engineering, and smart management. It aims to build a research system that combines forward-looking planning with application-oriented goals, advancing artificial intelligence from fundamental research to key technological breakthroughs, and from academic innovation to real-world applications and societal empowerment.

The Institute is led by Chair Professor Zhang Kang, an internationally renowned scientist in the fields of medical artificial intelligence and precision medicine. The Institute places strong emphasis on the aggregation of high-level talent and the development of an academic excellence hub. It has already brought together a group of internationally recognized scholars, including Chair Professor Zhu Jian-Kang, Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and President of Macau University of Science and Technology, and Professor John Rasko from the University of Sydney, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. Leveraging its high-level academic team, the Institute focuses on key scientific challenges and core technological bottlenecks in AI interdisciplinary applications, continuously advancing the coordinated development of fundamental research, technology development, clinical translation, and industry collaboration, while enhancing its capacity for original innovation and international academic influence.

In terms of research layout, the Institute adheres to both frontier-driven and demand-driven approaches, with a focus on areas such as the integration of artificial intelligence and medical health, digital twins, intelligent sensing and complex system modeling, multimodal data fusion, trustworthy artificial intelligence, and explainable artificial intelligence. It is committed to promoting innovative applications of AI in fields including smart healthcare, precision medicine, human–machine interaction, intelligent materials, financial technology, and urban governance. The Institute emphasizes addressing major challenges, fostering the deep integration of algorithms, models, data, and real-world scenarios, and building a full-chain innovation system from theoretical research to technological development, and from platform construction to the translation of research outcomes, thereby strengthening its capacity for systemic research and collaborative innovation in addressing complex problems.

As a forward-looking interdisciplinary research platform, the Institute actively promotes the development of high-level research infrastructure, undertakes major national and regional research projects, and establishes joint laboratories, innovation centers, and open shared platforms, continuously enhancing interdisciplinary collaborative innovation. It encourages in-depth collaboration among experts from medicine, engineering, science, management, and the humanities and social sciences, addressing complex real-world problems through joint efforts, and striving to produce a series of original, leading, and demonstrative high-level achievements.

By building a high-level international cooperation network, the Institute has established long-term and stable partnerships with leading universities, research institutions, hospitals, and industry partners worldwide. It actively participates in international academic exchange and frontier collaborations, enhancing its global collaborative innovation capabilities and international influence, and strengthening its academic voice and leadership in the field of AI interdisciplinary applications.

In terms of serving society and translating research outcomes, the Institute closely aligns with the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and major national strategic needs. Focusing on key areas such as public health, industrial digital transformation, and modern governance, it promotes the implementation of core AI technologies in real-world scenarios. The Institute continues to strengthen the collaborative innovation mechanism among industry, academia, research, and healthcare, enhances cooperation with enterprises, medical institutions, government platforms, and social organizations, improves technology transfer and incubation systems, and accelerates the transformation of high-level research outcomes into practical productivity and social value.

Looking ahead, the Artificial Intelligence Cross Disciplinary Research Institute at Macau University of Science and Technology will adhere to a high-level and internationalized development path, continuously gather high-quality innovation resources, promote breakthroughs in key AI technologies and the implementation of major application scenarios, and strive to become an internationally influential platform for AI interdisciplinary research, imparting knowledge and strength to regional innovation and social progress.