On July 7, 2025, BYD and HKUST announced the creation of the HKUST-BYD Joint Lab for Embodied AI, marking a strategic partnership aimed at advancing robotics and intelligent manufacturing.

Located on HKUST's campus, the joint lab will serve as a global hub for innovation in robotics and intelligent manufacturing, leveraging BYD's industrial expertise and HKUST's academic strengths to push the boundaries of next-generation technologies.

The lab's focus is on developing embodied intelligence systems that enable AI to perceive, interpret, and interact with the physical environment, emphasizing data-driven approaches for both simulated and real-world applications.

Research efforts will include training large-scale embodied AI models capable of autonomous and diverse tasks across domestic and industrial settings, with a particular emphasis on enhancing autonomous driving technologies.

Wang Chuanfu, Chairman and President of BYD, highlighted that this partnership reflects BYD's shift towards innovation and high-quality development, with a focus on advancing foundational technologies and cultivating top talent.

BYD plans to invest tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars over the coming years to support the research and development efforts of the joint lab.

BYD considers embodied intelligence a major leap in AI development, which could lead to transformative applications by allowing future systems to better understand and interact with their surroundings.

The collaboration aims to improve autonomous driving safety and reliability by combining academic research with industry expertise, particularly in driver assistance systems.