[Macau Daily News, Geneva] The 51st International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva was held from April 11 to 15 in Geneva, Switzerland, featuring over 1,000 inventions from around the world, with approximately 800 projects receiving gold, silver, or bronze awards. A research team from the Macau University of Science and Technology (M.U.S.T.), led by Professor Zhu YiZhun, Vice President and Chair Professor of the university, participated in the exhibition with seven innovative projects—all of which won awards. The team secured four gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal, marking the highest number of awards won by a Macau higher education institution in a single edition of the exhibition.

Group photo of the M.U.S.T. research team after receiving the awards.

Among the accolades, two inventions received the “Gold Medal with the Congratulations of the Jury,” the highest distinction of the event. This special honour is further selected from gold medal winners, with an award ratio of approximately 3%, earning it the reputation of being a “gold among golds.”

The award-winning projects from M.U.S.T. primarily focus on innovative drug research and development, spanning areas such as anti-tumour therapeutics, cardiovascular and autoimmune disease drug development, investigations into novel target mechanisms, and the translation of research outcomes into practical applications. All projects are first-in-class innovations, underscoring the team’s sustained capability for original research and translational medicine. Several of the team’s innovative drugs are already in various stages of clinical development, with some achievements successfully commercialised. This recognition comes over a year after the team clinched the National Championship (Biomedical Start-up Group) at the 13th China Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition.

Zhu YiZhun (second from right) with the M.U.S.T. team holding award certificates and medals.

Professor Zhu and his team noted that the Macau government actively encourages the translation of scientific achievements into practical applications, supported by well-structured policies and research funding. Moving forward, the team aims to advance original drug development, key target discovery, and innovative mechanism research, while facilitating the translation of results in Macau, thereby contributing to the development of biomedical science and technology in Macau and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The Gold Medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva is one of the world’s most authoritative and influential invention accolades, and the exhibition itself is one of the longest-running and largest of its kind. Awards presented include gold, silver, bronze, and special prizes, with the “Gold Medal with the Congratulations of the Jury” representing the highest honour—awarded only upon unanimous approval by the jury.