The HKIE Outstanding Paper Award for Young Engineers/Researchers is an esteemed international paper award that has nurtured talent and innovation within the engineering community for over 20 years. This award encourages young engineers and researchers aged 35 or below to publish their achievements and to advocate for the engineering profession among the younger generation.

A significant highlight of the Award is the annual Public Lecture, where the first authors of the awarded papers share their research accomplishments and celebrate their success.

This year’s Public Lecture was held on 16 January 2026, featuring presentations from the three award winners. Conducted in hybrid mode, the Lecture attracted over 230 attendees, including HKIE members, industry professionals, and students from Hong Kong, Mainland China, Macau, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.

The Institution extends its heartfelt gratitude to the three awardees: Mr Winson Tsz Chiu Leung, Ms Coral Kim Man Yip and Mr Jasper Yung Cheung. Their engaging presentations and discussions provided valuable insights into their cuttingedge research, making the Lecture rewarding for all participants.

For those who missed the Lecture or wish to revisit the presentations, the awarded papers and the full lecture video are now available on the HKIE Transactions website and HKIE YouTube channel. We encourage everyone to explore these valuable resources to appreciate the outstanding contributions of these young talents.

Looking ahead, to better reflect the Award’s growing global reach and to attract even more outstanding young talents worldwide, the Award will be rebranded in 2026 as “The HKIE International Outstanding Paper Award for Young Engineers/ Researchers”. Formal announcements will be made in due course. Stay tuned!

List of awarded papers

• “YOSO (You Only Scan Once): A Large-Small Model Co- Adapter Framework for AI–Human Collaborative Scan-to- BIM Automation in Wastewater Infrastructure”

By Winson T C Leung*, C H Wong, Senna C S Ng, Simon Y O Lai, Carry P S Cheung, C Y Lam, Y M Qin and L F Ren

• “Monitoring Tree Intrusion Along Railway Networks Using LiDAR Technology”

By Coral Kim Man Yip*, LI Shu Yung, SM Nazim Uddin Shoikot, Muhammad Saad Shahid Anwel

• “Gamification and Digital Twins: A Synergistic Approach to Enhancing Manufacturing Processes in Industry 4.0”

By Yung Cheung*, Tsz Ip, and Ming Yin Shan

* First author aged 35 or below on the closing date of submission.

Ir Prof Michael Kwok Hi Leung (2nd left), Editor-in-chief of HKIE Transactions and Chairman of HKIE Transactions Committee, and the three awardees: Mr Winson Tsz Chiu Leung (4th left), Ms Coral Kim Man Yip (3rd left) and Mr Jasper Yung Cheung (1st left)

Mr Winson Tsz Chiu Leung (L), Ms Coral Kim Man Yip (middle) and Mr Jasper Yung Cheung (R) presented their awarded papers and shared insights