Innovation has been constantly a sought-after goal of the University of Macau. Building on its education and research strengths, UM has established an academic unit, the Institute of Collaborative Innovation (ICI). Through cooperation in interdisciplinary research leading to consensus and wisdom, ICI plays a key role in advancing scientific discovery, training personnel, and developing economy, among other endeavours.

Drawing on the strength of affiliated faculty members of UM and working across a wide range of disciplines, the newly established academic unit will devise innovation-driven core development strategies, actively foster research cooperation and seek innovative ways for research and development in science and technology in order to effectively address urgent social problems, face opportunities and challenges, making contributions to Macao.

The Institute has the ambition of developing into a base for talent nurturing and an excellent institution of technological innovations on the west bank of the Greater Bay Area. Based on a thorough assessment, the University has defined interdisciplinary collaborative research as its strategy forward for research development. Such a direction can promote the integration of modern technology with the numerous disciplines in humanities and social sciences of the university, and therefore enhance its innovation capacity and cultivate high-level, all-round talents. This is also the aim of the establishment of the Institute of Collaborative Innovation.