On March 16th, 2025, Mr. Li Jiahua, General Manager of Beijing Hengzhi Technology Co., Ltd. and his team crossed the mountains and the sea and arrived in Umeå, the city of innovation in the north of Sweden, and started an in-depth academic exchange with Prof. Jonas Lu from the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics of the University of Umeå. The exchange focused on the "transformation of the built environment to environmental behavior", aiming to open up a new path for the global sustainable development and smart city construction, and explore the future of the integration of science and technology and humanities.
01
From the built environment to environmental behavior: a conceptual revolution
In the field of built environment, the traditional governance model is facing multiple challenges from demographic change, climate crisis and digitalization. Based on years of practical experience in cross-disciplinary integration, General Manager Li Jiahua proposed an innovative path to promote the transformation of the built environment by using "Environmental Behavioral Science" as a bridge. He used several mature cases as a guide to explain how to optimize the design of public space, improve the efficiency of urban services, and realize the precise allocation of resources through data-driven behavioral analysis. For example, in the smart community project, energy supply and facility layout were dynamically adjusted by monitoring residents' behavior and environmental interaction data, which not only reduced carbon emissions but also significantly improved the living experience. General Manager Li Jiahua emphasized, "The built environment of the future is no longer a one-way decision-making, but a dynamic response system centered on people."
02
Sustainable Development and Intelligent Buildings: Practical Explorations from an EU Perspective
Prof. Jonas Lu agreed with the viewpoints of General Manager Li Jiahua and shared the current cutting-edge issues in the field of built environment from the perspective of EU policies and research trends. He pointed out that global warming and the diversification of housing needs are forcing the building industry to innovate, and the EU has listed "improving the built environment" and "empowering building users" as key research directions. Prof. Lu said, "Architecture is not only a physical space, but also a vehicle for interaction between people and their environment." The "Intelligent Human-Building Interaction Lab" (IHBI Lab) led by him is dedicated to the development of intelligent sensing and self-adaptive systems, which can dynamically adjust the energy consumption and functional layout of the building through real-time monitoring of light, temperature and humidity as well as users' behavior, so as to realize the ultimate goal of "building for people". The ultimate goal of "Building for People" is realized.
03
Inside the IHBI Lab: Technology Enabling the Future of Human Factors
During the visit, General Manager Li Jiahua and his entourage paid a site visit to the IHBI laboratory to experience the innovations of intelligent building technologies. From the environment mimicry system that can sense the change of emotions to the engineering simulation management platform based on artificial intelligence (AI), these technologies can realize the automatic comfort control of wind speed, temperature and humidity. Mr. Li said, "The practice of IHBI confirms the philosophy of Hengzhi Technology - technology can only create sustainable value if it serves the real needs of people."
04
Starting a new chapter of cooperation: the infinite possibilities of cross-border integration
This exchange is not only a collision of academic views, but also lays a solid foundation for future cooperation between the two sides. HedgeSPA's experience in the field of digitalization of human factors engineering in the built environment and Umeå University's scientific research advantages in intelligent buildings and environmental behavior are complementary to each other. The two sides plan to carry out joint research in the direction of "environmental behavior standardization framework" and "smart city behavior database", and explore the transformation of Chinese and European technical achievements, so as to inject new vitality into the field of global built environment.
05
Conclusion: Building a sustainable future with people as the yardstick
In today's accelerated global urbanization, how to make management smarter, building more humane and environmentally friendly is a common topic faced by both academia and industry. The dialog between Beijing Hengzhi Technology and Sweden's University of Umeå provides a cross-border solution to this proposition. Only by putting "people" at the core, science and technology can really become the engine to promote social progress. Architectural anthropology, environmental behavior, environmental psychology and other disciplines will surely become an important driving method for future urban development. Through this cooperation, both parties will work hand in hand to empower sustainable development with science and technology, and contribute wisdom and strength to the intelligent transformation of the global built environment.
About Prof. Jonathan Lo
Dr. Jonathan Lu, Professor and PhD supervisor at the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics, Umeå University, Sweden, Head of the Laboratory for Intelligent Human-Building Interaction (IHBI), and Co-Chair of the International Colloquium on Construction and Real Estate (ICCREM), has been recognized as a "Future Leader of Swedish Research" in 2017. In 2017, he was selected as one of the "Swedish Future Research Leaders". He has published in the internationally recognized journals in his field, such as "Journal of Cleaner Production", "Energy and Buildings", "Journal of Construction Engineering and Management", "Automation in Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Automation in Construction, Sustainable Cities and Society, Construction Management and Economics, etc. He has published nearly 100 high quality papers, and has led more than 10 projects related to construction and energy in the European Union and Sweden, with a total funding of more than 20 million SEK. The IHBI lab he leads is the largest human-buildings intelligent interaction lab in Northern Europe and enjoys a high international reputation in the industry.
Company Profile
Ltd. is an innovative high-tech enterprise focusing on cutting-edge technology, specializing in brain science, neural management, human factors engineering, biomechanics, anthropomorphic environments and XR simulation reality and other multidisciplinary cross-cutting fields. The company is invested by Zhongke (Guangdong) Science Group, relying on the scientific research strength of Guangdong Human Factors Technology Research Institute and Wuhan Human Factors Engineering Technology Research Institute, and has constructed a professional operation system integrating research and development, production, sales and technical service to provide customers with one-stop, high-quality scientific and technological solutions.
With excellent innovation ability, Hengbest Technology has been awarded many invention patents, software copyrights and registered trademarks, selected in many authoritative lists such as National High-tech Enterprises, and participated in the compilation of national standards and group standards. The company has been serving universities and research institutes for a long time, and has cooperated deeply with many national societies such as the Chinese Society of Ergonomics, the Chinese Psychological Society, the Architectural Society of China, etc. The company organizes and participates in more than 40 academic conferences every year to promote technical exchanges and the development of the industry.
With the concept of "Technology Empowerment, Innovation Drive", Hengzhi Technology is committed to become a leading technology enterprise in the industry, to help national scientific and technological progress and social development, and to work together with partners from all walks of life to achieve a better future of technological empowerment.
English 
Chinese 
