(Hong Kong, 6 November 2025) – With full support from Hang Seng Bank (Hang Seng), the Future Ecopreneur Programme, a joint initiative by Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and Wofoo Social Enterprises (Wofoo), is committed to nurturing the next generation of leaders in sustainable development and green technology.
The Programme recently organised a successful eco-tour to the Netherlands, visiting Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Participants gained in-depth exposure to sustainable economic models, urban farming practices, and green technologies. They also engaged in meaningful exchanges with local experts in the circular economy and founders of innovative startups, broadening their international outlook while strengthening their entrepreneurial skills. The Future Ecopreneur Programme is currently inviting innovative green proposals aimed at promoting community sustainability. We welcome enthusiastic participation from all sectors to collectively build a more sustainable future.
Exploring Overseas Models of Waste-to-Energy Green Economies
The seven-day Netherlands eco-tour gave nearly 30 Ecopreneurs immersive experience in innovative "Trash to Treasure" business models. A highlight involved collaborating with social enterprise Plastic Whale, where participants boarded eco-friendly boats to collect waste from Amsterdam's canals. They learned how collected plastic waste is upcycled into stylish furniture, demonstrating sustainable design's commercial viability. Participants also explored Blue City in Rotterdam, a green innovation hub created from a disused indoor swimming pool. They met circular economy pioneers and enterprises, witnessing how repurposed spaces can become incubators for sustainability-driven innovation.
Another key destination was Floating Farm, the world's first floating agricultural facility. Participants discovered how this solar-powered operation raises dairy cattle and produces milk for local markets. The cows eat grass sourced from city parks and sports fields, while their manure becomes fertilizer for urban green spaces, perfectly illustrating circular economy principles. The tour also visited Schoonschip, Amsterdam's floating residential community. Through resident interactions, participants learned about floating construction, energy self-sufficiency, and shared resource management, gaining valuable insights into future urban living possibilities.
Building Connections with the Netherlands' Academic, Research, and Innovation Ecosystem
The Netherlands eco-tour placed strong emphasis on fostering connections with leading academic institutions and innovation hubs. Participants visited The Green Village, a living lab at Delft University of Technology, to explore cutting-edge sustainable technologies in a real-world testing environment.
The delegation also visited Wageningen University & Research, ranked number one globally in agriculture and forestry for consecutive years. There, participants toured world-class research facilities and engaged in in-depth discussions with university experts to explore technological solutions addressing global food security challenges.
In addition, the team visited Amsterdam Science Park and the entrepreneurial community at Startup Village, where they met with founders of local green tech ventures. Participants were introduced to ongoing innovation projects and received valuable feedback and guidance from domain experts, laying the foundation for future expansion into the European market.
Inspired Young Ecopreneurs, Gaining Insight on Development Direction
Young ecopreneurs Daric, Jackie, Jil, and Lara, who participated in the eco-tour to the Netherlands, agreed that the resources and guidance provided by the Future Ecopreneur Programme enabled them to turn forward-thinking environmental ideas into practice and refine their business blueprints.
Daric, founder of Dexrupt, said the program allowed him to connect with like-minded partners, such as Jackie, founder of ReCherish Beans. Together, they explored transforming waste from coffee tea production into 3D printing materials, giving new life to waste. The trip to the Netherlands gave him firsthand experience of how a circular economy operates, boosting his confidence in his company's development. Dexrupt primarily upcycles waste from various industries, mixing it with biodegradable bioplastics to develop new products.
Jackie's company, ReCherish Beans, uses innovative technology to transform often-discarded coffee cherry skin and pulp into a new type of specialty tea, capturing the taste and aroma of the coffee fruit to lead a more sustainable future for the industry. "Although I had the concept of developing coffee cherry tea earlier, I lacked business experience. The program's mentors provided invaluable advice, such as seeking partners and testing market reactions, helping me gradually refine my business blueprint," he said. The practice in the Dutch startup ecosystem of having students act as reviewers also inspired Jackie to incorporate more creative ideas from young people in the future.
Jil and Lara, who share a passion for essential oils, co-founded the brand GLOAMING, extracting essential oils from lychee wood. With the program's support, they turned their idea into reality. "The mentors in the program taught us business operations and skills, as well as the concept of a circular economy. Most importantly, they provided startup funding, enabling us to take that crucial first step," Jil said. During their visit to Blue City in the Netherlands, a mango-scented stool made from fermented fruit and wood chips inspired them to incorporate fruit pulp into their essential oil production to enhance the fragrance.
Call for Green Solutions Enhancing Climate Resilience
To sustain the momentum of green innovation in Hong Kong, and help all sectors of society better address pressing environmental challenges, the Eco-pilot Projects under the Future Ecopreneur Programme are now calling for community innovative proposals focused on green and sustainable development to actively tackle extreme weather. The programme encourages young change-makers to empower community transformation and assist all sectors of society better cope with the challenges of climate change. Selected teams will receive HKD $10,000 seed funding, professional training, and industry mentorship to transform green visions into practical, impactful community actions.
To ensure the project designs are closely aligned with genuine community needs and enhance feasibility, a "Green Impact Co-creation Day" will be hosted on 15 November, 2025. It creates a cross-sector exchange platform that brings together young innovators, NGOs, and social innovation organisations. By facilitating in-depth dialogue between participants and potential partners, it encourages collaborative brainstorming of community-rooted solutions before formal proposal submissions, thereby enhancing the impact and practicality of projects from the design stage.
Pioneering a Cross-Sector Green Innovation Ecosystem
The Future Ecopreneur Programme is Hong Kong's inaugural green entrepreneurship initiative jointly driven by a leading financial institution, a statutory body for innovation and technology development, and a non-governmental organisation: Hang Seng, HKSTP, and Wofoo. Since launching in May 2024, the programme has nurtured over one hundred green leaders while advancing innovative solutions across diverse sustainability domains including waste reduction, green building technology, nature conservation, and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance).
Through comprehensive training, the programme enhances participants' entrepreneurial skills while deepening their environmental awareness. During the first phase, participants develop foundational climate change and sustainability knowledge, converting insights into actionable concepts for innovative climate solutions. The second phase delivers sustainability courses, thematic entrepreneurship workshops, industry masterclasses, and community engagement initiatives. In the final phase, participants implement green innovation solutions and participate in eco-learning tours, gaining insights from regions leading climate challenge responses.
