HKSTP Announces New Acceleration Programme to Assist Start-Ups with Hardware Manufacturing

(Hong Kong, 7 December 2018) - Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation ("HKSTP") today announced the launch of a new hardware product development acceleration programme, called the iDM2 (ideas, design, manufacturing and market), to help its incubatees and Park companies in converting their innovative ideas into successful businesses with commercially-viable products and solutions.

A significant portion of HKSTP’s incubatees and Park companies are developing technology products and solutions that require hardware development. Many of them typically face challenges in bringing their solutions to life, especially in the areas of product design, manufacturing, intellectual property (IP) protection and others. The iDM2 programme assists these companies by providing them with the essential skills and industry connections to overcome these hurdles at the various stages of their manufacturing processes. The support rendered range from proof-of-concept, product design, prototyping, product testing, product accreditation, to commercially-viable production and go-to-market strategies.

The six-month programme is composed of two main phases. The first is to provide comprehensive training and seminars to equip the companies with fundamental knowledge on “Design for Manufacturing”. The second phase is to provide manufacturing workshops in Dongguan, China, to connect them with leading factories and manufacturing partners and help them with the manufacturing aspect of their business. Throughout the iDM2 programme, “specialist clinics” will be offered to provide companies with consultancy services focusing on product design and manufacturing issues particularly faced by the companies. These clinics are run by domain experts in key areas such as product design, system-on-chip, tooling, sensing solution, patents and product certification.

The iDM2 programme is supported by various leading industry partners. The Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Hong Kong Design Centre, and Dongguan Songshan Lake’s Hong Kong and Macau Project Conversion Service Center are strategic partners, while other industry partners such as Arrow, Aztech, IBM, Infineon, Pdste, Samsung and Toshiba will offer knowledge sharing and help run the specialist clinics.

Mr George Tee, Chief Technology Officer of HKSTP, said, “Our innovators come up with brilliant ideas for their business. But we have seen how some of them take on an ineffective, unscalable or unsustainable approach when they move to the hardware development stage. Our new iDM2 programme aims at helping our start-ups overcome the various issues they might encounter, from the beginning of their hardware development right up to their go-to-market strategies. More than just trainings and workshops, the programme connects them with mentors and key players within the manufacturing industry. The programme bridges the gap between ideation and realisation, helping these companies to manufacture their products with efficient and scalable resources, time and effort.”

The iDM2 programme is one of the many enhanced funding programmes and value-added services HKSTP has undertaken to accelerate the growth of Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem. The first cohort of the iDM2 programme started in September this year with 12 companies enrolled. They are completing the first phase of trainings and are about to start the second phase of manufacturing trainings in Dongguan.

BioArchitec Group Limited is one of the companies in the iDM2 programme. Mr. Jonathan Lam, Chief Executive Officer of BioArchitec Group Limited, said, “We have a healthcare solution that will advance the efficiency and accuracy of cancer drug screening. It combines biotechnology, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. We know our solution can help healthcare professionals and patients deal with cancer treatment, but we faced hurdles in the manufacturing element of the product. The first round of workshops gave us a good foundation in industrial design, IP protection, and product accreditation. We are looking forward to meeting the manufacturers and factories and finding the best way to manufacture our products.”

Aerosim (HK) Limited, another start-up taking part in the iDM2 programme, develops flight training solutions using simulation and AI technology to strengthen the competencies of pilots, consequently fostering flight safety and professional standards. Mr. Mattis Tsang, Head of Research and Development, Aerosim (HK) Limited, said, “We are really inspired by the comprehensive series of trainings provided by the manufacturing experts in the programme. They guide us in taking our ideas from conceptualisation to manufacturing. We are also grateful for the opportunities to connect with key influencers in the manufacturing industry. This is definitely something we cannot gain in a normal classroom.”

For more details of the iDM2 programme, please visit: https://www.hkstp.org/en/how-we-serve/enterprise-acceleration/idea-design-manufacture-and-market-programme.