HKSTP Opens Science Park Further to Demonstrate the Energy and Vibrancy of Hong Kong’s Growing I&T Ecosystem

This year's MakeITHongKong 3-2-1 Go! Bang! event was officially kicked off with much excitement. For the next two weeks, the I&T community will get to see and experience the dynamic and vibrant I&T culture at Science Park through a series of engagement activities.

Albert Wong, CEO, HKSTP (back row, fourth from the left), together with HKSTP’s management team, shared HKSTP’s recent development, new directions and future plans at an innovative MakeITHongKong 3-2-1 Go! Bang! luncheon.

Hong Kong Science Park is a living laboratory for Smart City innovations. Around 20 solutions are on the show at the Park, including autonomous self-driving vehicles, unmanned retail shop and Plastic Bottle Compression Recycle Kiosk.

InnoCell, the upcoming 17-storey accommodation building for the I&T community at Science Park, is currently in construction, applying Modular Integrated Construction (MiC). Visitors had a preview of the full-scale InnoCell prototypes at the MakeITHongKong 3-2-1 Go! Bang! event.

Hong Kong, 21 March 2019 Riding on the growing momentum of the innovation and technology (I&T) sector in the territory, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) today kicked off a 2-week “Work. Live. Play.”-themed experiential event at Hong Kong Science Park with a vibrant Opening Fest.

This year’s “MakeITHongKong 3-2-1 Go! Bang!” offers more touch points to stakeholders - local and overseas entrepreneurs and talent, investors and industry partners - to experience and appreciate the dynamic and vibrant I&T culture at Science Park. From 21st March to 4th April, a series of engagement activities will be organised at the Park, including the inspiring InnoXchange mind jam, a Smart City exhibition of real-life applications and ready-for-deployment solutions, a smart community and innovative construction technology showcase, as well as other experiential activities. Fun social activities such as live band performances, live art and movie screenings will also be held.

The signature event for the Opening Fest today was the graduation ceremony for 80 companies from their Incubation Programmes. The ceremony is viewed as a significant milestone for these companies as they progress towards commercial success, and this year’s number was a new record for those completing the programmes in a single year. (Please refer to separate press release on incubation)

Fruitful Engagements through “Work. Live. Play.” Experience

Over two weeks starting today, the I&T community in Hong Kong will gather at Science Park, to be inspired by others who share the same passion for I&T, and to witness how working, living and playing at Hong Kong’s largest I&T hub is like.

• InnoXchange: This mind jam programme ignites new ideas, promotes insight-sharing and co-creation among Science Park partner companies with different technology areas and backgrounds, with a vision of putting the best brains together to seek collaborative opportunities for the future. These sessions are hosted by the tech industry’s luminaries who include Arrow Asia Pac, China Light and Power (CLP), Clustertech, CryptoBLK, Hitachi, Mad Head, RV Automation, Sanomics, Scania, Siemens and Teledyne. Topics to be discussed include AI/ IoT applications, biomedical and healthcare technology, blockchain technology, smart city solutions and other related areas.

• Smart City Experience: Being a smart campus and a living laboratory, Science Park is the perfect venue to experiment with future living in a smart city. Throughout the two weeks, around 20 innovative solutions will be showcased to exemplify how various everyday societal challenges can be solved by innovation and technology.

• Techibition: With Science Park as the birthplace of numerous innovations, over 40 Park companies will display their solutions at the Park, illustrating the strength of Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem, its potential as an international I&T hub, and to inspire more talent to join the I&T sector. The products on show are some of the best solutions from Hong Kong which won awards locally and overseas, ranging from prototypes to commercialised products.
• InnoCell Prototype Roadshow: As a pioneer initiative to further foster the development of the I&T ecosystem, the InnoCell will be the upcoming on-site accommodation for local and overseas talent working at Science Park. The 17-storey building will demonstrate modern concepts of smart living and co-creation community, with innovative building technology applied in its construction – Modular Integrated Construction (MiC). Over the two weeks, the I&T community can visit the full-scale prototypes of the InnoCell units, enjoy a sneak preview of the communal area via virtual reality, as well as leveraging the opportunity to provide feedback and suggestions to jointly shape the future InnoCell.

Continuous Cultivation for a Better Future Empowered by Innovation and Technology

At the “MakeITHongKong 3-2-1 Go! Bang!” Opening Fest, HKSTP hosted a one-of-a-kind I&Tthemed luncheon, offering guests a unique opportunity to savour various dishes made with innovative ingredients cultivated by Park companies. HKSTP’s management team also shared the latest developments and recent initiatives aimed at seizing new opportunities arising from the Greater Bay Area and to further support the growth of the I&T ecosystem.

Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP, said, "Growing innovation, technology and entrepreneurship in Hong Kong has always been our goal, and the energy, excitement and vibrancy of the I&T ecosystem at the Park can certainly be felt even more today. We hope our efforts in demonstrating how the I&T community at Science Park works, lives and plays, and showcasing the successes of our partner companies, will manifest the passion we have for I&T and inspire more talent to come forward and join us.”

“To continue to cultivate a better future for Hong Kong, we will make good use of our resources to further accelerate the progress for the I&T ecosystem. We’ve recently announced the launch of the AI Plug@HKSTP and the Robotics Catalysing Centre 2.0 to strengthen the support for AI and robotics deployment. With the InnoCell’s impending launch, we hope to attract more local and overseas I&T talent to contribute to the R&D landscape here. More initiatives will be rolled out later in the year and we are committed to offering the best-of-breed facilities and value-added services for our I&T community. With the Greater Bay Area Plan starting to gain ground, it’s time for us to carry on this momentum of growth and bring Hong Kong’s I&T sector to the next level.”