Science Park Unveils “Furtopia” Pet Garden and Adds Halloween Vibes to Spark Month of Fun for Families and Pets

(Hong Kong, 20 October 2023) – Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is happy to launch “Furtopia”, the first pet garden at Hong Kong Science Park, on 19 October 2023. As the second phase of HKSTP’s Pet-friendly Programme, Furtopia will turn Science Park into a truly pet-friendly destination and extend its “Work. Live. Play. Learn” culture from the Science Park community to their beloved families and furry friends, as well as the wider public across Hong Kong.

With an array of pet facilities for leisure and training, Furtopia will form an outdoor space for the innovation and technology (I&T) community and the public to spend a few “paw-fect” hours lounging and playing with their pampered pets. In addition, HKSTP has joined SPCA’s Cat Colony Care Programme (CCCP) and has successfully desexed a number of street cats coming into Science Park.

Continuing the season of fun, HKSTP is also adding the festive "Night IT Up - Halloween Thrills@Science Park" as part of the series of "Night Vibes Hong Kong" activities by the HKSAR Government. Science Park will be transformed into a playground infused with thrills and chills from 27 October to 5 November 2023, offering Halloween-themed food and merchandise, science magic shows, face paintings, photo snaps and many more frightfully fun experiences to guests of all ages, and of course, their pets too!

Ms Filla Mak, Chief Operations Officer of HKSTP, said: “Furtopia is a great example of HKSTP’s continued elevation of our unique ‘Work. Live. Play. Learn’ innovation culture. We believe that a high-quality living, working environment, along with inspiring experiences and activities supported by comprehensive infrastructure can spark our community to collaborate and innovate. With Furtopia and the upcoming ‘Halloween Thrills@Science Park’, we hope to bring excitement to people, pets and places to fire up imagination, innovation and more breakthrough technologies from within Science Park!” 

To celebrate the opening of Furtopia, a “Pet Tech Experience Day” was organised for HKSTP’s SPARK community, featuring pet tech showcases, pet product exhibitions, and pet workshops. A variety of pet technologies and innovative products developed by Park companies were highlighted and demonstrated by a cohort of “pet tech ambassadors”. (See appendix for details of participating Park companies and showcased technologies)

Furtopia is open to the public from 18:00-21:00 on weekdays and 10:00-21:00 on weekends and public holidays. From 19 to 31 October, visitors can redeem one pet accessory by uploading a photo of their pets at Furtopia to Facebook or Instagram and presenting a same-day single electronic transaction receipt of spending over HK$200 or above at Science Park restaurants or retail shops.* HKSTP launched the Pet-friendly Pilot Programme in December 2022 to establish a pet-friendly environment, allowing pets to enter public areas of Science Park on weekends and public holidays. Furtopia has extended the programme in the sense that pets are now allowed to enter Science Park even on weekdays.

For “Night IT Up – Halloween Thrills@Science Park”, HKSTP is inviting the public to celebrate the annual spooky season from 18:00 – 22:00 between 27 October to 5 November 2023. Creatively crafted Halloween dishes and beverages will be offered at 13 Park restaurants to live up the Jack-O-Spirit through festive dining experiences. (See appendix for details of participating restaurants and the Halloween Special Menu) At the Halloween Bazaar, an array of Halloween-themed merchandise will make the celebration memorable.

Visitors can enjoy free Halloween offers around the Park. By presenting a same-day single electronic transaction receipt for any spending on the Halloween Special Menu, visitors can get one pack of limited-edition potato chips of Hong Kong Science Park for free. Also, from 28 to 29 October, visitors can redeem the below gift pack by presenting a same-day single electronic transaction receipt for any spending over HK$200 or above*:

• ONE pumpkin basket (to participate in Trick or Treat among 13 Park restaurants)
• TWO DIY handcrafted material packs
• ONE Pet Accessory

* Gift supplies are limited, and gifts are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while stocks last.

Free shuttle bus services between Science Park and Shatin/Tai Wai, Tai Po and Kowloon Tong will be provided during “Night IT Up – Halloween Thrills@Science Park” on 28 and 29 October. Over 2,000 free parking spaces and electric vehicle charging stations will also be available at Science Park.

Learn more about HKSTP’s pet-friendly environment:

https://www.hkstp.org/our-community/park-life/pet-friendly-environment/

Find out more on Night IT Up – Halloween Thrills@Science Park:

https://stp.hk/3rYSMmZ

Photos 1-2: Furtopia is equipped with various pet-friendly facilities to meet recreational and training needs.

Photos 3-4: “Night IT Up - Halloween Thrills@Science Park” will transform Science Park into a playground infused with thrills and chills, inviting the public and their pets to celebrate the annual spooky season together. (The images are for reference only)

Photo 5: Ms Filla Mak, Chief Operations Officer of HKSTP, hopes that Furtopia and the upcoming “Night IT Up - Halloween Thrills@Science Park” will fire up imagination, innovation and more breakthrough technologies from within Science Park.

Photos 6-7: A dog behavioral training workshop was provided by Paws United Charity on “Pet Tech Experience Day”.

Photo 8: The “Fruit2Feed” pet food developed by Sensestek Solutions Limited was produced from carefully selected food waste to generate a core formula with the best natural nutrients for pets.

Photos 9-10: All “pet tech ambassadors” and their owners became the first batch of visitors of Furtopia.