InnoTech Expo 2016
Our Hong Kong Foundation Presents “InnoTech Expo 2016”
Joining hands with Hong Kong community to foster innotech development
Participants to experience over 40 Mainland’s science & technology achievements
(18 Aug 2016, Hong Kong) Our Hong Kong Foundation (OHKF) announces that it will be organising a large-scale innovation and technology event, ‘InnoTech Expo 2016’, from 24 September to 1 October. OHKF believes that Hong Kong’s long-term development lies in innovation and technology and the nurturing of relevant talents. This will provide a strong momentum to the city’s economic and social development.
InnoTech Expo 2016 has the full support of 4 government ministries/departments led by the Ministry of Science & Technology and the participation of more than 10 leading scientific research institutions from the Mainland. Innovation and Technology Bureau and Education Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government, as well as Education & Technology Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR have also shown their support. Various sectors, including science and technology and academic, as well as organisations from industry and commerce, education, medical, youth and social welfare, have responded positively to the Expo.
The Advisory Group for the Expo is composed of representatives from several leading scientific institutions of the SAR, namely the Academy
of Sciences of Hong Kong (ASHK), Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks, Hong Kong Cyberport Management, Hong Kong Academy of
Engineering Sciences, and Hong Kong Institution of Science. The Group’s convener isProf Lap-Chee Tsui, founder of ASHK and former
President of the University of Hong Kong.
Themed “Innovation Driving Developments, Technology Leading the Future”, the 8-day Expo will be held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre in late September. The exhibition area is about 100,000 square feet and will be open to the general public for free admission.
Based on the science and technology achievements during the National 12th Five-Year Plan period, the Expo will be divided into 8 thematic areas: aerospace, aviation, deep diving, information technology, healthcare, energy, transport, and innovation & entrepreneurship. A total of 40 top-notch projects from the Mainland, which are either world record-breaking or global-leading, will be showcased. The Hong Kong Pavilion will profile local international award-winning projects and outstanding scientists.
as Mrs Eva Cheng, Executive Director of OHKF, disclosed.
Mrs Eva Cheng Li Kam-fun, Executive Director of Our Hong Kong Foundation said in the press conference, “The Expo is a very unique occasion to have seven Mainland outstanding scientists and technology experts to give keynote speeches and to share their experiences and success stories.” The seven esteemed experts are: Professor Pan Jianwei, world-famous authority on quantum communication technology; Dr Xu Ying, famous for building China’s Beidou Navigation Satellite System; Professor Jia Limin, pioneer in China’s railway intelligent transport system; Dr Chen Hualan, specialist in detection of bird flu virus; Director Wang Zhiqin, pioneer in 5G mobile communication system; Mr Wu Guanghui, chief designer of China’s Comac C919 large passenger jet; and Dr Tao Chunhui, specialist in oceanography and deep diving.
The Expo has received overwhelming support from the Hong Kong’s science and technology sector. Professor Chen-Ning Yang, Nobel Laureate in Physics, is the Honorable Adviser. The Advisory Group consists of renowned scientific leaders in Hong Kong, including Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, President and Founding Member of The Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong and former President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong; Mrs. Fanny Law Fan Chiu Fun, Chairperson of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation; Professor Tony F Chan, President of Hong Kong Institution of Science and President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Ir Dr Andrew Chan, President of Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences; and Dr Lee George Lam, Chairman of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited.
Highlights of the exhibits include: latest technologies in space exploration and the Chinese Lunar Exploration Project, the precise-positioning of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, home-grown Comac C919 large passenger jet, the 20,000-feet diving Jiaolong Submersible, world’s fastest super computer, life-saving vaccine against Ebola virus, cutting-edge technologies in the exploitation of oil and gas fields, the world-famous China Railway High-speed that broke train speed records 8 times, as well as world-class unmanned surface vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Mrs Cheng continued, “Apart from showcasing key achievements, we will be organising 36 seminars, forums and demonstrations during the Expo, with the assistance of some 20 Hong Kong institutions. On top of keynote speeches made by 7 Mainland scientists, a number of outstanding Hong Kong scientists will also be joining the panel discussions. To heighten students’ interests in science and technology, seven local universities (The University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, The Open University of Hong Kong) will organise Popular Science Lectures to present their research projects that have won international awards to students.”
country’s advances in science and technology and encourage the general public to go in for innovation in technology.
Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, Convenor of the Advisory Group, also mentioned that science and innovation are crucial to the enhancement of Hong Kong’s competitiveness and development. He hopes that the Expo can inspire the whole community, the young students in particular, to better understand the country’s scientific achievements and the importance of innovation and technology so as to encourage more young people to pursue a career in innovation and technology.
Professor Tsui said, “Scientific research is not an unreachable dream. Research results will turn into technologies that benefit our society. The nurturing of successors is very important for us to be able to stay in the big trend of technology and innovations. We hope that the Hong Kong Government would allocate more resources, from long-term perspective, to the science and technology development and education.”
Currently, Hong Kong’s science research spending only accounts for 0.7% of GDP, and government-funded spending only accounts for a mere 0.4% of GDP, lagging behind neighbouring areas like South Korea, Japan and Singapore. In the Technology Innovation Policy Research Report published at the end of last year, OHKF proposed the Government to substantially increase the funding for in scientific research in the next decade, gradually reaching a level comparable to 1% of GDP. One of the suggestions is the additional research funding of HK$50 billion to the Research Grant Council to increase the annual funding for application research, so that Hong Kong scientists could do more midstream and downstream application research projects.
Individual or group tickets are available free of charge upon registration. For enquiry, please contact 2603 3062 or 2603 3063. For details, please visit the Expo’s website via http://www.ourhkfoundation.org.hk/innotechexpo2016.
Jiaolong, the first China made submersible capable of diving 7,062m deep, can carry out scientific research and exploration under 99.8% of the world’s seas and oceans.
With technologies of virtual reality and 3-D imaging, “Digital Dunhuang” displays full, life like images inside the Dunhuang Grottoes in northwest China, enabling one to admire those murals and sculptures therein without entering the caves.
“Yunzhou Automatic Sampler Monitor Ship”, an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) nicknamed “Unmanned Environment Protector”, can sail automatically into polluted waters to collect samples and monitor the water quality.
