30 March 2023

Now in its 8th year, the HSUHK Innovation Project Competition 2023 (“the Competition”), organised by the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL), continues to embody its core values by constantly innovating and reaching new heights. This year, we introduced a fresh theme, ‘Smart Campus’, and invited students to enhance their campus experience by integrating smart technologies with physical infrastructure for improved services, decision-making, sustainability, and more. On March 30, 2023, the Pitching Competition and Awards Presentation Ceremony, featuring 12 student teams who presented their ideas to an esteemed judging panel, concluded. Winners received cash prizes, honours, and the opportunity to bring their innovative ideas to life on HSUHK’s campus.

Once again, CTL was proud to collaborate with the Institute for Youth Sustainability Leadership (IYSL) and the Wu Jieh Yee Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (WUCIE) as strategic partners. We were also honoured to have the Office of Vice-President (Organisational Development), Campus Development and Management Office (CDMO), and Information Technology Services Centre (ITSC) as co-organisers, further enrich the Competition with their consultation sessions, theme-based talks, and skill-based workshops for participating students.

Guided by three sub-themes—Smart Learning, Smart Living, and Smart Saving—35 students formed 12 shortlisted teams and drew inspiration from the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to improve HSUHK’s campus by infusing smart technology with physical infrastructure.

Between October 2022 and March 2023, the Competition empowered students by providing the HSUHK community with two theme-based talks and five skill-based workshops led by industry practitioners and in-house experts. The initial talks, “Tips and Tricks to Make Your Proposal Stand Out” and “Entering a New Era of Smart Campus”, shed light on the essential elements of a winning proposal and the significance of blending smart technologies with physical infrastructure for a sustainable, efficient campus environment. The five skill-based workshops equipped participating students and other interested individuals with practical skills for developing innovative projects, covering topics such as HSUHK’s IT and campus development needs, understanding SDGs, effective proposal writing, visual presentation skills, and on-stage pitching techniques.

The 12 shortlisted student teams were strongly encouraged to participate in in-depth consultation sessions with professionals from the Library, ITSC, and CDMO. Each team then had three minutes on stage to impress the judges with their industrial insights and academic expertise, and clear and concise pitches. Our six-member judging panel consisted of Ms Antonia Yeung Yu-hung, Associate Vice-President (Development and Campus Services);  Ir Kelvin Lin Chun-ming, Director of Campus Development and Management; Mr Delon Wong Yat-cheung, Associate Director of Information Technology; Dr Ben Cheng Ka-ming, Director of Centre for Teaching and Learning, Dr Eden Chow Yi-hang, Executive Committee Member of Wu Jieh Yee Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Dr Cheng Pui-sze, Associate Director (Youth Empowerment) of Institute for Youth Sustainability Leadership.

Congratulations to all participants on their outstanding performances! The winning teams are encouraged to refine and revise their proposals for intra- and inter-university entrepreneurship or innovation competitions, where they can exchange ideas, secure seed funding, and access incubation training, ultimately turning their proposals into reality.

Awardees of the Competition are as follows: