Innovate for Future (IFF) is an open competition of innovation & technology to inspire our young people in Hong Kong to create innovative products or services for solving and improving our real life challenges, though idea generation to prototype development. The competition may apply to all local schools including primary, secondary and tertiary. Students will pitch how to move human society forward with feasible innovation and products in our coaching process.
This competition is supported by our international partner, San Jose State University (SJSU) Silicon Valley Center for Global Studies (SVCGS). The final champion or winners will have opportunity to submit their projects to SJSU global program such as Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge (SVIC) Competition and Showcase.
This competition is supported by our Technology & Support Sponsors of IFF2023. The final champion or winners will have opportunity to be nominated to join their industry support programs.
IFF2023 Competition Theme
Social Innovation & Sustainability for Future
Social Innovation is hot topic today, it is a process to improve the welfare and wellbeing of our society. It is also an innovative way to take care of social needs and resolve our environmental challenge. We expect that it is a long term goal to foster social innovation and bring us a sustainable future. Social innovators are playing a crucial role to design new principles and tools of sustainable development and put them into practice. To achieve this mission, our Innovate for Future (IFF) and competition event will develop an innovative platform for young people to design innovative products or services that can improve our environment, our health and our society. Students will be inspired to create their ideas in an innovative way, raise out the concern of our society and learn to resolve our real life challenges through IFF competition with supported by academic partners, industry mentorship and other global programs.
IFF2023 Competition Event Highlight
- One-Day Competition Pitch cum Conference
- Pitch & Demonstration by Student Projects
- Half-day Conference & Technology Speakers Sharing
- Exhibit Past IFF Projects Showcases in Conference
- Local & Global Technology Partners Support and Sharing
- Global Competition Submission to SVIC/SJSU
- Internship Program and Continue Supports for Post-Event
Competition Stages
Innovate for Future (IFF) is an open competition of innovation & technology to inspire our young people in Hong Kong to create innovative products or services for solving and improving our real life challenges, though idea generation to prototype development. The competition may apply to all local schools including primary, secondary and tertiary. Students will pitch how to move human society forward with feasible innovation and products in our coaching process.
This competition is supported by our international partner, San Jose State University (SJSU) Silicon Valley Center for Global Studies (SVCGS). The final champion or winners will have opportunity to submit their projects to SJSU global program such as Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge (SVIC) Competition and Showcase.
This competition is supported by our Technology & Support Sponsors of IFF2023. The final champion or winners will have opportunity to be nominated to join their industry support programs.
Registration Stage:
Tertiary School Stream
- Tertiary School Stream (currently studying any full-time tertiary educational program equivalent to the Qualification Framework Level 4 or above, i.e. university degree/ higher diploma/ higher certificate programs, in Hong Kong).
- Teams from the Tertiary School Stream need to assign a team leader as the contact person. Each tertiary educational institution can register multiple teams.
- 1-4 members per team
Secondary School Stream
- Secondary School Stream (secondary school students aged between 11-17 years old in Hong Kong)
- Teams from the Secondary Stream need to include 1 coaching teacher from the same school. The coaching teacher will guide the students in the product design and production process.
- Each team can only consist of 1 to 4 students and their teacher from the same school. Students cannot join multiple teams.
- Each school may have maximum 3 teams, with each team having different focuses and projects.
Primary School Stream
- Primary School Stream (primary school students aged between 9-11 years old in Hong Kong)
- Teams from the Primary Stream need to include 1 coaching teacher from the same school. The coaching teacher will guide the students in the product design and production process.
- Each team can only consist of 1 to 4 students and their teacher from the same school. Students cannot join multiple teams.
- Each school may have maximum 3 teams, with each team having different focuses and projects.
Idea Submission Stage:
You and your team need to cover the following topics in submission:
- Defining the problem (around the IFF2023 themes) that you are solving;
- Providing the proposed solution, including:
- its benefits;
- its uniqueness;
- any potential risks associated; and
- how to use
- A 3-minute YouTube video explaining the above ideas
- You are also reminded of that you should not use any unlicensed materials, including images, music, or video content, in your submission
- All submissions will be assessed by the IFF2023 Mentoring Team.
- Top 5 Team from Each Stream (15 in total from 3 streams) will be selected to the IFF2023 Pitch cum Conference Day to pitch their ideas to our judges.
- Top 5 Team from Each Stream (15 in total from 3 streams) will be invited to show up their projects in our Conference & Showcase section to our industry guests.
- Finalists will be announced on the website of the competition and will be informed by email.
- Submission to Secondary School Stream and Tertiary School Stream must be in written and spoken English. Any submission not in English may lead to mark deduction or disqualification.
- Submission to Primary School Stream ONLY can be in written and spoken English or in Chinese, and marks will not be deducted.
- Remark : 小學組可以選用中文或英文作答，不會被扣分，但中學組和大學組必須要用英文作答，否則會被扣分。
Final Stage:
Pitch cum Conference Day
- If you and your team are invited to the Final Stage, you need to clearly articulate your ideas, such as the defined problems and the solution details, including design concepts, any prototypes, potential benefits, product uniqueness, market feasibility, and associated risks, at the Pitch cum Conference Day to our IFF2023 judges.
- The pitching time for each team is 10 minutes, with 5 minutes for Q&A.
- Our judges will evaluate each team’s ideas and performance to select the winning teams.
Conference & Showcase (New for IFF2023)
- IFF2023 has numbers of technology talks from our academic and industry partners and professionals to share latest technologies to our students, teachers and guests in different aspects such as AI, robotics, smart city, IoT and etc.
- IFF2023 will invite our IFF past winners & their projects and as well as top 5 team from each stream of this year to show up their projects in our Conference & Showcase section to other students and industry guests.
Judging Guidelines
Idea Submission Stage
- Innovation – 35%
- Feasibility – 30%
- Presentation – 10%
- Social Impact – 15%
- Cybersecurity Elements – 10%
Final Stage (Pitch in Pitch cum Conference Day)
- Innovation – 35%
- Implementation – 30%
- Presentation – 10%
- Social Impact – 15%
- Cybersecurity Elements – 10%
Event Notice
- IFF2023 Organization Committee has cancelled the primary stream of IFF2023 application submission due to our internal policy of IFF2023 competition event arrangement. We will email Certificate of Participation to all of IFF2023 primary teams after pitch day.
Judging Announcement
We will announce judging result of Top 5 teams for pitching and 5 of Certificate of Merits for secondary and tertiary streams in mid-June 2023 by post in website and by email.
- Top 5 teams of secondary and tertiary streams will be invited to our pitch day (at morning time) and present their project ideas to our judge panel. Those top 5 teams will also be invited to show up their projects in our showcases session in the afternoon of our pitch day.
- The Champion, 1st Runner up, 2nd Runner and 2 of Certificate of Excellence will be selected and awards will be presented by our guests in awards ceremony at the end of the pitch day.
- 5 of Certificate of Merits will be invited to join our conference talks and awards ceremony.
- Our Organization Committee will email the Certificate of Participation to other IFF2023 secondary and tertiary applicants after our pitch day.
Awards & Prizes
Total Cash Awards: HK$32,000
Awards with Cash and Certificate
(For Secondary & Tertiary Streams)
- Champion – HK$8,000
- 1st Runner up – HK$5,000
- 2nd Runner up – HK$3,000
- Certificate of Excellence (2 teams)
- Certificate of Merit (5 teams)
Certification of Participation for All Participants
- SJSU Global Program: Winners will be nominated to submit their projects to SVIC Showcase.
- Public Exposure in EXPO: Winners will be invited to our Exhibition Partners to present talks and showcases.
- Industry Support Program: Winners will be nominated to our Technology & Support Sponsors to extend their projects through their industry support and other training programs.
- Funding Program: Winners will be nominated to our HKETA partners to apply funding scheme to extend their project for commercialization.
Remark : The organizer reserves the rights to make final decisions for the nomination and invitation.
IFF2023 Winners Benefits
- Access HKETA’s Industry Community, Youth Membership, and Start-up & Mentorship Program
- Join SJSU Global Program & Entrepreneurship
- Present by Talk & Showcase at Exhibition, EXPO & Tech Conference
- Extend Project for Commercialization by Industry Support Program & Training
Opening Remarks
Time : 9:30-10:00am Guest of Honour for Opening Remarks
- Mr. Howard CHENG, COO, Cyberport
Pitching Session
Time : 10:00am-12:45pm Top 5 Teams Pitch to Judge Panel
Conference Talks
IFF2023 Conference also invites global speakers from the world class of technology and education to discuss the latest technological advancements and applications. The conference will feature four talks, each offering a unique perspective on technological fields. They cover industry 4.0/5.0, artificial intelligence/AI and its transformative power, the use of generative AI in developing industrial metaverse applications, and emerging technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, robotics, drones, and holograms for online learning technology in our future of next generation.
Time: 2:00-3:30pm
Talk 1: Enabling Digital Transformation in Small and Medium Enterprises – Overcoming Obstacles and Realizing Opportunities (in Virtual Base)
Speaker: Dr. Ben CHENG, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Manufacturing, Materials and Mechatronics, School of Engineering, STEM College, RMIT University, Australia
Description: This talk will unpack the core concepts of Industry 4.0 and 5.0, their implications for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and the challenges and opportunities they present. Using real-life examples from our experiences with local Australian businesses, we’ll shed light on the common obstacles encountered during digital transformation and discuss how to turn them into opportunities. We’ll further discuss the exciting potential of integrating artificial intelligence into these transformations, exploring how this can catalyse growth and efficiency in the ever-evolving landscape of SMEs.
Talk 2: Generative AI and its Application in Industrial Metaverse
Speaker: Dr. Charles CHEUNG, Ph.D., Senior Data Scientist and Deputy Director, NVIDIA AI Technology Center Hong Kong, NVIDIA
Description: ChatGPT attracts a lot of attention recently for text generation and its downstream task. Diffusion model can generate photorealistic images according to your given description. Generative AI also play a very important role in the development of industrial metaverse application. Technology such as Domain randomization can create different scene and scenario to develop robust AI applications. In this talk, we will talk about generative AI and how it can be applied to industrial metaverse.
Talk 3: AI for Video Analytics
Speaker: Mr. Hiroshi OCHIAI, Director Alliances, Portfolio and Customer Services, APAC, Axis Communications.
Description: AI for Video Analytics is a cutting-edge approach that leverages the power of machine learning and deep learning to transform video surveillance systems. By equipping video surveillance with advanced analytical capabilities, AI-driven video analytics promises to revolutionize the way monitor, process, and interpret vast amounts of video data in real-time. It helps our lives becomes smarter in several ways, traffic management, crowd monitoring, waste management, optimize traffic signals and etc.
Talk 4:The Role of Instructional Technology in a Library’s Technology of Things (in Virtual Base)
Speaker: Dr. Anthony S. CHOW, PhD., Director and Professor, School of Information, San José State University, USA
Description: Dr. Anthony Chow is a full professor and the director of San Jose State University’s School of Information. He holds a PhD in instructional design and a Master of Science in Educational Psychology from Florida State University and has served as the director of online learning for two universities. He recently founded the Library Technology Integration (LTI) Lab which teaches libraries, librarians, faculty, staff, and students emerging technologies including VR, MR, and AR as well as drones, robots, and holograms. Dr. Chow also has a federal grant working in preserving the language and culture of the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Nation in virtual reality. Dr. Chow believes that equity of access to digital literacy is a fundamental goal and role for educators and libraries so that all children and people are aware of technologies they may not be able to afford or have access to. He is committed to the saying that “competence breeds confidence” in how and why the use of emerging technologies are important for our future.
Showcases Session
Past IFF Winners Showcases
| IFF2021/22 | Care-E-Bot by St. Stephen’s Girls’ College |
| IFF2021/22 | PresentAR by IVE (Shatin) |
| IFF2020 | Driver Drowsiness Detection System by Heung To Secondary School (Tseung Kwan O) |
| IFF2020 | An AI-based Progression Risk Assessment System for Knee Osteoarthritis by CLAIRE |
| Seondary Top 5 team | CommunicateNow by Elsa High School Care of you by Heung To Secondary School (Tseung Kwan O) Eat It All by St. Stephen’s Girls’ College Wearable Stress Tracker by Diocesan Girls’ School Miss Pauline 2.0 by St. Paul’s Convent School |
| Tertiary Top 5 Team | Brain Computer Interface Feedback System for Dementia Patients by Hong Kong Metropolitan University SOWER by IVE (Haking Wong) ZeroVio 零暴 by IVE (Sha Tin) EcoQuest – Turn Gaming into Green Action by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University SEAT: A General Framework for Seat Management in Public Space by Lingnan University |
Awards Ceremony
Time : 4:30-5:30pm Guest of Honour for Presenting Awards
- Mr. Francis WONG, Executive Director, Sumitomo Corporation Equity Asia
Timeline for IFF2023
Deadline : 15/5/2023 12:00nn Closed
Deadline : 31/5/2023 12:00 nn Closed
- Announce result in mid-Jun by post/email for :
Top 5 to Pitch & Showcase - 5 of Certificate of Merit
- 14/7/2023 2:15-3:15pm IFF2021/22 Champions Talks in Business GOVirutal Tech Conference
- 15/7/2023 2:00-5:00pm Industry Visit and Training at Axis Lab
- 22/7/2023 Mentorship Meeting for Pitch Teams by Zoom
(CLICK the link for more event photos)
9:30am to 5:30pm at Cyberport Function Room 1-2
- 10:00am-12:45pm Pitching Session
- 2:00-3:30pm Conference talks
- 3:30-4:30pm Past + Present Showcases
- 4:30-5:30pm Awards Ceremony
- 02/11/2023 Registration for Project Submission
- 14/11/2023 Finalist Notification
- 28/11/2023 Finalist Showcase
Judges:
- Dr. Charles CHEUNG, Ph.D., Senior Data Scientist and Deputy Director, NVIDIA AI Technology Center Hong Kong, NVIDIA
- Mr. Walter CHEUNG, Project Manager, Smart Living, Cyberport
- Dr. Ning FAN, Founder, Health in Action
- Mr. Hiroshi OCHIAI, Director Alliances, Portfolio and Customer Services, APAC, Axis Communications
- Professor Eric Wing Kuen SEE-TO, Ph.D., AsDr. sociate Professor, Department of Computing & Decision Sciences, Lingnan University, Hong Kong
Mentors:
- Dr. Jeff AU, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer, Department of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, School of Science and Technology, The Hong Kong Metropolitan University
- Mr. Kelvin TO, Senior Project Officer, Smart City Innovation Centre and VTC STEM Education Centre, Vocational Training Council
IFF2023 Advisory Committee
- Mr. Derek LEE, IFF2023 Advisory Committee Chair
- Mr. Victor CHOI, Chairman, HKETA
- Dr. Alan WONG, Ph.D., with 9 silicon technology patents at former Intel, currently is Acting Associate Dean of CPGE, Senior Director at Business Dev and Global Partnership, and Director of SVGS, SJSU
- Ms. Novam NG, Marketing Director, IngDan Technology, currently Chair in Continuing Professional Dev & Education Sub-com of HKETA
- Mr. Nelson WOO, Industry Associations & Standards Manager, APAC, AXIS Communications
- Prof. Nim CHEUNG, Ph.D., Fellow, IEEE
IFF2023 Organizing Committee
- Mr. Stapler LI, IFF2023 OC Chair, Industry Specialist in Semi-conductor sector
- Phil LUK, AXIS Communications
- Icy HU, AXIS Communications
- PH MA, PolyU, Dept of Computing
- Scholes HO, PolyU, Dept of Computing
- Anyia LAU, Webmaster, HKUST, Computer Science
- Evelina WONG, DM Design & E-book Publication, CityU, School of Creative Media
- Jed CHOI, Video Production & Photographer Lead, CityU, School of Creative Media
- Benny CHEUNG, MC, Youth Member, HKETA
Partners & Sponsors
Organizer
Premium Supporting Organization
Venue Sponsors
Exhibition Partners
Awards Sponsors
Technology & Support Sponsors
Supporting Organizations
IFF2023 Final Judging Result for Top 5 Teams
IFF2023 Final Winners of Secondary Stream
| IFF2023 Project Ref | Result | School Name | Project Leader | Project Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFF2023-SEC-155 | Champion | St. Stephen’s Girls’ College | Lam Bernice Abigail | Eat It All |
| IFF2023-SEC-198 | 1st Runner Up | St. Paul’s Convent School | Agnes Au | Miss Pauline 2.0 |
| IFF2023-SEC-123 | 2nd Runner Up | Heung To Secondary School (Tseung Kwan O) | Lee Hoi Ching | Care of you |
| IFF2023-SEC-177 | Certificate of Excellence | Diocesan Girls’ School | Megan Lam | Wearable Stress Tracker |
| IFF2023-SEC-021 | Certificate of Excellence | Elsa High School | Hinako | CommunicateNow |
IFF2023 Final Winners of Tertiary Stream
| IFF2023 Project Ref | Result | School Name | Project Leader | Project Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFF2023-TER-199 | Champion | Lingnan University | Xinyi Zhong | SEAT: A General Framework for Seat Management in Public Space |
| IFF2023-TER-116 | 1st Runner Up | Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Sha Tin) | Tsui Tik Wa | ZeroVio 零暴 |
| IFF2023-TER-178 | 2nd Runner Up | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Ma Yujun, Matt | EcoQuest – Turn Gaming into Green Action |
| IFF2023-TER-074 | Certificate of Excellence | Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Haking Wong) | Lee Cheuk Yin | SOWER |
| IFF2023-TER-021 | Certificate of Excellence | Hong Kong Metropolitan University | Ramsha Minhaj | Brain Computer Interface Feedback System for Dementia Patients |
Top 5 Teams of secondary and tertiary streams have been invited to our pitching session in the morning of Pitch & Conference Day to present their project ideas to our judge panel. The final winners have been selected by our judge panel.
IFF2023 Judging Result for 5 Teams of Certificate of Merit
5 Teams of Secondary Stream for Certificate of Merits
| IFF2023 Project Ref | Result | School Name | Project Leader | Project Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFF2023-SEC-072 | Cert of Merit | United Christrain College (Kowloon East) | Hui Shing Lok | Worker’s Care Hexagon |
| IFF2023-SEC-144 | Cert of Merit | St. Mary’s Canossian College | Miriam Lo | Deli-gious |
| IFF2023-SEC-166 | Cert of Merit | St. Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese School | Yam Tin Lam Lucas | Project CB-SS |
| IFF2023-SEC-209 | Cert of Merit | Pui Kiu College | Tsang Pak Lam | Therapet |
| IFF2023-SEC-210 | Cert of Merit | Lai King Catholic Secondary School | Zheng Yan Ki | Myopia lentes |
5 Teams of Tertiary Stream for Certificate of Merits
| IFF2023 Project Ref | Result | School Name | Project Leader | Project Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFF2023-TER-052 | Cert of Merit | The Chinese University of Hong Kong | Leung Yau Hin | IoT Deployment Kit |
| IFF2023-TER-063 | Cert of Merit | Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Sha Tin) | Wong Chun | Dokodemo Call |
| IFF2023-TER-105 | Cert of Merit | City University of Hong Kong | Chan Tsz Yan | Moodies’ Care |
| IFF2023-TER-147 | Cert of Merit | Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Sha Tin) | Lai Man Kin | Reality Lab |
| IFF2023-TER-200 | Cert of Merit | Lingnan University | Leung Chi Hang | Foresell Solution |
5 teams of Certificate of Merit will be invited to join our conference talks session and awards ceremony in the afternoon of our Pitch & Conference Day.
