Innovate for Future (IFF) is an open competition of innovation & technology to inspire our young people in Hong Kong to create products for solving real life problems, from idea generation to prototype development. The competition has three streams: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Students of each stream will pitch how to move human society forward with feasible innovation and products, under our mentors’ coaching and support in the process.
This competition is supported by our international partner, San Jose State University (SJSU) Silicon Valley Center for Global Studies (SVCGS). The final champion will have the opportunity to submit the project for a SJSU global program, such as Summer in Silicon Valley.
Competition Theme
Embracing the "New Normal" with Resilience
We have overcome the ordeal brought by COVID-19, and witnessed together how human resilience, social innovation, and cutting-edge technology helped us through all the challenges in the past two years. Now, we rebuild our lives in a world that would never be the same. We call it the “New Normal”, with some enduring values, which we may have forgotten, upheld again. In this competition, you are going to demonstrate how you interpret these values with your innovation, creative ideas and prototypes, to bring all of us a step forward into a better future.
Sustainability
To combat climate change, pollution, and the crisis of exhausting energy and resources, we need new ways to achieve sustainable development for human civilization so that we and our next generations can enjoy quality of life on a planet with a cleaner environment and full of biodiversity.
Well-being
After the pandemic, not only do we focus more on physical fitness to defeat the virus, but also enhance mental and psychological health. We also strive for achieving work-home balance, healthcare for everyone, healthy lifestyle, and longevity with respect. In other words, better well-being.
Connectivity
Social distancing measures separate yet reconnect us. Technological innovation brings us together, no matter at work or at home. In the New Normal, work-from- home, virtual teams, collaboration beyond geographical and cultural boundaries have already become a foreseeable future.
Competition Stages
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 (before 1 September 2021) 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 consists of 1 to 4 students and their teacher from the same school. Students and teachers cannot join multiple teams.
- Each school may have maximum 3 teams, with each team having different focuses and projects.
Primary School Stream [new]
- Primary School Stream (primary school students aged between 9-11 years old (before 1 September 2021) 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 consists of 1 to 4 students and their teacher from the same school. Students and teachers 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 IFF2021 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 IFF2021 Mentoring Team.
- 5 entries from each stream (15 in total from 3 streams) will be invited to the IFF2021 Mentorship program and the Final Stage.
- Finalists will be announced on the website of the competition and will be informed by email.
- Submission to Tertiary School Stream and Secondary School Stream must be in Written and Spoken English. Any submission not in English may lead to mark deduction or disqualification.
- Primary School Stream ONLY can be in written and spoken English or in Chinese, and marks will not be deducted.(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，否則會被扣分。)
Final Stage:
- 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 Final Pitch cum Demonstration Day to our IFF2021 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.
The organizer reserves the rights to make final decisions regarding the revision of the competition regulations and competition arrangements.
Judging Guidelines
Idea Submission Stage:
- Innovation – 35%
- Feasibility – 30%
- Presentation – 10%
- Social Impact – 15%
- CyberSecurity Elements – 10%
Final Stage (Pitch on Pitch & Demonstration Day):
- Innovation – 35%
- Implementation – 30%
- Presentation – 10%
- Social Impact – 15%
- CyberSecurity Elements – 10%
Award & Prizes
Award & Prizes for each stream
- Champion – Cash HK$8,000
- 1st runner up – Cash HK$5,000
- 2nd runner up – Cash HK$3,000
- Certificate Of Excellence (2 teams) – Cash HK$1,000 for each team
- Certificate Of Merit (5 teams)
(total HK$54,000)
- Global STEM submission: Winners and final champion (if selected) will showcase their projects through SJSU Global program.
- Connect to internship program and training through our Industry Support Sponsors.
Timeline for IFF2021
(Award Ceremony may be on 16/7/2022 if it is virtually held)
Sponsors
Organizer:
Premium Supporting Organization:
