Around 120 teams showcased their technology-driven, real-life-oriented solutions at the 4th Hong Kong Science Fair (HKSF) — the city’s premier youth tech event, which closed on Sunday — offering a heartening snapshot of the city’s upbeat future as a global innovation and technology hub.

Kicking off on Saturday and themed “Think Big Be Innovative”, the two-day fair attracted over 58,000 visits, marking a new record. The science fair featured innovations based on artificial intelligence and various technologies, selected from nearly 600 entries submitted by around 300 schools in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Projects covered areas such as healthcare, sustainability, smart living, and smart city, with teachers and students applying AI, robotics, machinery, and green technologies to address issues from visual impairment in the elderly to waste transformation.

Since its debut in 2021, the annual science fair — organized by the Hong Kong Innovation Foundation (HKIF) — has been dedicated to providing an interactive platform for students to tackle community challenges through innovative and human-centric approaches.

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The unprecedented popularity reflects Hong Kong’s soaring enthusiasm for innovation and technology (I&T), driven by strong government support, strategic investments, and a blossoming startup ecosystem.

Addressing the awards ceremony, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong stated in his speech that the government aspires to enhance the innovative atmosphere in society through more events such as the Hong Kong Science Fair and various popular science activities, thereby providing young people with a platform to cultivate their creativity.

He added that the HKSAR government has explicitly identified promoting an innovation and technology culture for all as one of the eight major strategies outlined in the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint. While many people associate I&T primarily with scientists, researchers and experts, it is, in fact, closely linked to our everyday lives.

Sun was joined by Wan Ning, deputy director general of the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR.

Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, a lawmaker and convenor of the nonofficial members of the Executive Council, attended the ceremony and gave her strong backing to the science fair.

“The projects are related to global needs, like how we deal with garbage, food, city congestion, and parking problems — all things related to our daily lives, very inventive and with great potential,” Ip said.

Daryl Ng Win-kong, HKIF chairman and deputy chairman of Sino Group, expressed his gratitude for the widespread support for the fair.

“We believe in fostering an innovative spirit from an early age. Over the years, Hong Kong Science Fair has been a platform that inspires creativity and fosters knowledge exchange. While AI technology is advancing rapidly, human creativity and imagination remain irreplaceable. It is encouraging to see students using technology to improve the quality of life and assist those in need, bringing joy to others,” Ng said.

Among the 15 award-winning projects, the gold awards went to the Christian Alliance H.C. Chan Primary School in the Primary division, the SPHRC Kung Yik She Secondary School in the Junior Secondary division, and St. Stephen’s Girls’ College and PLK No.1 W.H. Cheung College in the Senior Secondary division.

The gold-award-winning teams will go on to take part in the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (IEIG) in Switzerland, a prestigious international event where they will further hone their innovative capabilities.

In addition, a new Testing and Certification Special Award, sponsored by the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification (HKCTC), was introduced this year, with the top honor awarded to a team from the Queen Elizabeth School Old Students’ Association Secondary School.

The new award aims to deepen young inventors’ appreciation of the crucial role of testing and certification in the I&T process. “We hope that, alongside stimulating their creativity, students will integrate the principles of quality control and standards into their designs, while also prioritizing product reliability and safety. This reflects the core value of ‘people-centered’ development in technology,” Sun said.

David Taji-Farouki, president of the jury of the IEIG, said the IEIG projects great confidence in Hong Kong’s young innovators, highlighting their “exemplary inventions often arising from keen observation of daily life”, while underlining the importance of “mutual learning and exchange of ideas vital to the research and development process”.

“In recent years, Hong Kong delegations have excelled at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva,” said Taji-Farouki, recalling that last year’s HKSF teams had “demonstrated both confidence and professionalism in their interactions with scholars and judges from around the world”.

“Hong Kong’s youth possess the innovative capabilities to shine on the international stage,” he added.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com