​Organised by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), InnoCarnival 2022 (IC 2022), as one of the celebration events of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), will be held from October 22 to 30 with the theme of "Innovation & Technology Empower our Dreams". This year's IC is supported by 54 partners, including seven universities, five research and development centres, 11 government departments and 31 organisations, with both physical and online events, featuring a number of physical exhibits of local innovation and technology (I&T) achievements at the Hong Kong Science Park, and a series of webinars and online workshops. During IC 2022, "City I&T Grand Challenge: The Showcase" will also be held so that prototypes of the winning solutions from this first competition will be revealed to the public for the first time. As the country recruits payload specialists in the HKSAR for the first time, IC 2022 will also showcase space-themed exhibitions. Through an array of interesting activities, it is expected to enhance public interest and knowledge about I&T and further promote an I&T culture.
      
     Speaking at the press preview for IC 2022 today (October 5), the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Ms Rebecca Pun, said that the Government has been giving tremendous support in developing I&T and promoting start-ups, strengthening the collaboration among the industry, academia and research institutes, as well as promoting an I&T culture to enhance public awareness and understanding of the importance of I&T in people's daily lives and the future development of Hong Kong.
      
     The press preview exhibited research and developent (R&D) projects of some participating teams with briefings from their representatives on the inspirational ideas, the R&D process, features and functions, and applications of their projects. These projects include the research initiatives by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Liverscan, a palm-sized tool for detecting and staging liver fibrosis through a non-invasive ultrasound measurement of liver stiffness for patients' early diagnosis and treatment; the Green Machine, developed by the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel, which provides a hydrothermal solution to separate and recycle cotton-polyester blended textiles on an industrial scale; the "E-transporter" from the Automotive Platforms and Application Systems R&D Centre, which is an intelligent autonomous electric transporter with high levels of independence and self-determination. The above R&D projects are all funded by the Innovation and Technology Fund under the ITC.
      
     In addition, Carmel Pak U Secondary School, an awardee in the 24th Hong Kong Youth Science & Technology Innovation Competition organised by the Hong Kong New Generation Cultural Association, introduced their invention, "Edible disposables of kombucha of fruit skin 3.0", which are edible disposables made of fruit skins. The collection includes grilled kombucha straws and cups, which are safe for consumption and are biodegradable.
      
     IC 2022 will set up 37 physical booths at the Hong Kong Science Park, showcasing a series of I&T products and interactive games, together with around 145 online workshops (including parent-child workshops) and about 40 webinars, with the aim of showing the public the importance of I&T in people's daily lives, and inspiring the younger generation to pursue knowledge and cultivate an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
      
     Furthermore, "City I&T Grand Challenge: The Showcase" will also be staged during IC 2022. The City I&T Grand Challenge was launched in December 2020 under the theme of "Innovating for Hong Kong's New Normal" and invites different sectors of the community to develop I&T solutions focusing on "environmental sustainability" and "social connectivity", with a view to blending I&T in people's daily lives and inspiring a passionate I&T atmosphere. The competition has undergone multiple stages in 2021 to select the winners. Extensive training and guidance were provided to all participants, including a series of online seminars, training workshops and visitation activities during different stages. Twenty-five winners in the university/tertiary institute and open groups received support from the ITC. Upon training and refinement of I&T solutions for over half a year, teams have successfully transformed ideas from the competition into prototypes for trials at over 50 organisations and social communities since July this year. Prototypes from the Showcase will be revealed to the public at IC 2022 for the first time through real-life scenarios, including an elderly home and restaurant.
      
     All IC 2022 activities are free of charge. Some of the activities require preregistration. Details are available at the thematic webpage (innocarnival.hk). Members of the public are most welcome to join.

Ends/Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Issued at HKT 15:46

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