HONG KONG ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES
Facebook Instagram Twitter linkedin | 繁 简
Supported by the Innovation and Technology Fund, HKSAR
Competition Results
The University Pitch Competition on Global Grand Challenges 2021-22 was held successfully on 26 May 2022. The University of Hong Kong, with their project “PERfECT Viral Sewage Monitoring System” won the competition. To find out what their project is about, please .

Background
The Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) of U.K. and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) of U.S.A. jointly organized a biennial Global Grand Challenges Summit (GGCS) since 2013. The Summit convened inspirational world leaders with the next generation of engineers and change-makers to build creative collaborations and solve the grand challenges facing our future world of 10 billion people. One important part of the previous two GGCS that involved student participation was the Student Pitch Competition. Five teams from the three countries, namely China, UK and US, competed against each other and presented a 5-minute pitch of their proposals to a selection of senior judges and other Summit participants. All presentations attempted to propose innovation or novel approaches to address global challenges associated with the sub-themes of the Summit. In the GGCS 2019 held in London, England, the Hong Kong Team composing 4 students from HKU and one student each from HKUST and CityU was awarded first runner-up of the Competition (https://innowings.engg.hku.hk/ggcs2019/).

In previous GGCS, CAE invited the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES) to select a Hong Kong Joint University Team to become one of the five teams representing China engaging in the student activities. Due to the pandemic, the 5th GGCS to be held in Beijing in 2021, has now been tentatively postponed to October 2022. While details of the forthcoming GGCS have yet been announced, HKAES, as informed by CAE, will again be responsible to nominate a Hong Kong team to participate in the student competition of the Summit. To this end, the Academy, with the support of the Innovation and Technology Fund, is going to organize a HKAES 2021-22 University Pitch Competition on Global Grand Challenges. This competition gives undergraduate students from all majors, specifically engineering and computer science disciplines, the opportunity to compete for the honour to representing Hong Kong and Mainland China in participating in the 5th Global Grand Challenges Summit. Each team is required to make an innovative proposal and carry out substantial work to address the specific global challenges as laid down by the theme of the Competition.
Theme
The HKAES 2021-22 University Pitch Competition is organized to feature a student team competition of innovation, design, and business development based on a theme related to a major challenge facing society and the planet. Needless to say, the utmost challenge facing Hong Kong for the past two years must be the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, student teams participated in the Pitch Competition are required to propose ways to address aspects of the following theme:

Engineering Innovation Meeting Challenges of the Epidemic,
Helping Speedy Restoration of Normal Life and Offering Fast Response to Future Crisis

This University Pitch Competition, organized by the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES) and supported by the Innovation and Technology Commission, HKSAR, gives undergraduate students from all majors, specifically engineering and computer science disciplines, the opportunity to compete and demonstrate their innovation and capability in help solving the utmost problem and difficulty facing the humankind. Each university team is required to make an innovative proposal and carry out substantial work to address the specific global challenges as laid down by the theme of the Competition. While a full-fledged start-up business is not needed, a rigorous entrepreneurial and design approach which shows that the teams have moved beyond an initial idea or technology concept will be expected. The technological/engineering solutions must be practical and the innovation must be viable with a clear route to growth and sustained impact.
Competing Teams
All six major universities in Hong Kong have formed their student team to participate in the HKAES 2021-22 University Pitch Competition. Each team is composed of 6 undergraduate students who are not in their final year of study and at least half of the members are engineering or computer science students. Their individual profile can be found hereunder.

Presentation



Student Team Members

Name Study Program Study Year
Liu Yuen Ching BSc Business Computing and Data Analytics 2
Chu Ho Chun BSc Business Computing and Data Analytics 2
Wong Sze Chun BSc Business Computing and Data Analytics 2
Wong Chun Shing BSc Business Computing and Data Analytics 2
Yim Yuk Sing BSc Business Computing and Data Analytics 2

HawkEye

An effective way to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 is through citizens’ efforts. Related government departments have sent personnel to carry out different measures. However, the cost of human resources is relatively high, and the efficiency and effectiveness may not be satisfactory. Considering this, we have used the techniques learned in electronic engineering and computer science to design an automated supervision, education and promotion system. It is used to prevent an outbreak and get society out of the haze in a short time by promptly creating a more rigorous atmosphere for pandemic prevention.

HKBU Team

HKBU Team

Presentation



Student Team Members

Name Study Program Study Year
Chan San Yu Energy and Environmental Engineering (EEEN) 3
Wong Chi Ka Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) 3
Cheung Justin Electronic Engineering (ELEG) 3
Saung Hnin Phyu Energy and Environmental Engineering (EEEN) 3

Drink2Eat

Food is fundamental to not only our survival but also our health. Humanity has made leaps and bounds in improving the quantity, quality, longevity and accessibility of food through food engineering and standardized global shipping distribution networks.

However, these improvements have also generated a lot of waste from the packaging of food and drinks. Furthermore, restrictions of Hong Kong’s restaurant dine-in times have massively popularized the concept of ordering takeout. This has exasperated the food packaging waste issue by 15%. This food packaging issue contributes to Hong Kong's landfills that would fill up in less than 12 years.

Drink2Eat would like to combat this issue of food packaging waste by reusing common carton boxes typically used for drinks to make lunch boxes so that restaurants can decrease their reliance on disposable lunchboxes for takeout orders.

CUHK Team

CUHK Team

Presentation



Student Team Members

Name Study Program Study Year
Pun Jenit Engineering in Civil Engineering 2
Wei Yuanting Engineering in Civil Engineering (structural engineering stream) 3
TENG Zhaohan Engineering in Architectural Engineering 2
BAO Yiran Engineering in Civil Engineering 2
LI Zuer Engineering in Civil Engineering 2

From RFM to SGS Concrete

Due to the aggravating situation of the pandemic, the use of surgical masks has increased. It has led to many problems due to the over disposal of face masks. With the current pandemic trend, a large number of masks will still be in use for epidemic prevention purposes for a long time. On the other hand, the demand for green building materials is rising. Our solution will aid in solving both issues by incorporating the polypropylene fibers compromised in surgical masks into forming sustainable green structural concrete. Before adding it to the concrete mix, they will be appropriately collected, sterilized, and extracted. InNews_20210911_037.jpg addition to being used to form green concrete, it will also reduce the potential landfill space uptake by many disposed of masks after the pandemic and hence provide a head start to future waste management incentives programs.

CityU Team

CityU Team

Presentation



Student Team Members

Name Study Program Study Year
ZHANG Xinzhi Investment Science and Finance Analytics 3
FENG Lin Biomedical Engineering 2
SU Chung Hang Civil Engineering 3
ZHU Zixuan Electrical Engineering 2
Alisher MYRGYYASSOV Electronic and Information Engineering 2
CAI Yangnuo Internet and Multimedia Technology 2

PolyCare ------ Multi-functional Medical Assistant Robotic System

PolyCare, an integrated robotic system for medical care, is aiming at addressing the current and potential shortage of medical resources, especially for the shortage of nursing staff. PolyCare can provide basic medical services: identifying and collecting the physical conditions of patients and providing far-flung/inaccessible medical consultation if professional doctors are needed to be involved.

While working in the hospital ward or mass quarantine area, PolyCare can navigate itself to designated rooms and distribute medicines for patients. Besides, the robot can issue warnings to people without the mask. PolyCare will also create a personal medical profile for each patient, storing the body condition data and diagnosis records. In order to realize the above functions, PolyCare has the following equipment :

  1. Fundamental medical devices, including thermometer and blood pressure monitor
  2. Medicine delivery box
  3. High-resolution camera and screen
  4. Navigation devices and data processor

PolyU Team

PolyU Team

Presentation



Student Team Members

Name Study Program Study Year
CHANG, Sin Tong BEng in Civil Engineering 2
REXMARIN, Nicko BEng in Bioengineering 3
SEN, Yigit BEng in Computer Science & BBA (Undeclared) 2
WONG, Hiu Ching BEng in Bioengineering & BBA in Global Business Management 3
WONG, King Wang BSc Economics and Finance & Computer Science 2
YANG, Tiffany BSc in Integrative Systems & Design & BBA (Undeclared) 2

Guardiosk
Guard with ease.

In the current global health crisis, employers are forced to spend extra human resources on menial tasks of ensuring visitors follow the latest health protocol, while employees face the risk of being exposed to the disease from the number of visitors they need to interact with. To solve this dilemma, our group set out to design an all-in-one AI detection kiosk with advanced algorithms and multiple cameras to ensure everyone’s safety. Designed for minimal interaction with users, Guardiosk allows quick and accurate temperature measurement along with mask and vaccination record detection without any contact input from users, hence creating a seamless user experience.

Our team believes that in a dire crisis, human ingenuity is essential in easing the task of multiple stakeholders. With Guardiosk, we trust that we can aid everyone in weathering these hard times.

HKUST Team

HKUST Team

Presentation



Student Team Members

Name Study Program Study Year
Lai Chun Kit BEng (BME) 2
Rachel Natalie BEng (BME) 2
Nafisa Humayra BEng (BME) 2
Zhao Yazhou BEng (EngSc) 2

PERfECT Viral Sewage Monitoring System

Epidemics cause historical global panic in public health, urgently requiring sensitive and cost-effective biosensors that screen diseases efficiently, over time-consuming testing kits that are mailed to research labs. We have developed the world’s smallest platform, PERfECT (“personalized electronic reader for electrochemical transistors”). PERfECT has been modified to make a wireless, compact Virus Detector that can detect viruses at the earliest possible time. PERfECT acts as a supplement to LeaveHomeSafe, which notifies viral exposure a few days too late as viruses keep spreading before the notification is received. Instead, PERfECT could be placed in MTRs, restaurants, personal belongings, etc., alerting the public to viral exposure in seconds. This would greatly reduce viral transmission and aid in curbing the epidemic. PERfECT is the epitome of engineering in health innovation, fighting the epidemic through fast virus detection, enabling speedy restoration of normal life, and offering fast response technologies for future crises.

HKU Team

HKU Team



Panel of Judges
The Academy is pleased to have invited the following five outstanding individuals to serve as the Panel of Judges.

Prof. P.C. Ching, Immediate Past President of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences, will serve as the Panel Moderator.

The Honourable Duncan Chiu
Member of the Legislative Council

Duncan has committed to technology and innovation development for nearly 20 years. He is not only a tech entrepreneur but also a veteran investor, as well as an influential advocator and monitor of local technology and innovation policies. He often speaks at forums and conferences to promote start-up culture and helps young entrepreneurs with workshops and mentorship.

Duncan is the President of the Hong Kong Information Technology Joint Council (HKITJC), the Director of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, the Chairman of HKTDC Information & Communications Technology (ICT) Services Advisory Committee and the Chairman of Information Technology Services Committee of the Hospital Authority.

Comment on the Pitch Competition:
Coming Soon

The Honourable Duncan Chiu

Dr Hong FUNG, JP
Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of CUHK Medical Centre

Dr Hong FUNG is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC). CUHKMC is the private teaching hospital wholly owned by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

Dr FUNG is also Professor of Practice in Health Services Management at the Jockey Club School of Public Health & Primary Care, CUHK, where he teaches health services planning, healthcare innovation and technology management, healthcare financing, communications and marketing, and decision making in the School’s master and leadership programs.

Comment on the Pitch Competition:
Coming Soon

Dr Hong FUNG, JP

Ir Yeung Tak Bun (Allen), JP
Former Hong Kong Government Chief Information Officer
Founder, CEO & Strategic Advisor, Intelli Global Corporation

Mr. Yeung has extensive experience in the areas of smart city, information technology, cybersecurity, investments, corporate and business development, science park development and government affairs. And he is a leader in Hong Kong's information technology and communication industry. At the end of 2018, Mr. Yeung teamed up with former Barcelona Deputy Mayor Antoni Vives, former Alibaba Data Committee Chairman Herbert Chia, and many other international smart city and big data scientists to establish Intelli Global Corporation to provide top-level design and big data/artificial intelligence related products that helping city governments and companies around the world to manage cities with new smart city concepts, improve the quality of life, reduce management costs and improve urban governance efficiency. During 2015–mid 2018, he was appointed as the Government Chief Information Officer by the Hong Kong SAR Government. Mr. Yeung was responsible for formulation of policies and strategies for Hong Kong's information industry in development of the digital economy, e-government, cyber-security, and formulation of the blueprint for developing Hong Kong into the world's leading smart city.

Comment on the Pitch Competition:
Coming Soon

Ir Yeung Tak Bun (Allen), JP

Dr. Nim Kwan Cheung
Managing Director of Alphotonics Limited and former CEO of ASTRI

Dr. Nim Cheung is Managing Director of AIphotonics Limited in Hong Kong Science Park, and director of several listed and start-up companies in Hong Kong. He was formerly CEO of Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), the largest ICT research organization in Hong Kong. He served as Inaugural Director of National Engineering Research Centre for Application Specific Integrated Circuit Systems, the first National Engineering Centre in Hong Kong.

Dr. Cheung has held management positions at Bell Labs, Bellcore, and Telcordia Technologies. He is a Telcordia Fellow and a Fellow of IEEE and HKAES. He was President of IEEE Communications Society and has chaired IEEE’s Fellow Committee and different Awards Boards.

Dr. Cheung is Honorary Professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and served as Consulting Professor at Stanford University. He received his B.Sc. degree from University of Hong Kong and Ph.D. degree from California Institute of Technology. He was recipient of HKU Distinguished Alumni Award in 2010.

Comment on the Pitch Competition:
Coming Soon

Dr. Nim Kwan Cheung

Dr. Chao He
Vice President, Head of AI, Wisers Information Limited
Adjunct Associate Professor, HKUST Business School

Dr. Chao He is the Vice President and Head of AI at Wisers and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Business School. He holds a Ph.D. degree in artificial intelligence (BIT, 2001) and an EMBA degree (Kellogg-HKUST, 2020). He has more than 20 years’ experience in AI technology research, innovation, application and education (University of Alberta 2001, University of Paisley 2002-2005, NCR Corporation 2005-2014, Wisers 2014-present, HKUST 2020-present). He has published 20+ papers in top international journals and conferences and holds 40+ international patents in the fields of the artificial intelligence and its applications. He is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Comment on the Pitch Competition:
Coming Soon

Dr. Chao He

Ir Dr CHAN Siu-kun, Alex, SBS
Managing Director, ATI Engineering Ltd

Ir Dr Alex Chan is a Senior Vice President of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences. He graduated from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in 1977 with a BSc(Eng) in mechanical engineering and in 1988 with a PhD in fluid dynamics.

Ir Dr Chan has worked extensively in contracting works in buildings, power plants, road tunnels and mass transit systems. He has served as an engineering consultant on major infrastructures in Hong Kong SAR, Mainland, Singapore, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States. His focused areas are safety, efficient and reliable plant operation, improvement to environment, and products innovation and development.

Ir Dr Chan has provided extensive professional and public service in Hong Kong and internationally. He was President of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (2003-04) and Chair of the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation and Vocational Qualifications (2015-21). Internationally, he was Chair of the Sydney Accord Chair (2007-11) and Chair of the International Professional Engineers Agreement (2014-17).

Comment on the Pitch Competition:
Coming Soon

Ir Dr Alex Chan
Award
The respective University of the Winning Team will receive a Trophy while each member will also be presented a Plague to recognize their achievement. In addition, a cash award of HK$50,000 will be offered to the Winning Team of which they can use to further enhance their project work. Most importantly, the Winning Team together with the coach will be supported to travel to Mainland China and becomes one of the five teams representing China to compete in the International Student Competition of the 5th Global Grand Challenges Summit.

Gallery
University Pitch Competition
Award Ceremony cum Dinner

Contact Us

Name:
Company:
Email:
Telephone:
Message:
Security Code:
Please pass security code checking
 
   

Address
Address
3/F Room 29, SME Office Building 19W,
Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park,
Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
Hours
Business Hours
Monday to Friday
9:00am – 6:00pm
Phone
General Enquiry
(852) 26928123
Email
Email
To Top
Copyright©2023. All rights reserved,
Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences