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Hong Kong Innovation Facts
Global Innovation Index ranking: 14th
Climate targets: A 65-70 per cent reduction in carbon intensity by 2030, carbon neutrality before 2050
Sustainability challenges:
Building emissions – Hong Kong is filled with energy-hungry skyscrapers. In fact, buildings account for 90 per cent of the electricity used in Hong Kong, and 60 per cent of carbon emissions.
Waste management – Hong Kong is densely populated and lacks sites for landfills. Historically, it has also had limited capacity to process recycling, sending most of its recyclables to China until 2017. In response, the Hong Kong government recently introduced a Waste Blueprint for 2035.
Air pollution – Hong Kong’s air quality has improved in recent years, but remains a concern. Local sources of urban air pollution include diesel vehicles and power plants. Regional air pollution from both Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region is also a problem.
Sector specialisms:
Fintech
E-commerce
Professional and consulting services
ICT
Source: startmeup.hk
Three Exciting New Innovations From Hong Kong
AN ADVANCED ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM ENDS CONSTRUCTION’S RELIANCE ON DIESEL
The construction sector—in Hong Kong and elsewhere—relies heavily on diesel generators to power sites. Not only is diesel power polluting – it is also noisy. This limits construction hours for the sanity of nearby residents. Moreover, diesel generators are prone to maintenance problems leading to time lost to repairs. Now, Hong Kong startup Ampd Energy has developed an energy storage solution—known as ‘The Entertainer’—that uses smart battery technology to cut out the use of diesel altogether. The Entertainer can be plugged into a small mains input to charge 24 hours a day. It can then replace a diesel generator, supporting the power demands of equipment typically found on a construction site. Read more.
SMART BUILDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM HEATS AND LIGHTS OFFICE SPACE AS NEEDED
Buildings account for 90 per cent of the electricity used in Hong Kong, generating over 60 per cent of the territory’s carbon emissions. And two-thirds of these emissions come from the commercial sector. Lighting, air conditioning, refrigeration, and hot water account for just under half of all the energy used in commercial buildings. With three intelligent solutions for building systems management, SaaS platform En-trak helps to reduce emissions and expenditure on heating and lighting, while improving employee comfort. Read more.
NEXT-GENERATION HEARING AIDS INSPIRED BY BRAIN SCIENCE
One of the most common complaints that users have about hearing aids is that they are ‘noisy’ – with a cacophony of background sounds that can become overwhelming. Poorer quality devices are also prone to loud whistling and screeching. To tackle this, Hong Kong-based Incus uses brain-inspired neural network models to separate speech from background noise. This makes speech clearer and easier to understand. At the same time, the device scans the background soundscape, keeping it at a comfortable level. Read more.
Words: Matthew Hempstead
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