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Organised by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Alumni Torch Fund, the CUHK Entrepreneur Day 2023 is taking place today and tomorrow (22 and 23 September) at CUHK’s Yasumoto International Academic Park. This annual event, held for the ninth consecutive year, is committed to building an effective communication platform for alumni, teachers, students, representatives of industry and investors who are interested in starting or have started businesses. It is packed with a wide range of exciting programmes, including entrepreneurship exhibitions, an interactive display zone for entrepreneurial projects, and masterclasses in entrepreneurship. One-on-one business consulting, first launched last year and well received by participants, returns this year, allowing teachers, students and alumni to pass on their entrepreneurship experiences and inspire each other. At the same time, they are showcasing their novel innovations and technology projects to the public.

At the grand opening ceremony and keynote speech this morning, the officiating guests were Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Jenny Koo, Assistant Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, and Professor Anthony Chan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of CUHK. Alumna Ms Cally Chan, General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong and Macau, delivered a keynote speech on artificial intelligence and its impact on everyday life.

Professor Sun Dong said that the Government has done a great deal to promote the development of innovation and technology (I&T) in Hong Kong. It is committed to facilitating the development of I&T infrastructure, pooling talents, and promoting research and development (R&D), as well as knowledge transfer. In order to enhance the I&T ecosystem and promote the “1 to N” transformation of R&D outcomes, the Government is launching the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme, which aims to encourage industry-academia-research collaboration by providing funding support, on a matching basis, to research teams from local universities that have good potential to become start-ups and commercialise outstanding research deliverables. He said that the Government will continue to work with stakeholders including tertiary institutions to enhance collaboration in education, technology and human resources, in order to open up more development of I&T in Hong Kong. He added that he hopes young entrepreneurs will keep moving forward and be steadfast and courageous in pursuing their dreams.

In his welcome speech, Professor Anthony Chan said that the CUHK Entrepreneur Day has successfully connected alumni of different generations, passing down experience and carrying on the fine tradition of mutual support and encouragement among CUHK members. He said that CUHK is committed to fostering scientific research and innovative development, cultivating I&T talents and collaborating with partners in different fields. To proactively integrate into the overall development of the country, he added, CUHK has established the CUHK Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Research Institute (Futian), Beijing Centre, Shanghai Centre and other centres this year, hoping to contribute to the national development of innovation and technology, and promote all-round cooperation.

Exhibition of over 100 alumni’s start-up achievements, including successful unicorns

The two-day event gathers more than 100 CUHK alumni, teachers and students, who have formed 44 teams to showcase their start-ups in exhibitions covering artificial intelligence, biomedical technology, the Internet of Things and social innovation education. Two iconic CUHK unicorn companies, SenseTime and SmartMore, are showcasing their high-tech products, allowing participants to experience the advanced inventions first-hand. SenseTime will exhibit the SenseNova, an artificial intelligence product with language processing, content generation and other technologies. SmartMore will exhibit the SMore ViMo series, which covers industrial intelligent clouds, deep learning training software, machine vision software and other industrial products, and the SMore AIoT industrial internet platform, which empowers manufacturing enterprises to create a new generation of intelligent factories.

The first joint activity between Shanghai and Hong Kong

The second day of Entrepreneur Day will include the first Shanghai-Hong Kong joint event with the Shanghai Alumni Association, allowing participants on the CUHK campus and at the Shanghai Centre to interact. Industry leaders from Hong Kong and Shanghai will introduce the two cities’ entrepreneurial atmospheres, support facilities, financial assistance and other policies. They will also share valuable experience of how Hong Kong companies can enter the mainland and international markets.

For more information about the CUHK Entrepreneur Day 2023, please visit  https://www.alumni.cuhk.edu.hk/cuhkeday/.