Chinachem Group and HKSTP Select 10 Tech Ventures in Pilot-first Accelerator to Test Drive Proptech Innovations at Central Market

�CCG Accel – Powered by HKSTP” is a pioneering programme to help tech ventures close the critical gap between innovation and commercialisation and advance smart property and retail operations in Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 9 September 2021 – Chinachem Group (the Group) and Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) took another step forward in its pioneering pilot-first accelerator programme today by announcing the first cohort of 10 selected tech ventures who will test and develop ‘proptech’ innovation at the revitalised Central Market.

 

Chinachem Group Executive Director and CEO Donald Choi (7^th from right), Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation CEO Albert Wong (7^th from left), Chinachem Group Director of Business Transformation and Innovation Damien Wu (6^th from right) and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation Chief Corporate Development Officer Eugene Hsia (6^th from left) welcomed the representatives from the 10 selected tech ventures. 

 

The “CCG Accel – Powered by HKSTP” accelerator provides the shortlisted tech ventures with the exclusive opportunity to develop pilot solutions in collaboration with Chinachem Group to ensure they can deliver market-ready solutions prior to general adoption.

 

This pioneering “pilot-first” approach allows tech ventures to install and test solutions in a real market environment even at concept stage. This is a huge advantage and accelerates the product development process, while closing the critical gap between ideation and commercialisation which halts many early-stage ventures. The process allows tech ventures to collect valuable data and instant user feedback so that they can strengthen the opportunities for adoption.

 

Cohort 1 participants will focus on proptech-related solutions that address property-based challenges at Central Market in the areas of visitor experience, environment and sustainability, as well as operation and facility management. Pilot testing will take place from September to December 2021, with a final demo day in January 2022 when all participating tech ventures will showcase their solutions. By collecting real-life data through trials at Central Market, the final winning innovations may be adopted within Central Market itself and help revitalise the 82-year-old building into a 21^st century marketplace blending old and new.

 

Donald Choi, Executive Director and CEO, Chinachem Group, said: “Chinachem Group is excited to be working with HKSTP to support high-potential tech ventures and their innovations that can make Hong Kong a better place to live, work and play for our future generations. The Group’s expertise and wide portfolio of commercial properties provide the ideal testing and development opportunities for innovation to thrive. We believe this can accelerate smart city development in Hong Kong and benefit people, prosperity and planet.”

 

Albert Wong, CEO, HKSTP said: “This unique pioneering partnership with Chinachem Group is a continued extension of the HKSTP I&T ecosystem to new locations in Hong Kong and will help innovators fast-track their ground-breaking ideas into fully-tested solutions ready for market adoption. We constantly seek new ways to smooth tech ventures’ path to success and this programme will spur more successful innovation while also propelling Hong Kong’s smart city vision with smart property and retail solutions.”

 

The existing Central Market building was an epoch-making piece of architecture when built 80 years ago. Its spirit of innovation lives on in the revitalised market through initiatives including support for high-potential local tech ventures through a pilot-to-mass adoption process and promotion of STEAM learning to nurture the creative thinking of the next generation.

 

Featuring a series of three themed cohorts, the “CCG Accel – Powered by HKSTP” accelerator will use designated Chinachem Group properties as a testing stage in each cohort as the innovators are tasked to solve property-based challenges. CCG will also assign mentors to each programme participant and provide industry insight and knowledge to refine their solution with the participating tech ventures.

 

HKSTP will also facilitate a programme of training sessions during the pilot period to equip the selected tech ventures with diverse technology and business skills. The tech ventures will benefit from direct access to HKSTP’s extensive ecosystem and value-added services.

 

This new model of partnership helps visualise the effectiveness of the property-specific solutions more easily, while end users can gain immediate benefits from the innovations. Successful innovations from the accelerator may also be selected for further adoption and investment by the Group.

 

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Appendix

List of tech ventures shortlisted for the first cohort of the “CCG Accel – Powered by HKSTP” accelerator programme

 

Tech Ventures	Solutions
Apicem Technology Services Company Limited (ATS)	ATS provides a smart air purifying system that prevents cross air contamination and keeps air quality high. It uses a high voltage direct current air purifying system with a patented metal foam material with fully automated monitoring in a totally green device. Using this keeps buildings up to sustainability standards and air quality high for better health and productivity. It will be installed at Central Market to give a safe and comfortable indoor environment for people.
Dayta AI Limited	Dayta.ai provides a real-time plug and play solution that collects visitor data in shopping malls, retail outlets and exhibitions. It is an all-in-one service which integrates with existing cameras and provides data analysis and visualisation of visitors. Dayta.ai will help address market needs in Central Market via its building management services platform and provide performance indicators to continuously perfect operation quality. Using this platform, management staff can learn more about its frequent customers and market demographic, and tailor more caring experiences for visitors using real data.
i2Cool Limited	i2Cool invented a passive radiative cooling paint (patented in Hong Kong) that can achieve an electricity-free and refrigerant-free self-cooling effect. By applying this paint on the roof or external walls of buildings, the indoor air temperature can be decreased, saving the energy usage of air-conditioning systems and reducing carbon emission. Apart from that, adopting this technology would cut down both running and installation costs of cooling equipment and reduce the amount of maintenance needed. At the same time, by reducing the amount of equipment, more space can be freed up for other amenities. The cooling paint developed by i2Cool will be tested in the Central Market and make it a place to CHILL.
Megasoft Limited	Megasoft provides real-time temperature monitoring and track & trace solutions for the F & B industry, where food management, cooking safety, and food delivery are primary concerns. To ensure that these primary concerns are fully addressed by food stalls, restaurants, central kitchens, or even processing centers, our solutions have been developed to preserve food safety during transportation, assuring the temperatures of several food types across multiple outlets can be instantly tracked. The ultimate result would be a safer kitchen and a more satisfying experience for diners in the Central Market.
Negawatt Utility Limited	Negawatt has established an Anti-COVID Management Solution and implemented Negawatt Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) solution on-site, with the control capability to high-quality air disinfection system. Multiple Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Sensors and people count devices are deployed at Central Market and continuously collecting IEQ data. Based on the activities of the site and immediate IEQ data , Negawatt A.I. calculates the Risk Factor on indoor environmental safety. With reference to different Risk Value, Negawatt A.I. is capable to activate the air-disinfection system installed at Central Market, providing a safe & immunised indoor environment for visitors.
Novelte Robotics Limited	Novelte Robotics’s Heritage corner guiding robot gives a futuristic and interactive experience for visitors wanting to learn more about the site. This robot is fully automated, increasing the appeal of the area with its personalised service which decreasing staff workload. It also adds to the customer’s experience while visiting to be able to enjoy a unique heritage tour at Central Market.
Optical Sensing Limited	Optical Sensing specialises in fibre optic sensing monitoring system development and installation to achieve digital transformation in building and facility management. The system uses optical fibre cables as tools and installed in targeted facilities such as air conditioning system, water and sewer pipes and power network. Optical fibre cables can collect data from difficult to reach pipelines to understand their condition. This provides predictive monitoring to prevent public areas of Central Market from being closed off, giving a better service to visitors.
Rice Robotics Limited	Rice Robotics’ Portal robot is an unmanned, autonomous robot that guides customers during the day and patrols for security at night. It is fully integrated to elevators and gates, and seemingly becomes part of a building’s day to day operation. It increases shopping outlets appeal with its futuristic functions, alleviates staff workload from repetitious and tedious tasks and gives a unique and enhanced visitors experience.
RV Automation Technology Company Limited	RV Automation strives to create people-centric robots and its patrol and food tray collection robot aims to help enhance operational efficiency, reduce labour costs, and ensure consistent performance. Using this robot not only increases the appeal of the site, but also significantly reduces staff workload from menial tasks while giving visitors something interesting to experience.
Tech Hill Limited	Tech Hill Limited’s 3D multiple radar array bird deterrent is a product that protects buildings from damage and reduce maintenance from hard-to-read areas. It protects the historical and valuable building and rooftop of Central Market from unexpected damage and provides a smooth, comfortable and worry-free experience for visitors.

About Chinachem Group

Since 1960, Chinachem Group has been a leading property developer in Hong Kong, with a portfolio covering residential, commercial, retail and industrial buildings for sales and investment, in addition to operating hotels and property management services. The Group actively seeks to make a positive contribution to society through its adherence to the “Triple Bottom Line”, a commitment that its activities will benefit People, bring Prosperity to the community and preserve the Planet.

About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Comprising Science Park, InnoCentre and Industrial Estates, Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is a statutory body dedicated to building a vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem to connect stakeholders, nurture technology talents, facilitate collaboration, and catalyse innovations to deliver social and economic benefits to Hong Kong and the region.

Established in May 2001, HKSTP has been driving the development of Hong Kong into a regional hub for innovation and growth in several focused clusters including Electronics, Information & Communications Technology, Green Technology, Biomedical Technology, Materials and Precision Engineering. We enable science and technology companies to nurture ideas, innovate and grow, supported by our R&D facilities, infrastructure, and market-led laboratories and technical centres with professional support services. We also offer value added services and comprehensive incubation programmes for technology startups to accelerate their growth.

Technology businesses benefit from our specialised services and infrastructure at Science Park for applied research and product development; enterprises can find creative design support at InnoCentre; while skill-intensive businesses are served by our three industrial estates at Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long.

More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org.

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