Mrs Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive, attended a reception at the Central Government Offices on June 4, to commend the Hong Kong delegation on their award-winning inventions shown at the 46th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva (the Exhibition), before taking a tour of the exhibits. Also in attendance were Mr Reto Renggli, the Consul-General of Switzerland to Hong Kong and Macau, Mr Paul Chan, Financial Secretary, and Mr Nicholas Yang, the Secretary for Innovation and Technology.

This year over 800 exhibitors from 40 countries attended the Exhibition and their projects were graded by an expert international jury panel, the members of which all stand as icons for innovation and quality. The Hong Kong delegation comprised 12 companies based in the Hong Kong Science Park, two innovation and technology federations, and various research institutes and universities, making 98 projects involved in the Exhibition this year receive over 100 commendations, including a Grand Prize, 5 special prizes, 25 gold medals with the congratulations of the jury, 48 gold medals and 25 silver medals.

The following five projects are the winners of the Grand Prize and special prizes:

• Grand Prix of the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva and Prize of the Legal Company “Gorodissky & Partners” – Russia:
  The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) – Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) Spectacle Lens for Myopia Control
• Prize of Patent Office of Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf - GCCPO:
  The University of Hong Kong (HKU) – Passive LED Power Driver: A Smart and Environmentally-friendly Street Lighting Technology
• King Abdulaziz University Special Awards for Innovation:
  Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI) – Super HEPA-grade Media to Filter PM2.5, Neutralise VOC and Kill Bacteria
• Special Prize from the National Research Council of Thailand:
  Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) – AI-based Production Order Prediction Algorithm for Fashion Colour
• Prize of the Romanian Delegation of the Exhibition:
  Marvel Digital Limited – Advanced Image Rendering Algorithms for Autostereoscopic 3D Display

Mrs Carrie Lam said that the many accolades won by Hong Kong delegation this year have given local inventors significant recognition and have also proved to the world that Hong Kong is a force with strong capabilities in research and development. Additionally, these research results also have great potential to provide significant social and economic benefits for Hong Kong’s future development.