Gerontech Incubation Lab-cum-Design Competition
The Lingnan University Jockey Club Gerontechnology and Smart Ageing in Place Project Team held their Gerontech Incubation Lab-cum-Design Competition on 19 October 2024 at M+ Tower of the West Kowloon Cultural District. Student teams participated, and the many guests’ support and attendance ensured the event's success.
The competition aimed to increase understanding of gerontech design, raise public awareness of products for the silver market, and assist the elderly with cognitive impairments. To explain the themes, the team conducted three workshops describing ageing issues and related technologies in October, whose topics were Understanding Dementia, Innovative 3D Printing, and Patent Application.
On the day of the competition, six teams from Lingnan University and the supporting organisation, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, competed for the top three design awards. Each team displayed innovative designs, demonstrating the boundless creativity and potential of young people.
Dr Chloe Siu, Project Manager of the Jockey Club Gerontechnology and Smart Ageing in Place Project and Senior Lecturer from the Institute of Policy Studies and School of Graduate Studies at Lingnan University, said “This event is different from typical gerontech innovation competitions. We recruited students from various disciplines, including undergraduates, master programme students, PhD students, and graduates. They were able to leverage their expertise and experiences to design gerontech products suitable for the elderly. Our goal through this competition is to encourage young people to channel their enthusiasm and bring their creative ideas to life.” The latest Policy Address encourages boosting the silver economy with new products and services, and Dr Siu also hopes that this event will help students gain a deeper understanding of the goods, values, and services, and also design for the elders.
The judges, Ms Bikie Wong, Chairman, CEO, and Executive Director of Grand Brilliance Group Holdings Limited; Mr Tim Tiu, Head of Service, True Light Villa District Elderly Community Centre, Shun on District Elderly Community Centre, Christian Family Service Centre; Ms Holy Lam, Manager, Engagement, Institute for Translational Research (Biomedical Technologies), Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation; and Ir Dr George Ho, Associate Professor, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, provided professional evaluations and valuable feedback on the students' work, and expressed their hopes for more similar competitions in the future to promote the development of gerontech. Lingnan’s Gerontech Ambassadors were present, supporting the event and encouraging young people to get more creative and to promote intergenerational harmony, greatly enhancing the competition.
