InnoCarnival 2023: A fun-filled festival celebrating Hong Kong’s innovation and technology accomplishments

InnoCarnival 2023, organised by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, will be held from October 28 to November 5 at the Hong Kong Science Park. Showcasing Hong Kong’s outstanding achievements and latest developments in innovation and technology (I&T), this year’s Carnival is also in support of the “Happy Hong Kong” campaign. Themed “Go Smart! Go Tech! Go Green!”, the Carnival will feature exhibits of cutting-edge local inventions and research, workshops, interactive games and webinars. Members of the public are welcome to join the Carnival free of charge.

Propelling Hong Kong’s I&T

The Innovation and Technology Commission has been steadfast in fostering the culture of I&T within the community, promoting technological development and nurturing talents to support the I&T industry, said Mr Ivan Lee, the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, in a press preview for InnoCarnival 2023.

Mr Lee hoped that the Carnival would enrich young people’s understanding in science, technology and innovations, and cultivate their interest in joining the field.

Echoing the HKSAR Government’s sharing joy with citizens, the Carnival is one of the many events supporting the “Happy Hong Kong” campaign. Mr Lee encouraged all citizens, especially young people, to come to the wonderful event, as it offers a fun and engaging way to learn about the exciting I&T that are shaping our future.

This year’s event receives strong support from over 50 programme partners, including universities, research centres, government departments, and other organisations. The Carnival will showcase innovations and research breakthroughs that embody “Hong Kong’s own creations” at about 40 booths at the Hong Kong Science Park.

Creativity and discovery awaits

Under the theme of “Go Smart! Go Tech! Go Green!”, the Carnival features around 150 hands-on workshops covering a fascinating array of hot topics such as 3D printing, robotics, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and more. Young attendees will be thrilled to learn skills like using a 3D printer to create an airplane model, or building a robotic elephant.

Enlightening on how I&T impacts our everyday lives, around 35 inspiring webinars will be given by experts on subjects ranging from digitalisation and FinTech to sustainability and air quality. For those wishing to learn from the comfort of their own homes, all webinars will be streamed online.

A highlight this year is the return of the beloved cartoon icon, The Great Detective Sherlock Holmes, who will show its continued support for the event. Families can visit innocarnival.hk to download a variety of promotional materials, including IC 2023 x The Great Detective WhatsApp stickers, e-books, and DIY InnoTech kits. All for free!

With its diverse programme, InnoCarnival 2023 is poised to ignite passion for science and technology in people of all ages.

At the press preview, representatives from the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), and The Chinese Foundation Secondary School introduced the innovations featured in their exhibits at this year’s Carnival.

CityU

CityU developed an innovative Smart Sponge that can selectively absorb up to 12 to 15 times its weight in oil. Made from sustainable materials like wood, the Smart Sponge is a versatile filtering solution for aquaculture farms, household grease cleaning and oil spill remediation in both marine and freshwater environments. Real-world testing at a local crayfish farm demonstrated it can reduce cleaning costs by over 20% while boosting crayfish life expectancy by more than 30%.

ASTRI

ASTRI’s innovative 5G Cloud Robotics System leverages powerful technologies like 5G, cloud computing and artificial intelligence to enable real-time control and communication between robots and the cloud infrastructure. This advanced platform allows robots to autonomously perform complex tasks with precision using split-second data exchange over ultra-fast 5G networks. Ideal for industries such as manufacturing and logistics, it enhances efficiency while reducing human intervention and risk.

The Chinese Foundation Secondary School

Seeking to promote sustainability, students at The Chinese Foundation Secondary School embarked on a project to upcycle abandoned beehives by collecting discarded honeycombs. Through experimentation, they developed a groundbreaking technique of melting down beeswax to produce 3D printing filament as an environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic. By extracting beeswax and optimising it with natural additives like rosin and ground soybean, their innovation showed potential for creating long filaments suitable for 3D pens from the recycled material.

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InnoCarnival 2023

Organiser: Innovation and Technology Commission
Campaign partners: Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups & Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Date/time: October 28 to November 5, 2023 (Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm; Sat and Sun, 10am to 6pm)
Venue: Hong Kong Science Park, Sha Tin (Free shuttle bus services between the venue and University / Tai Wai MTR stations available throughout the event. Additional free shuttle bus services between the venue and Admiralty / Kowloon Tong MTR stations available on Saturdays and Sundays. Details can be found on the website.)
Website: innocarnival.hk
Tel: 2561 6149 (Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups)

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