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For its 12th edition, the HKTDC Entrepreneur-Day is themed as ‘Revive, Redefine’ as it supports start-ups to redefine business rules with disruptive and innovative ideas, and to break through and revive from the ever-changing business ecosystem.
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In the prevailing age of digital economy, disruptive innovation is seen as the key to creating new markets based on a different set of values. With corporate innovation continually shaping new business models, established enterprises have come to acknowledge the need to incorporate technology for sustainable growth. Nevertheless, the scale of large corporations is not inducive to flexibility that enables them to get in sync with market demands. By enlisting the help of start-ups, corporations remain innovative, while start-ups can, in turn, leverage the corporation's financial resources and network to propel their development, resulting in a win-win solution.
Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), this year’s HKTDC Entrepreneur-Day (E-Day) will be broadcast online on 16 and 17 July 2020 in view of the current coronavirus epidemic. Under the theme of ‘Revive, Redefine’, the two-day event will bring together more than 30 speakers, highlighting the practical and inspirational aspects of start-ups that help to ensure the survival, growth, transformation and sustainability of the current business ecosystem in the face of significant changes and challenges. HKTDC will also arrange online meetings between start-ups and investors, and announce relevant details of the exhibition arrangement in due course.
Opening a world of opportunities
Notably, the newly-launched Enterprise Connect series, featuring established corporations like Explorium Hong Kong, Arup, and Epson, will showcase how enterprises can join hands with start-ups to create shared value and revive businesses across different industrial sectors. The series offers unparalleled opportunities – including speaker conference, networking sessions and entrepreneurial programme matching – for corporations and start-ups to connect and explore potential collaboration. There will also be business matching activities for start-ups to meet with potential investors and mentors in gaining entrepreneurial funding and advice.
The series will see The Fung Holdings Limited – a leading business corporation specializing in the global supply chain management of consumer goods – introducing the group's innovation hub Explorium Hong Kong, whose model is to ‘Grow Through Collaboration’. In the speaker sessions, Marco Chen, Programs and Partnerships of Explorium Hong Kong, AJ Mak, CEO & Founder of Chain of Demand, and Charles Lo, Founder of Taison Digital Ltd, will share how enterprises and start-ups can grow through collaboration, and how different divisions of the group co-innovate with start-ups.
Another participating enterprise is the British consultancy firm Arup with decades of experience in engineering and urban planning. The ‘Enterprise Connect’ series has invited Dr Macy Zhang, Assistant Manager (Ventures) of Arup, and Dr Ricky Tsui, Director of R&D of Arup, to talk about creating shared value through working with startups. Dr Abraham Lam, Co-Founder and CEO of Mega Automation, will also share how Arup applies his company’s scientific research in their business.
Seiko Epson Group of Japan will also be joining the series. A corporation that leverages technology to generate value in visual innovation, Epson has set up the Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) subsidiary this April to provide investment and growth support for startups. The speaker Konakajima Yohei, Senior Manager of Epson Hong Kong Limited and a core member of Epson’s CVC initiative, is responsible for leading the collaboration with startups in China and other Asian regions, and helping the company to stay abreast of the innovation landscape.
A convergence of start-up intelligence
E-Day serves as a one-stop platform for start-ups to get inspired, seek funding, source talents and build connections; and for investors to discover innovative new products and services. Aside from the headline ‘Enterprise Connect’ series, there will be over 20 core activities, including insightful start-up forum comprising a plenary session, thematic talks, sharing sessions and pitching events.
Among the formidable lineup of speakers, renowned Swiss futurist Gerd Leonhard, CEO of The Futures Agency, will enlighten audiences on emerging issues in the post-COVID-19 era in a seminar titled ‘T-Chat – Futurizing Your Business: Renaissance from the Age of Digitalisation’.
The E-Day 'Plenary session: Revive, Redefine', will feature William Ip, Managing Director of Carousell Hong Kong, and Crystal Pang, Co-Founder of Pickupp. Together they will discuss how the two start-ups are helping to redefine their respective industries through pioneering ideas.
The seminar titled ‘From Crisis to Chances: Unleashing Opportunities in Challenging Times’, on the other hand, will examine how entrepreneurs are able to turn challenging situations into new opportunities, thus highlighting Hong Kong’s achievements in innovation, technology and research.
Event details
Dates: 16 – 17 July 2020
Registration: https://bit.ly/38ZDHDy
