I was very impressed serving as a judge in the finals of the Business Case Competition, a new project for the Chamber aimed at helping university students’ creativity blossom. I was particularly encouraged by the standard of all the finalists, who delivered their pitches very professionally.

We teamed up with Agorize to run the competition, which consisted of four “tracks” – themed projects sponsored by our members CLP Power, Great Eagle Group, LVMH Fashion Group and Sino Group to tackle issues of sustainability. The response was even better than we were hoping for, with some 960 students forming more than 300 teams. A multi-stage voting and assessment process whittled those down to 12 teams, who pitched their projects to the final judging panel at the Chamber in front of 200 people.

Some of the proposals were highly inventive while others were more grounded, but all were backed up with a tremendous amount of research into the technology, market needs and financing issues involved. 

What really impressed me was how these young people responded during the Q&A session. The judges did not hold back questioning the details of their schemes, but the students remained unruffled as they answered the questions.

My fellow judges from the sponsor companies and I had a lot to debate following the pitching session, and it was difficult to come to a final decision. So I’d like to share my congratulations not only with the four winning teams, but all of the finalists. 

The Business Case Competition could not have happened without our sponsors, who ensured that this was a meaningful project for the participants. The competition included a mentoring stage, where company representatives took time to help the teams refine their ideas. Some of the students also had the opportunity to do on-site visits, which they really appreciated. 

We can also thank our member companies for their generous prizes. The 12 finalists were all rewarded for their efforts, with overseas trips being part of the prize for the four winning teams. 

What I also found encouraging was that the corporate sponsors took the solutions proposed by the students very seriously. The competition is a great opportunity for young people to experience corporate life. But it also gives companies an insight into the mindset of the younger generation, and shows that the students’ ideas are worth paying attention to. 

We were delighted by the success of our first Business Case Competition, and plan to run it again next year. We look forward to seeing many more inspiring ideas from the business leaders of the future! 

Shirley Yuen
[email protected]