Seven companies received top prizes for their outstanding achievements at the 2017 Hong Kong Awards for Industries on 18 December.
Black & Veatch Hong Kong took home the Grand Award in the Innovation and Creativity category, organized by HKGCC, in recognition of the engineering company’s groundbreaking work in some of the city’s crucial infrastructure projects.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she was delighted to see the use of innovation and technology by the winning companies across all seven categories.
“The winners of the awards this year reinforce my belief that Hong Kong has a lot of potential to excel in innovation and technology, and in the creative industries,” Lam said. “The Government will ensure that resources and measures are in place to help Hong Kong realise its potential.”
In the Innovation and Creativity category, the HKGCC Judging Panel and Assessment Team scrutinized 40 entries to come up with the nominations for the Final Judging Panel, chaired by Professor Joseph J Y Sung, to consider.
“Competitiveness hinges on the capability of embracing innovation and creativity. Hong Kong enterprises must uphold their innovative and creative strengths to stay ahead and open up new opportunities,” said Chamber Chairman Stephen Ng. “This year’s winners have demonstrated a strong culture of innovation, and I trust their success stories will inspire others to emulate them.”
The U.S.-based Black and Veatch has been operating in Hong Kong since 1930 and has been involved in developing all of the city’s impounding reservoirs and many other major water infrastructure projects.
Other companies recognized in the Innovation and Creativity category represent industries ranging from fashion to security, engineering to technology, highlighting the breadth of innovative thinking in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Awards for Industries is the city’s premier business awards scheme and is championed by the HKSAR Government. Sixty-seven winners were honoured from a total of 233 entries in seven categories: Consumer Product Design, Equipment and Machinery Design, Customer Service, Innovation and Creativity, Productivity and Quality, Technological Achievement, and Upgrading and Transformation.
Grand Award winner Black & Veatch, Hong Kong
A Reservoir of Innovation
With its practical application of creative ideas, engineering firm Black & Veatch builds a foundation that Hong Kong can rely on
Without the work of Black & Veatch, Hong Kong would likely suffer from the twin plagues of drought and flooding.
The engineering company won the Grand Award in the Innovation and Creativity category at the Hong Kong Awards for Industries in December in recognition of its major infrastructure projects, such as the stormwater storage scheme at Happy Valley, that are the bedrock of the city’s smooth running.
Andy Kwok (left), head of water operations in Hong Kong, explained the global company has been a long-term presence in the city: “In Hong Kong, we started operation in 1930. Our first project was the Shing Mun water scheme, which helped to address the drought conditions in Hong Kong at that time.”
Since then, the company has played a major role in the city’s development. “Black & Veatch has grown along with Hong Kong, helping to develop the backbone of Hong Kong’s infrastructure,” he said.
Kwok, an engineer and project leader with many years of experience at the company, also highlighted the city’s first underground service reservoir, built in a cavern on the University of Hong Kong’s campus. Such innovations are particularly important given the densely populated environment.
“The Hong Kong Government would like to move more infrastructure underground, so we can release the land occupied by facilities for other uses, for example, for housing development.”
At the Hong Kong Awards for Industries, Black & Veatch was commended for its work on the Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme.
Under the racecourse is a storage tank with a capacity of 60,000m3 that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse real-time information to temporarily store water during peak times. Using Hong Kong’s first application of a movable crest weir system, it launched operations in 2017.
“In this award-winning project we store sensors in the upstream and downstream of the tanks,” Kwok explained, “which makes it very robust and intelligent. We can control the level of the weir so we can maximize the use of the capacity.”
Commenting on the movable weir system, the HKGCC Judging Panel said: “It overcomes physical constraints by adopting the artificial intelligence system, so that a smaller water tank is able to handle the same volume of stormwater as before.”
The panel also commended the company for setting an example with its corporate culture of innovation.
Besides reservoirs, Black & Veatch is involved in other key water-related projects. Another major undertaking was the replacement and rehabilitation of around 1,000 kilometers of water mains. Today, the company is helping the Water Supplies Department to develop a water intelligence network.
“We have stored a large number of sensors in the network to help identify areas with leakage,” Kwok said, explaining that this is another way that AI is employed in engineering projects.
“We are also helping the government to develop a water recycling system,” he added. “The advanced technology used in those projects helps Hong Kong become a smarter city.”
Indeed, AI-driven development is a key part of the plan to transform Hong Kong into a smart city.
“Climate change and the limited supply of available land puts additional pressure on Hong Kong. We are helping Hong Kong transition to a smarter city through reliable engineering solutions.”
As well as ensuring a stable water supply, Black & Veatch's projects mean that Hong Kong recovers quickly from severe weather, allowing the city to get back to work and citizens to get on with their lives.
“We can see from the typhoons last year – even for the typhoon number 10 – there was not much impact,” Kwok said.
He gives credit to the efforts the Hong Kong Government has made to invest in infrastructure over the years, and adds that the local environment is also improving when it comes to creative thinking.
“I think is a good place for innovation. I would say in recent years the Government is quite open to ideas and innovative solutions. So it has changed a lot.”
Black & Veatch's achievements also show how important creativity is in the industry. “I would say that innovation is a crucial trait of today’s engineer,” Kwok said.
“Hong Kong presents unique challenges to the engineer,” he explained. “It has a lack of space, and is a highly dense area, so we need to tackle these kinds of problems.”
Award winner Clover Group International Limited
The Go!Color technique revolutionizes the traditional dyeing practice as a smarter way to colour garments. Clover Group, a lingerie manufacturer, has nourished an innovative corporate culture through in-house training programmes and study missions. The company has introduced a new solution for sample and small-batch manufacturing to take advantage of the fast-changing trends and growing demand for personalized products. This innovative process should help strengthen the leading position of Hong Kong’s fashion industry in the global market.
– HKGCC Judging Panel
Award winner Dunwell Engineering Company Limited
Dunwell has shown a strong passion for technological excellence in the local environmental industry. Its Membrane BioReactor is a compact system decentralizing municipal wastewater treatment and providing a cost-effective solution to deal with this long-standing issue. It demonstrates a breakthrough in customizing micro bubbles in a small tank setting during the aeration process to provide more oxygen for bacteria growth to remove organic matter. By using solar and IOT technologies to operate and monitor the water treatment and recycling system, organic waste within water bodies is efficiently treated for reuse. The innovative invention possesses a great market potential in overseas markets, particularly for countries along the Belt and Road.
– HKGCC Judging Panel
Award winner LeDo Media Technology Company Limited
The small group of young entrepreneurs at LeDo have successfully demonstrated their ability to put a smart business idea into practice. This is a local innovation that facilitates new economic activity by making use of idle spaces. The company has created a new physical advertising model for precise demographic and geographical market segments. With its services being viable and affordable for SME advertisers, LeDo has opened up a new unexploited market segment and had a significant impact on the advertising industry.
– HKGCC Judging Panel
Award winner Playnote Limited
Playnote focuses on developing innovative products and services for music teachers and students. Scalebook is a typical example of local innovation that makes use of AI technology to develop a sophisticated and practical application. With its strong corporate emphasis on innovation driven by entrepreneurial spirit and musicians’ passion, the company has successfully identified new market opportunities and demonstrated its excellence through music training apps.
– HKGCC Judging Panel
Certificate of Merit
Hong Kong Airlines Limited
Guardforce Ltd