Applicants showcase innovative ideas to support the growth of Ngong Ping 360 at the PolyU SPEED Best Innovation Awards 2016

Organised by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University-affiliated School of Professional Education and Executive Development (PolyU SPEED), the Best Innovation Awards (BIA) marked its 10th anniversary by challenging the creative potential of the contestants through a real case. The competing teams of this year’s BIA were required to develop an innovative strategy for Ngong Ping 360, which also celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2016, to turn it into a must-visit spot for tourists.

PolyU SPEED BIA 2016 provides a platform for associate degree and higher diploma students from different higher educational institutions in Hong Kong to apply their knowledge and creativity to real world scenarios.

This year, 66 teams of sub-degree students from eight local tertiary institutions joined the contest. After reviewing all the proposals, three teams were selected to give the final presentation at PolyU Chiang Chen Studio Theatre on 16 April 2016. The three finalist teams racked their brains to present the proposal before the judging panel, with some performing martial arts while others displaying traditional food to impress the audience. 

With an emphasis on the unique blend of versatile performing arts and the natural environment surrounding Ngong Ping Village, the Creativengong team from Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education of The Open University of Hong Kong took home the Gold Award. The team UNBELIEVABLE SCs from the School of Continuing and Professional Studies of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the team Triangle 360 from the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Tsing Yi) received the Silver and Bronze Awards respectively. The students from the Hong Kong Community College of PolyU also achieved respectable results by winning five prizes out of all the 13 awards.

The Gold, Silver and Bronze Award winners were rewarded not only with cash prize but also scholarships for studying the top-up bachelor’s honours degree programmes leading to PolyU-SPEED award. Another 10 awards sponsored by Ngong Ping 360, Shih Wing Ching Foundation, MTR, Towngas, The Chartered Institute of Marketing, csl and Job Market were also presented.

Innovation Breeds Success

“The main purpose of hosting this BIA event is to encourage tertiary students to apply what they’ve learned in class and their unconventional creativity to solve real world problems,” said Dr Jack Lo, PolyU SPEED Director. While the participants are studying associate degree or higher diploma programmes, Dr Lo was pleased to note that the standards of their proposals are comparable to those studying University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded bachelor’s degree programmes.

Dr Lo said that the mission of self-financing tertiary institutions is to provide an alternative pathway for students to complete their degree education. He emphasised that a degree is just a basic requirement in the contemporary job market. Students must keep updating their knowledge in order to catch up with the trends in different sectors. Diligence is also essential to the prospects of the younger generation.

Dr Lo shared the success story of movie director Mr Raman Hui to encourage the students who encountered setbacks in the public examinations. When Mr Hui was still a student, he could not advance to the UGC-funded bachelor’s degree programme due to his unsatisfactory examination results. He was admitted by the Hong Kong Polytechnic (predecessor of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) and studied a graphic design higher diploma programme. After graduation, he got a chance to embark on his animation career in Hollywood and became famous through the Shrek animated film series. Recently, he won the Best New Director at The Hong Kong Film Academy Awards with his movie Monster Hunt.
 

Innovative thinking is highly crucial in the business world

Dr Lo highlighted the differences between “invention” and “innovation”. “In Hong Kong, inventions are not common but innovative ideas have always been flourishing in the business world,” he said. “However, the fact that Hong Kong’s recent downward slide in the ranking on the Global Innovation Index should not be neglected.” He also encouraged students to think out of the box with reference to a quote by Mr. Steve Jobs, “Innovation has nothing to do with how many R & D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R & D. It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it.”

As the representative of the BIA 2016 partner organisation and chairperson of the judging panel, Dr Stella Kwan, Managing Director of Ngong Ping 360, said that she was indeed “touched” by the students’ performance. “All of the award-winning teams are of high quality,” she added. “The presentations of the three finalist teams were particularly impressive.” She also remarked that the students’ proposals were creative. Although the practicality of the ideas could have been further enhanced, it showed that the students were able to think out of the box. It also demonstrated that they dare to be innovative and do not fear failure. She encouraged students that by gaining some work experience, they would be able to turn their creative ideas into reality.

The following is the full list of winners of BIA 2016: