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Laos Public and Private Debt to Cross 100 Percent of GDP by 2022-End

Photo credit: eccil.org

Despite signs of economic recovery in early 2022, Laos faces increased challenges from currency depreciation and high inflation, according to the World Bank’s latest economic update for the country.

HKU Partnership for Sustainability Leadership in Business Hosts Knowledge Primer 4

Reinvent the value chain of the Food and Beverage industry to improve business resilience
Transforming the resource circulation model through collaboration to achieve zero-waste operations

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 21 November 2022 – Stepping into the post-COVID era, Governments and businesses around the world are racing to recover their economy as fast as possible, and there is no room for Hong Kong to lag behind in this race. The latest Policy Address not only emphasises competing for talents but also puts focus on developing emerging industries to encourage innovation and technological advancement and maintain Hong Kong’s competitiveness.

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From left to right:
Mr. Darwin Leung, Assistant Project Manager of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (CCSG) at the University of Hong Kong; Professor Wai-Fung Lam, Director of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (CCSG), and Professor of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong; Dr. Winnie Law, Deputy Director of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance; Ms. Anita Cheng, Executive Committee and Honorary Member of Hong Kong Chefs Association; Ms. Nadine Maurellet, General Manager of Business Diversification and Group General Counsel for The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited; Professor Simon Wong, BBS, JP, Chairperson and CEO of LH Group; Mr. Patrick Ho, Deputy Head of Sustainable Development of Swire Properties Limited, and Mr. Woody Chan, Senior CSR & Sustainability Manager of foodpanda

Among all, the circular economy is an uprising trend across the globe, not only is it a regenerative approach to production and consumption that encourages creative solutions from industries, but many also suggest that it would create economic value. Supported by The Hongkong Bank Foundation, the Partnership for Sustainability Leadership in Business (PSLB) project under the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (CCSG) at The University of Hong Kong organised the 4th Knowledge Primer (KP) on November 17, with the theme ‘Collaboration for Driving Circular Economy in the Food & Beverage Industry’ to delve into the potential of circular economy in the F&B industry, which is named one of the most wasteful industries in Hong Kong with respect to the amount of food waste produced and single-use plastic food and drink containers handed out by local F&B businesses every day.

The event gathered more than 120 industry leaders to explore the implementation status quo and shed light on the hurdles encountered by different stakeholders. Instead of working in silos, this KP underscored the importance of the collective effort to drive systemic change and align with the Government’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Thematic speeches on sustainable development facilitate cross-sectoral discussions and expound on academic research and business cases

As keynote speakers, Dr. Winnie Law, Deputy Director of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance, and Ms. Nadine Maurellet, General Manager of Business Diversification and Group General Counsel for The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, delivered speeches on “Circularity for Sustainability and Business Resilience” and “Leveraging on Strengths and Creating Shared Value with Our Partners: Learnings from The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited” respectively. Dr. Winnie Law believed that resource circularity was not confined to waste management. The purpose of the circular economy was envisioned to decouple economic development from the consumption of finite resources. By transforming the current “take-make-use-dispose” model into a regenerative system, waste could be reintroduced into the production process and converted into resources, which is conducive to the restoration and prosperity of nature. In addition, incorporating circularity into business strategies could unleash economic potentials , such as facilitating the development of eco-products, and forging innovative and diverse workforces, etc. – all of which can pave the way to create resource-efficient, inclusive, and climate-resilient economic models.

Proactiveness and collaborative efforts are the driving force for creating internal systemic change

Despite the unprecedented challenges in the past years for the hospitality industry, Ms. Nadine Maurellet, General Manager of Business Diversification and Group General Counsel for The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, shed light on how the global enterprise puts their Sustainable Luxury Vision 2030 in place, by sharing two case studies on upcycling their food waste with the Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Save Our Shells project and Textile Upcycling initiative run within their operation. Through the projects, they were able to reduce environmental impact while creating social value. Three keys to success were highlighted. Sustainability issues are interconnected, it is important to start with one key issue to address and then continue to improve the initial idea by connecting more dots to see the extent to which impact can be scaled. Being able to work out the business plan on costs, financial and sustainability impact early on whilst finding resources from investors, governments and peers can ensure the long-term sustainability of projects. In the end, one needs to take action – piloting the idea with subject matter experts and partners and staying humble to deliver results are important driving forces to create internal and systemic change.

Industry leaders recount the obstacles, all circles must work together to deploy a holistic plan

The F&B industry is essentially a web of interconnectedness between different stakeholders. Complicated as it seems, that also implies many possibilities for collaboration. The dialogue with the industry leaders serves the purpose of breaking the silos by inviting representatives along the F&B industry value chain, from front-line staff and local F&B chain restaurants to large-scale property management and consumer service app.

During the dialogue with industry leaders, Professor Simon Wong, BBS, JP, Chairperson and CEO of LH Group, and Mr. Woody Chan, Senior CSR & Sustainability Manager of foodpanda, made an analysis of the obstacles and pain points in the implementation of resource circularity from their respective experiences. Common hurdles faced by businesses include: companies lack expertise in business model innovation and developing circular strategies; and another difficulty that resonated with the attendees was that the less resourceful small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the F&B sector often lack the time, trained manpower and financial resources to operationalise circular practices and that more support from the government and the industry is needed.”

Mr. Patrick Ho, Deputy Head of Sustainable Development of Swire Properties Limited, and Ms. Anita Cheng, Executive Committee and Honorary Member of Hong Kong Chefs Association, further expressed their views on the importance of driving systemic change in the industry. They believed that formulating clear and actionable circularity goals, increasing R&D investments, incorporating circularity into the menu and kitchen design, adopting smart waste management solutions, and strengthening vocational education (including upskilling and reskilling the workforce skills) were the keys to pushing forward the systemic transformation of the F&B industry to a circular economy. Participants generally agreed that collaboration across the value chains and with different sectors could fuel circular innovation and create synergies through unique and novel business models, which help accelerate the process of circular economy transformation.

PSLB commits to planting a sustainable business ecosystem

Since the launch of “Partnership for Sustainability Leadership in Business” (PSLB), the project has always been devoted to fostering collaborations between large enterprises and SME business partners so that they can create a sound ecosystem to bring about sustainable development. The cohort 2022 of the Sustainable Value Chains (SVC) Commitment and SMEs Sustainability Leadership Recognition Scheme under PSLB officially kicked off this September. With the theme of ‘Circularity and Resilience’ and focus on the Food and Beverage industry, major property developers and F&B conglomerates such as New World Development Company Limited, Sino Group, and Starbucks Asia Pacific are participating in the Schemes along with the SMEs that they nominated to contribute to the design and implementation of a circular economy scheme in their realms. Having hosted capacity-building activities including a series of practical workshops and Idea Jamming sessions, the PSLB project team will continue to work closely with these committed enterprises until June 2023 to bring their innovative ideas of circularity to life.

Professor Wai-Fung Lam, Director of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (CCSG) and Professor of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong, remarked: “More businesses have, encouragingly, set the course for a sustainability transition by formulating longer-term strategies and targets. They have increasingly realised that they are a part of an interconnected system and that stakeholders expect them to take proactive actions in the face of emerging sustainability challenges. In this regard, businesses must go beyond adopting the conventional 4R waste management approach, collaboration is crucial to driving significant changes. This is particularly clear in the case of circularity where different actors in a business’s value chain must come together to close the loop.”

About the Partnership for Sustainability Leadership in Business:

The “Partnership for Sustainability Leadership in Business” (PSLB) is a four-year (2020~2023) project initiated by the Centre for Civil Society and Governance, HKU, and supported by The Hongkong Bank Foundation. The Project is led by Professor Wai-Fung Lam together with a group of sustainability experts. It is aimed at fostering sustainability leadership and collaboration in the business sector of Hong Kong through knowledge transfer, capacity building, and network development; in particular, the Project strives to foster strong partnerships between big corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in pursuit of sustainability. The Project aspires to build a collaborative ecosystem which will enhance the capacity and role of SMEs in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area in attaining sustainable development. More details:

About the Centre for Civil Society and Governance of The University of Hong Kong:

Established in December 2002, the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (the Centre) strives to enhance our knowledge of civil society and its contribution towards good governance, and to facilitate the attainment of a sustainable society through forging community-based, innovative solutions to inform policy deliberation and collective actions. The work of the Centre is organized around three Labs—the Policy for Sustainability Lab (PSL), the Social Entrepreneurship and Civic Action Lab (SECAL), and the Nonprofits and Philanthropy Lab (NPPL); each of them representing a research focus and an area of excellence of the Centre. More details:

Better Life Consultancy improves family or divorce counseling services

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 21 November 2022 – Better Life Consultancy has focused on three key practice areas: family counseling, probate counseling, business counseling, while maintaining a high level of flexibility and enthusiasm as its core values. The advantage of a specialized boutique firm is that it can provide professional, personalized solutions and outstanding service in its core practice areas while focusing on putting the client’s interests first.

There is no denying that despite the recent business instability in Hong Kong and the global environment, BetterLife has made significant progress over the past year by doubling its overall staff and now has four partners. The firm now has 10 staff members and plans to further expand its family and matrimonial counseling even more in the near future.

The Future Vision of Divorce Counseling Services

Daniel Zhang, Business Development Manager, said, “Our practice, especially when it comes to families including premarital preparation counseling (離婚協議書, separation agreements, divorce proceedings (離婚手續) and child arrangement advice (撫養權), provides a one-stop 24-hour free online enquiry service to help clients quickly understand the important issues of divorce. Our team has been developed and familiar with handling Hong Kong divorce counseling, China-Hong Kong divorce cases counseling, alimony, custody, etc. In the future, our company will make full use of technology to make our operations more efficient. Not only software and hardware, but every employee must embrace change and technology, including the use of automated systems to handle divorce matters, manage bills, communicate internally and externally, and handle administrative documents. The company’s vision is to use technology to streamline operational processes and optimize customer relationships.”

Hashtag: #BetterLifeConsultancy

About Better Life Hong Kong Consultancy

Better Life Hong Kong Consultancy is capable of providing efficient services in all areas of alimony, custody, divorce proceedings (), China-Hong Kong divorce, property distribution, etc. With many years of experience in providing solutions and high quality and optimized advice to individuals, families, entrepreneurs and companies in Hong Kong and overseas.

Laos Requires USD 22 Million for its 5th Population and Housing Census

People in Vientiane Capital walk in the night market (Photo: Toun Xayvongsa)

The Ministry of Planning and Investment expects more than LAK 320 billion to execute the fifth Population and Housing Census which will take place in 2025.

Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam Agree to Establish Parliamentary Summit

Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam (CLV) signed a joint statement on Sunday establishing a CLV parliamentary summit, according to a press release issued by the Cambodian National Assembly.

70% of Asia-Pacific businesses see sustainability as important, but less than half say they are committed towards net zero: New Vodafone study

  • Only 24% of APAC businesses agree that they have a well-developed plan to tackle climate change.
  • 74% of APAC businesses reporting higher profits have a formal ESG program in place.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 21 November 2022 – Vodafone Business today released the APAC edition of its annual global study, revealing that APAC businesses see a strong case for sustainability. Additionally, the study also highlights that more needs to be done to account for climate change in business planning to meet net zero targets with technology and collaboration playing a key role.


The annual global study, commissioned by Vodafone Business and conducted by B2B International – Fit for the Future[1] – surveyed 3,101 businesses across 15 countries, including 748 businesses across the APAC region. The study found a gap between businesses’ view of sustainability and actual action being taken:

  • 70% of APAC businesses view sustainability as a necessary or important strategic goal.
  • 1 in 2 businesses in APAC (52%) agree that businesses should focus on preventing climate change.
  • However, less than a quarter (24%) of APAC businesses agree that they have a well-developed plan in place to tackle climate change.
  • Additionally, less than half (41%) say they are committed to moving towards net zero emissions, and only a third (35%) say they are taking action to offset their carbon impact.

Business case for environmentally sustainable practices driven by strong customer and investor demand in APAC

APAC businesses implementing sustainability practices into their business planning are realising significant business benefits from doing so. The study found 74% of businesses reporting higher profits this year, have a formal ESG program in place. This is significantly higher compared to firms that reported lower profits, where less than half (47%) said they have such programs in place.

This is largely due to increased customer and investor interest. Customer demand (50%) emerged as the top factor driving APAC businesses to view ESG as a key competitive differentiator.

More than half (58%) also say that customers and clients are becoming more demanding of the companies they buy from to practise environmental sustainability.

Whilst majority of APAC businesses believe that there is a strong customer demand for sustainability, only about a third (34%) say customers are willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable products and services. This points to how customers expect companies to adopt sustainable practices, without translating into higher costs for them.

Investor demand is also a key driver, with 58% of large enterprises in APAC reporting that their investors are focusing on sustainable businesses.

Tech skills and innovation needed to overcome barriers to sustainability

The report also found that the top three top barriers to sustainability in APAC are:

  1. The lack of maturity of key technologies that will enable sustainability (31%).
  2. Lack of skills in green technologies (30%).
  3. Lack of understanding on how to improve sustainability in their organisations (29%).

More collaboration (78%) and breakthroughs in technology are needed to drive progress towards sustainability goals in the region.

In particular, the top three areas where technology innovation is needed are adoption of renewable energy (41%), improving data connectivity (41%), improving traceability (e.g., using data analytics and blockchain) to make better supply chain decisions (41%).

“While there is recognition across APAC on the importance of environmental sustainability, there is a clear opportunity for businesses to take more concrete actions, particularly driven by customers and investor demand. Technology plays a key role in helping businesses overcome the barriers and move towards sustainability goals, with over 70% of businesses in APAC agreeing that technology breakthroughs are needed to enable progress,” said Bhupinder Singh, President, Asia Pacific & Middle East, at Vodafone Business, “Fit for the Future businesses recognise the importance of creating a sustainable future, and Vodafone Business is ready to collaborate on innovative solutions to support businesses on both their sustainability and digital transformation journeys.”

Read the Fit for the Future APAC report here, and global report here.

Research methodology

We started our Fit For The Future project with a programme of secondary research. Vodafone Business’ Insights team analysed many sources, drawing out and extrapolating themes and business needs. This thinking was then taken into qualitative and quantitative research to test it and dig deeper. Key business challenges were explored amongst businesses as a whole and through the lens of being “Fit For The Future”.

Our qualitative research took place in UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and South Africa and consisted of 31 depth interviews with business decision makers, investors and journalists. 3,101 businesses of all sizes and sectors were surveyed via a 15 minute quantitative survey across 15 different markets (Australia, China, Germany, Spain, Ireland, India, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, UAE, UK and USA).


[1] Based on the report, businesses considered “Fit for the Future” have a more positive attitude towards changing the way they conduct business and are more adaptable to challenges.

Hashtag: #Vodafone

About Vodafone

Unique in its scale as the largest pan-European and African technology communications company, Vodafone transforms the way we live and work through its innovation, technology, connectivity, platforms, products and services.

Vodafone operates mobile and fixed networks in 21 countries, and partners with mobile networks in 47 more. As of 30 September 2022, we had over 300 million mobile customers, more than 28 million fixed broadband customers, and 22 million TV customers. Vodafone is a world leader in the Internet of Things (IoT), connecting more than 150 million devices and platforms.

We have revolutionised fintech in Africa through M-Pesa, which celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2022. It is the region’s largest fintech platform, providing access to financial services for more than 50 million people in a secure, affordable and convenient way.

Our purpose is to connect for a better future by using technology to improve lives, digitalise critical sectors and enable inclusive and sustainable digital societies.

We are committed to reducing our environmental impact to reach net zero emissions across our full value chain by 2040, while helping our customers reduce their own carbon emissions by 350 million tonnes by 2030. We are driving action to reduce device waste and achieve our target to reuse, resell or recycle 100% of our network waste.

We believe in the power of connectivity and digital services to improve society and economies, partnering with governments to digitalise healthcare, education and agriculture and create cleaner, safer cities. Our products and services support the digitalisation of businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Our inclusion for all strategy seeks to ensure no-one is left behind through access to connectivity, digital skills and creating relevant products and services such as access to education, healthcare and finance. We are also committed to developing a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the customers and societies we serve.

For more information, please visit , follow us on Twitter at @VodafoneGroup or connect with us on LinkedIn at .

Top Form Group Partners with NEFIN Group to Further Their Sustainability Efforts

NEFIN’S expertise in the full suite of carbon neutrality services will guide Top Form’s roadmap to fulfil their decarbonisation targets

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 21 November 2022 – NEFIN Group (“NEFIN”), Asia’s leading carbon neutrality solutions provider and investor, is partnering with Top Form Group (“Top Form”), a full-service design and supply chain partner to global brands and retailers, to integrate and streamline sustainable solutions for Top Form Group’s manufacturing operations and facilities.

Rooftop solar panels at Thailand factory Photo credit: Top Form International

Rooftop solar panels at Thailand factory

Photo credit: Top Form International

Through providing professional advisory services, NEFIN will assist Top Form to reach their targeted sustainable milestones, guiding Top Form’s sustainability roadmap throughout their operations and infrastructure. NEFIN’s long standing expertise in carbon neutral solutions will play a key role in Top Form’s development of a long-term strategy towards sustainability, helping Top Form to conduct a market and technical feasibility study to understand the feasible solutions for Top Form’s operating sites and advise the solutions which will generate the most energy savings, and a realistic strategy for Top Form to reach their goals, furthering both company’s collective vision towards a more environmentally friendly tomorrow.

Mr Glenn Lim, CEO of NEFIN Group commented, “Partnering with Top Form to conduct a market & technical feasibility study for carbon neutrality solutions across their sites in Asia provides a platform for cross-region teamwork. NEFIN has regional teams throughout Asia who can manage projects that span across multiple sites. This shows that we are not limited by locality.”

Top Form recognizes the increasing impact of climate change and the urgency for the fashion industry to lower our carbon footprint to keep global warming below 1.5 °C. They have been adopting low carbon manufacturing practices for several years and in 2021, they launched a renewable energy pilot project at one of their most technologically advanced facilities to further reduce their carbon footprint. This project contributed to an estimated 20% of electricity consumption of the factory. Top Form reached out to NEFIN earlier in the year regarding a target to reduce their 2025 Scope 1 & Scope 2 emissions by 15% from a 2020 baseline.

Top Form has announced the release of their latest Sustainability Report detailing the activities they had taken over the past year to protect their people and communities while doing more to limit their impact to the environment. The focus of this year’s report is to highlight their Sustainability Strategy with its Three Pillars and Seven Focus Areas, which aligns with the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (“SDGs”), to address global challenges in a coherent and holistic way. The report can be downloaded from their website.

The market and technical feasibility study to be conducted by NEFIN for Top Form has kickstarted. “Through this study, we hope to develop an actionable strategy to achieve decarbonisation targets, create a resilient structure for sustainable strategy management, and an effective roadmap that aligns with globally accredited sustainability standards,” said Kevin Wong, CEO of Top Form. “We look forward to our journey with NEFIN and are grateful to be part of a wider movement towards creating a better future for generations to come.”

Top Form will be working with NEFIN Group to evaluate the feasibility of expanding the use of renewable energy on all their operating facilities, exploring innovative green technologies and procurement of carbon offsets.

Hashtag: #NEFIN

About Top Form Group

Headquartered in Hong Kong and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Top Form International Limited (HKSE stock code: 0333.hk) is a full-service design and supply chain partner to global brands and retailers with unparalleled expertise in manufacturing intimate apparel. With nearly 60 years of expertise and craftsmanship, we have been well-trusted and recognized by leading brands and retailers all over the world. As of October 2022, Top Form has production facilities across 3 regions in South East Asia with over 7,000 employees worldwide.

About NEFIN Group

NEFIN is a premium green independent power producer (IPP) offering bespoke carbon neutral technologies & financing solutions in Asia Pacific. NEFIN, funded by ACEN Corp., has collectively installed over 3,400 MW of utility-scale, commercial and industrial renewable energy systems. ACEN is listed in the Philippines (PSE: ACEN) and is part of the Ayala Corporation, one of the largest conglomerates in Philippines, founded by the Ayala family in 1834. With its regional and multidisciplinary team, NEFIN offers comprehensive assessments and a full-suite of services to evaluate the ESG impact and commercial viability of projects through innovative approaches to technology under its unified energy management platform.

With a mission of “Achieving Carbon Neutrality for You”, NEFIN is committed to the global climate goals and aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of our client portfolios. NEFIN believes the future of the world is everyone’s responsibility and strives to redefine energy boundaries towards a sustainable future. Please refer to NEFIN’s website for more information and follow us at .

OPPO Inspirational Games: Football is Full of Passion and Inspiration

OPPO Inspirational Games interviewed three witnesses to share their stories about football

SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach – 21 November 2022 – OPPO today published a documentary Inspirational Games based on three witnesses’ stories of the most inspiring games in the UEFA Champions League. The 67-year history of the UEFA Champions League is an epic full of passionate and inspiring memories. Looking at the throwback highlights, we can still feel the passion encapsulated in each moment.

For fans of the UEFA Champions League to relive the strong emotions of the most exciting games in history, OPPO hosted a global campaign to vote for the competition’s top three inspiring games of all time. This was followed by actually finding those who witnessed the game during the time, then interviewing them and finally bringing these stories of inspiration to everyone. As part of the campaign “Inspirational Games”, OPPO believes that these stories strike up conversations between even strangers and unify football fans. Furthermore, it rekindles the passion for the game to inspire more people around the world.

Nam Kunn records his travel with OPPO Reno8 Pro

Nam Kunn records his travel with OPPO Reno8 Pro

“Going to the stadium to watch a game always draws your best memory,” Nam Kunn, a graphic designer and photographer based in Paris told us, “Football always brings the strongest emotions and never makes you bored.” As a supporter of PSG since 2000, Nam was a field photographer that happened to witness the amazing 4-0 during the first leg between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, and the histrionic 1-6 during the second. The strongest emotions that football gave him continue to inspire his life till this day.

As Nam puts it, supporting a club is more than a logo or a jersey. It describes your values, philosophy, and life. Deriving from his love for football, Nam was inspired to start a project to record the most inspiring moments of his travels, which include fashion, photography, and of course football. For him, football is a sport about cultural diversity. A sport for everyone to connect and share their passion.

Tonín el Torero, a hardcore fan who holds another identity as the owner of a famous pub in Madrid would agree with Nam. He shared with us the inspiring moments when his pub brought total strangers from different countries together with football. “The passion for Real Madrid builds bonds.” Tonín recalls the time fans went wild when their team scored an amazing goal. That memory was a perfect depiction of a community coming together to embrace joy and hope.

Tonín el Torero

Tonín el Torero

Football invokes our emotions and inspires underdogs to outperform their opponents. We’ve heard so many stories from football fans, however, OPPO is lucky to have interviewed Mike Ferney, a visually impaired fan who enjoys matches in a different way.

“How could someone who is visually impaired enjoy a football match in a stadium?” you might ask. The answer is passion. The passion for football he had since childhood has now turned into a lifelong habit, and all of the matches that he experienced have become an unstoppable force that drives him ahead.

Mike Ferney was diagnosed with visual impairment from birth, but this has not affected his zeal for football and Liverpool which started from a young age and has continued to this day. Though life with impaired vision is difficult at times, Liverpool’s victory at Istanbul moved him deeply at the age of 13. There he learned the life lesson “never give up,” and Mike describes it as his biggest takeaway from Istanbul 2005.

“It’s being three nil down against one of the best teams in Europe,” Mike still remembers that feeling of intensity while recounting the story, “It could have been easy to roll over and give up, but they carried on. And I think the moment is short. Then things that happen help me believe that, even though it is football, it can be tied to a life lesson.”

Mike’s cousin Stephen assists him by giving him a visual description of everything that’s happening on the field, and he enjoys standing in the stadium to experience the matches. Because to Mike, there are more senses to feel at a matchup than simply watching. There is a special energy when you stand in the stadium with the crowd around, Mike calls it the “feeling of synergy,” and that goes beyond visual aspects to various sensations like the noise of fans celebrating and the ground beneath him shaking. Therefore, even with his visual impairment, Mike still experiences the games to a great extent and gains inspiration from football.

Mike Ferney (center) watches football game with his cousin and friend

Mike Ferney (center) watches football game with his cousin and friend

For Mike, inspiration also means never giving up his passion for life and inspiring more people with his story. When life gets tough, Mike chooses to go to matches to feel the vibe. The relentless attitude is deeply rooted into his life and also encouraged a group of fans through the bond of Liverpool. Mike started a podcast named “Unfair Rap”, where he retells his story and meets new friends with shared interests and passion. It is always a pleasure for him to inspire the people around him.

There are many people like Mike who are inspired by the passion for football, and advancements in technology allow us to better enjoy and record the game with pocket-sized devices, freezing the seconds of inspiration into everlasting memories. OPPO has been exploring more ways for people to enjoy sports under the brand proposition “Inspiration Ahead”. Especially assistive technology for people like Mike who have visual impairments or other disabilities to experience more inspiration in their lives. For example, Color Vision Enhancement Technology, which made its debut on the OPPO Find X3 series, was designed to improve color identification abilities for those who suffer from color vision deficiency. Thanks to the technology, the screen displays more accurate colors.

OPPO Research Institute Innovation Accelerator, which issued a focus on accessible technology was also a success this year. The accelerator was aimed to turn world changing ideas into reality. Among the winning proposals, we were glad to see innovative ideas like “machine vision solutions for the visually impaired”, and “exclusive mobile phones for the hearing-impaired”. These proposals addressed pressing social issues that deserve our concern.

Guided by the brand proposition “Inspiration Ahead,” OPPO will continue to explore meaningful innovations regardless of the difficulties that lie ahead. The search for witnesses for “Inspirational Games” is not an ending, on the contrary, it marks a new beginning. OPPO will help more people enjoy the inspiration in life, and everyone can become a witness to their own moments of inspiration.

To watch the documentary of star witnesses, please visit: https://youtu.be/-AKaiGTHgwA

Hashtag: #OPPO