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Sokxay Group Gets Appointed as Sales Representative for Dao Coffee

Sokxay Group Becomes Dao Coffee Sales Representative
The signing ceremony to establish Sokxay Group to become Dao coffee sales representative

The Sokxay Group has become the sales representative of Dao Coffee after both companies signed a contract to this effect on 5 May.

Lao Athletes Make Waves at SEA Games With Impressive Medal Tally

Lao President Encourages National Athletes at 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia
President Thongloun Sisoulith with coaches and athletes representing Laos at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia. (Photo : Pasaxon)

Lao athletes have been racking up more and more medals at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia and the country’s medal tally grew to an impressive 38 on 9 May.

ASEAN Relief Convoy Attacked in Myanmar; No Casualties

ASEAN Relief Convoy Attacked in Myanmar; No Casualties
Police patrol the streets in Yangon, Myanmar. (Photo Credit: Associated Press )

BANGKOK (AP) — A convoy including diplomats representing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on a mission to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced people in strife-torn Myanmar has been ambushed, state media and a member of an ethnic minority militia said Monday.

HKU’s innovative research novelties excel at 48th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 9 May 2023 – The University of Hong Kong (HKU) triumphed at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, winning a total of 19 awards, including two special grand prizes Invention & Innovation CAI Award (China Delegation), and Prize of the Delegation of Malaysia. The results were announced on April 28.

Research teams from Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Science, LKS Faculty of Medicine, and two HKU Inno Laboratories, established under the Hong Kong Government’s InnoHK programme, garnered two special grand prizes, one Gold Medal with the Congratulations of the Jury, six Gold Medals, six Silver Medals and four Bronze Medals with their innovations in the event.

The Artificial Intelligence MGF Network for Anomalies Detection, developed by Dr Wilton Fok’s team from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, was winner of the two grand prizes and a gold medal. The system uses AI to analyse in real time human posture and movements in a video to identify anomaly scenarios such as abuse, drowning, and criminal behaviour.

The Programmable Cell Niche Engineering Platform, developed by Professor Barbara Chan’s team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, won a Gold Medal with the Congratulations of the Jury. The system ensures proper cellular functions and results that can enable predictable clinical studies by mimicing the biological environment for cells.

HKU has showcased this year a total of 17 research inventions that provide solutions to pressing human problems, spanning diverse areas such as biomedicine, vaccine development, artificial intelligence, and aging. Notably, the Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre and the Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, established by HKU in 2021 under the Hong Kong Government’s InnoHK program, have demonstrated exceptional ability in successfully translating their biomedical research achievements into practical applications within a relatively short timeframe. Each have two research inventions selected, including an aptasensor for sepsis diagnosis, a capillary microfluidic platform for point-of-care testing, an interferon-integrated coronavirus vaccine, and NanoComplex vaccine technology.

“HKU takes immense pride in the recognition our researchers have received for their innovative research efforts. We are also dedicated to facilitating the transfer of our research findings into tangible applications in the market. Through the powerful synergies generated from our collaborations with global research and industry partners, we strive to facilitate the emergence of pioneering innovations and their transformation into products that improve the well-being of humanity,” said Professor Max Shen, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research).

Renowned as one of the most distinguished innovation exhibitions in the world, the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva (IEIG) is an extraordinary annual global event devoted exclusively to inventions and innovations.

Since first participating in the event in 2018, HKU has received a total of 60 awards including 4 prestigious Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury and 21 other gold medals.

HKU’s award-winning inventions in 2023:

INVENTION & INNOVATION CAI AWARD (China Delegation) & PRIZE OF THE DELEGATION OF MALAYSIA & GOLD MEDAL

Artificial Intelligence MGF Network for Anomalies Detection
The invention can be deployed in children’s centres, swimming pools, public transport and exhibition centres to detect abnormal behaviours and situations for public safety and security. Using AI to detect human skeletons in a video and analyse their posture and movements, it is able to capture the context information in a long video and address specific portions for detecting multiple anomaly scenarios in real time such as abuse, drowning, terrorist attacks, traffic accidents, fighting and criminal behaviour, more accurately and efficiently.

The invention was developed by the research team of Dr Wilton Fok from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong.

GOLD MEDALS WITH CONGRATULATIONS OF THE JURY

Programmable Cell Niche Engineering Platform
One of the reasons many drugs that work in the lab do not work as expected in the clinical trial stage is that scientists grow cells on flat and rigid culture dishes for drug research, which are not biomimetic — leading to cell responses in lab testing that do not represent what would happen in native tissues of human bodies. The Programmable Cell Niche Engineering Platform mimics the biological environment for cells, which in turn ensures proper cellular functions and results that can enable predictable clinical studies. The multifactorial biochips invented identify the ideal niche for different cell types, equipping scientists with a comprehensive library of individual niche factors to develop optimal culture environments for different types of cells of specialised applications.

The platform was developed by Professor Barbara Chan and her team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Programme, The University of Hong Kong.

GOLD MEDALS

1. Respiratory Organoids
Biomedical research mainly relies on cell lines and animal models for experimentation, which has limited physiological relevance to human biology and pathology. Under this project, a complete respiratory organoid culture system has been the first of its kind to efficiently reconstruct and reproducibly expand the entire human respiratory epithelium in culture plates. All the differentiated respiratory organoids, including nasal, airway and alveolar organoids, adequately mimic the multicellular composition of native respiratory epithelium and phenocopy the functionality. Superior to most existing in vitro models, these organoids represent universal tools with biological relevance for diverse biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, including disease modeling, development of therapeutics, toxicological evaluation and personalised medicine.

The project was originated by Dr Jie Zhou, Dr Man Chun Chiu, Dr Cun Li and Professor Kwok Yung Yuen from the Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong.

2. Bismuth-based Cocktail Therapy for Coronavirus
There is an urgent need for safe and effective therapeutic options for COVID-19, with the SARS-CoV-2 variants associated with enhanced transmissibility, reduced vaccine-induced protection and emerging drug resistance. Under this project, the orally administrated bismuth drug colloidal bismuth subcitrate together with N-acetyl cysteine has been found to be a broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus cocktail therapy against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants and different coronaviruses. Mixing two US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved over counter drugs, 1 molar equivalent of colloidal bismuth subcitrate and 3 molar equivalents of a mucoactive drug N-acetyl cysteine, is a safe and highly potent therapy through oral administration and 10 times more selective in killing the virus than the first FDA approved drug. This therapy is now in phase II/III clinical trial in Hong Kong, with a phase III trial underway in China.

The invention was developed by Professor Sun Hongzhe, Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, Dr Yuan Shuofeng, Dr Wang RunMing, Dr Li Hongyan, Dr Jasper Chan Fuk-Woo, Dr Cheng Tianfan, Mrs Wang SuYu, and Mr Chan Chun Lung of The University of Hong Kong.

3. PERfECT Wearables for Digital Health
Endorsed by over 100 leading scientists worldwide on social media, “HKU PERfECT” is the first wearable platform combining the distinctive features of being highly sensitive, energy efficient, lightweight and ultracompact, enabling decentralised medical technologies for remote and personalised healthcare to cope with an aging population, quarantine and the shortage of medical instrumentation. Compared to current wearable devices that can only measure vital signals (e.g. heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, etc.), PERfECT is able to detect molecular indicators in body fluids, which are more informative for fatal/chronic disease screening and monitoring.

The invention was developed by the WISE Research Group from The University of Hong Kong and SESIC LIMITED.

4. Method of Developing a Peptide-based Vaccine Conjugated with 1V209
This invention describes the development of a method to conjugate 1V209, a toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist, to antigens to induce antigen-specific responses. Past synthetic peptide vaccines must be used together with vaccine adjuvants to stimulate T cells against specific antigens to treat cancer, but a simple mixture of antigens and adjuvants can hardly induce enough specific immune responses. To address this issue, we designed bioinspired nanoparticles mimicking the structure of the virus to enhance the antigen-specific immune response. Through safer and greener methods, it used the TLR7 agonist 1V209 to generate peptide-drug conjugates and form a self-adjuvating vaccine to deliver antigens and adjuvants at the same time, inducing a stronger T cell response with improved stability and successful suppression of tumour growth.

The invention was developed by Professor Jiandong Huang and Dr Yefan Hu from the School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong.

5. DipμChip – Capillary Microfluidic Platform for Point-of-care Diagnostics
DipμChip is an automated capillary microfluidic-based point-of-care (POC) microsystem allowing rapid and portable detection of various high-impact and mortality diseases. It is designed and fabricated using state-of-the-art molecular biology and microfluidic technologies, utilising capillary pressure and surface-activating treatments that allow laboratory-level analytics to be conducted in an accessible manner. This microsystem paves the way for a versatile array of clinical and academic applications that require multiple conjugations and washings. End users of DipμChip include clinics, hospitals, homes and assisted living healthcare facilities, democratising access to adequate clinical care, and saving precious lives of patients in need.

The platform was developed by Professor Anderson Shum, Dr. Hassan Sammer Ul and Mr. Nicky Lee from Department of Mechanical Engineering and Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre.

SILVER MEDALS

1. Smart Address Plates for Pedestrian Indoor Navigation and Location-Based Services and Management
Traditionally, pedestrian navigation uses Location Positioning System (LPS) with trilateration to find the user’s position, which have very high positioning error for outdoor GPS and indoor positioning. This new solution adopts a cost-effective innovative Location Confirmation System (LCS) to accurately locate and guide the user to the destination by using Smart Address Plates (SAP) that transmit stored geographic coordinates with innovative 3D Smart Address (SA) codes to the users even without WiFi or telephone signals. This SAP system can help to find shops/ offices/ restaurants/ car parking spaces inside a multi-storey building accurately while providing location-based services and management for precise target marketing. It is highly scalable, connecting shops/rooms on a floor to a building, then to a district and to the whole city through a Smart Address Plate Management System (SAP-MS).

The Smart Address Plates and Location Confirmation System were developed by Professor Anthony Yeh, Dr Zhong Teng and Dr Run Shi from the Department of Urban Planning and Design, The University of Hong Kong.

2. A Novel Stem Cell-based Platform for Antiviral Discovery, Vaccine and Healthy Natural Products
There is an urgent need for the vaccine industry to establish a new type of human cell model for anti-virus drug development in order to enhance sensitivity and efficiency. The human Expanded Potential Stem Cells (hEPSCs) developed under this project help generate trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) and syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs), which express high levels of SARS-CoV-2 host factors and are highly susceptible to the viral infection. Remarkably, the infected eSTBs are 1,000 times more sensitive to antiviral drugs, making the TSC-STB platform a more ideal human cell source for viral production and performing antiviral discovery, including SARS-CoV-2, MERS, their variants, and the FDA approved anti-virus drugs and natural products.

The platform was developed by Professor Pengtao Liu from the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, and Dr Degong Ruan and Professor Fang Liu from the Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, The University of Hong Kong.

3. Ultra-thin Flexible Robotic Instruments for Endoluminal Surgery
Under this project, a robotic system with highly miniaturised and flexible instruments has been developed to address challenges in the endoluminal treatment of early-stage gastrointestinal and urinary tract cancers. In current practice, there is a steep learning curve for resecting tumours in their entirety due to a lack of instrument dexterity and poor tissue retraction. The developed system provides two robotic instruments as small as Ø2.5 mm with 5 degrees of freedom each, enabling enhanced endoluminal surgery with conventional rigid and flexible endoscopes. Overall, the system will help to flatten the learning curve so that more clinicians can provide patients with effective early-stage care.

The system was developed by the research team of Dr Ka-Wai Kwok from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong.

4. Automatic Alignment of Microparticles
This groundbreaking chip-size invention revolutionises the way to align micro-particles in liquids. Using a microchannel with specifically arranged roadblocks that effortlessly guides disordered particles into an ultrafast-flowing chain, it provides outstanding performance at a low cost. As compact as a credit card and priced at less than USD10, each device can align up to one million particles per minute with precision down to 0.001 mm. This game-changer bypasses the limitations of current methods, thereby enhancing the efficiency of applications that involve microparticle analysis and processing, particularly blood cell screening and water filtration.

The invention was developed by Professor Kevin Tsia and Dr Kelvin Lee from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong.

5. Interferon-integrated coronavirus vaccine: a next-generation universal live vaccine protects against pan beta-coronavirus infection
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to develop a next-generation coronavirus vaccine that can offer protection against current and potential future beta-coronavirus infections. However, there are several technical hurdles that must be overcome in order to create an ideal vaccine that has three key properties: 1) universal protection against a broad range of beta-coronaviruses, 2) enhanced mucosal T cell immunity, and 3) activated innate anti-viral mechanisms to ensure safety. The team has developed an innovative immunological design and genetic engineering technology that has resulted in the creation of a universal beta-coronavirus mucosal vaccine and a streamlined production pipeline. Preclinical studies in two animal models have demonstrated the efficacy of the vaccine in terms of the three key properties.

The technology was developed by Dr KH Kok and the team from the Department of Microbiology of The University of Hong Kong and the Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics.

6. NanoComplex
NanoComplex is a next-generation vaccine technology designed for nasal use and carries the potential to target all kinds of viruses. Viruses have proteins as antigens and nucleic acids as genomes, and both are critical components to alert our immune system and generate strong protection. The NanoComplex technology takes full advantage of these components, combines viral proteins and nucleic acids with innovative methods, and creates a nano-sized complex that can be used as a nasal vaccine. Since all viruses have the same components, the NanoComplex can switch its internals for different viruses, and therefore can potentially defend against all known viruses.

The technology was developed by a research team lead by Dr Kin Hang Kok from the Department of Microbiology of The University of Hong Kong, and the Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics.

BRONZE MEDALS

1. Remote e-Inspection System for the Manufacturing and Delivery of Offsite Modular Construction
This e-Inspection System is a Modular Construction Supply Chain Quality Assurance system that includes i-Core (an loT device attached to each MC module to monitor the position, humidity, temperature and collision data), e-InStar (an App for uploading the checking result of each production step in a remote factory to the block chain), e-TranStar (an App for monitoring the location and condition of the MC module in the transport process) and a blockchain-based backend. Designed for offsite modular construction use to help solve housing problems, it reduces resources required for supervision and paperwork while ensuring tamper-proof data, helping overcome the current difficulties in monitoring the quality of production and transportation from remote sites. The system has been piloted in an HKU project in Hong Kong with two 17-storey buildings using 952 MiC modules.

The system was developed by Prof Wilson Lu, Director of the iLab of the Faculty of Architecture, together with Professor Anthony Yeh, Chair Professor of the Department of Urban Planning and Design, and Mr KL Tam, Former Director of the Estates Office of The University of Hong Kong.

2. On-site Fertilizer Production for Perpetual Farming
The EC Flow device developed under this project is an energy-neutral system that fully integrates with solar panels and battery storage systems to detect and remove numerous toxic residual nitrates and nitrites (NOx) in soil using renewable energy. It can further upcycle NOx and feed fertilizer back into urban farming sites, achieving waste remediation, pollution mitigation and resource recovery to reach nitrogen neutrality. This solution can be applied to plantation areas of any scale and type, including farms, lawns, roof gardens and balconies. The goals are lowering toxin levels in municipal waste and alleviating ecological strains on urban sewage systems, ultimately improving the urban municipal discharge situation and local marine environment.

The device was innovated by Dr Edmund Tse, Wanying Wang from the Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, and commercialised with the help of Yip Jackson Ho So.

3. Smart Elderly Walker
This is a smart and handy device pairing advanced Artificial Intelligence with a home-friendly design, helping the elderly stay healthy, active and independent while making their lives easier and more secure. It brings together several advanced features, including a stable mechanical structure with smooth omnidirectional mobility, dual-mode actuation and control for simultaneous walking/standing support and fall prevention/recovery, soft robotic handles and privacy-friendly sensors for event detection and control and fall detection, as well as specialised sound-source localisation to locate the user quickly and effectively, providing enhanced safety protection and superior walking assistance for older adults.

The device was developed by the research team of Professor Chuan Wu, Dr Hao Luo, Dr Zhao Chongyu and Dr Wen Rongwei from the Department of Computer Science of The University of Hong Kong; and Professor Wang Zheng from the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering of The Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen.

4. Aptasensor for Sepsis Diagnostic
Diagnosing sepsis in a timely manner to ensure optimal patient survival with prompt treatment remains a major challenge. This invention utilises a novel DNA-based biosensor that integrates aptamers into a point-of-care platform to advance sepsis diagnosis. Aptamers recognise biomarkers by specifically binding to unique structures on their surface. Unlike antibody-based tools, aptamers provide multiple advantages in terms of stability, production cost, reproducibility and flexibility that can readily be integrated into various platforms, such as electrochemical platforms (quantitative device) and/or colorimetric assays (rapid test). The aptasensor provides a quick and highly sensitive solution for sepsis detection that can help revolutionise point-of-care sepsis detection.

The invention was developed by Dr. Louisa Hoi-Ying Lo, Dr. William Whitehouse, supervised by Professor Julian Tanner, from the Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre.

The University’s participation in this year’s competition was coordinated by the Technology Transfer Office of HKU.

For details about the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, please visit: https://inventions-geneva.ch/en/home/.

Hashtag: #HKU

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Technology Transfer Office, HKU

The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) manages the use of HKU’s intellectual property assets by providing patenting, licensing and other commercialisation support to the University’s researchers and inventors. Acting as the bridge linking HKU to society in the area of technology commercialisation, TTO helps industries and businesses to access HKU’s powerhouse of knowledge, innovation and expertise through close collaboration. Website: .

CPA Australia Survey: Filipino small business tops Asia-Pacific 2023 growth forecasts amid high inflation

  • Philippines’ small businesses top growth forecast for second consecutive year.
  • Seven-in-10 found investment in technology improved profitability in 2022.
  • Rising costs, particularly materials, were most detrimental to businesses.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach – 9 May 2023 – Nearly nine-in-10 Filipino small businesses expect to grow this year, with technology investment driving momentum. That’s according to a new survey by one of the world’s largest professional accounting bodies.

CPA Australia’s Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey collected views from 4,280 small businesses in 11 Asia-Pacific markets, including 306 from the Philippines. Filipino businesses outranked all markets for growth expectations for the second consecutive year.

Three quarters of Filipino small businesses grew in 2022, an increase of 10 percentage points from 2021. A robust economy contributed to 89 per cent predicting growth this year. This optimism is reflected in plans to hire more staff this year (58 per cent).

“Due to increasing domestic demand and a speedy recovery in the services sector, particularly in tourism, many Filipino small businesses expanded solidly. They continue to be one of the most dynamic in the Asia-Pacific region,” said CPA Australia’s Regional Manager for Emerging Markets Mr Nicklaus Wee.

A strong focus on maintaining customer relationships and using social media contributed to growth. Forty-four per cent nominated customer loyalty as a positive factor. Over 90 per cent used social media for business purposes, including promoting to potential customers (65 per cent) and selling products or services (59 per cent).

Filipino small businesses’ ability to identify the right technologies to invest in and profit from further strengthened their competitiveness. Seven-in-10 said their investments last year had improved profitability, strongly surpassing the survey average of 55 per cent.

“The COVID pandemic has fundamentally changed consumer behaviour. The survey shows that Filipino small businesses are adopting a more customer-oriented approach, including increasing their interaction with potential customers. Using customer feedback allows them to swiftly identify the best options, including technological solutions to meet customers’ needs” Wee explained.

Nevertheless, increasing costs and difficulties accessing external funds may hamper financial returns and development plans. Four-in-10 said increased costs were negatively affecting their businesses, the highest result in all surveyed markets. The cost of materials (42 per cent) ranked as the cost most felt by local businesses, followed by fuel (38 per cent) and utilities (36 per cent).

Despite over three-fifths requiring external funds last year, only 25 per cent said they found it easy to access finance. This was the lowest result of the surveyed markets. Seventy-eight per cent expect to seek finance this year, mainly for growth, but only 23 per cent foresee this process to be easy.

“Many Filipino micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are suffering from soaring costs. To combat high inflation, the central bank increased interest rates, which made financing conditions more challenging for MSMEs.

“The Filipino Government has several loan programs to enhance financial inclusion, such as the Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso (P3) and KAYA loans. The percentage of small businesses that borrowed from banks, non-financial institutions and investors last year significantly increased from 2021.

“While the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is forecasting that inflation will begin to ease this year, small businesses continue to face a challenging period. To help them manage through this economic transition, Filipino small businesses should consider seeking professional advice. Their trusted accountant may help them better understand financing conditions, improve cash flow and diversify financing sources.

“More than a third (34 per cent) monitored their energy and water use and 24 per cent spent time and resources on supply chain sustainability. Small businesses should increase their focus on reducing energy costs and optimising supply chains from sourcing to production. This will help reduce energy cost volatility as they strive for sustainable expansion.”

Fifty-three per cent expect overseas sales to grow this year. “With the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement taking effect in June, it will bring more opportunities for small businesses to tap into overseas markets.”

Hashtag: #CPAAustralia #SME #Business #Economics

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About CPA Australia

CPA Australia is one of the largest professional accounting bodies in the world, with more than 172,000 members in over 100 countries and regions, including nearly 2,000 members in South Asia. Our core services include education, training, technical support and advocacy. CPA Australia provides thought leadership on local, national and international issues affecting the accounting profession and public interest. We engage with governments, regulators and industries to advocate policies that stimulate sustainable economic growth and have positive business and public outcomes. Find out more at

City University of Hong Kong launches HK Tech 300 Southeast Asia Start-up Competition to foster the I&T ecosystem in the region

with strategic partnership with UM, UPM, MDEC and other regional players

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 9 May 2023 City University of Hong Kong launched the first ever HK Tech 300 Southeast Asia Start-up Competition (HK Tech 300 SEA Competition) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, extending the highly anticipated innovation and entrepreneurship programme to Southeast Asia to foster start-ups and innovation and technology development in the region.

Professor Michael Yang Mengsu (5th from right), Vice-President (Research and Technology) and Chairman of the HK Tech 300 Executive Committee of City University of Hong Kong, and Emeritus Professor Dato' Dr Morshidi Sirat (5th from left), Higher Education Adviser to the Minister of Higher Education, joins distinguished guests and partners to kick off the HK Tech 300 Southeast Asia Start-up Competition.
Professor Michael Yang Mengsu (5th from right), Vice-President (Research and Technology) and Chairman of the HK Tech 300 Executive Committee of City University of Hong Kong, and Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Morshidi Sirat (5th from left), Higher Education Adviser to the Minister of Higher Education, joins distinguished guests and partners to kick off the HK Tech 300 Southeast Asia Start-up Competition.

A large-scale flagship innovation and entrepreneurship programme by City University of Hong Kong, HK Tech 300 was organised with a total commitment of up to HK$600 million (about MYR 340 million).

“We are thrilled to expand our successful HK Tech 300 initiative to Southeast Asia,” said Professor Way Kuo, President and University Distinguished Professor of City University of Hong Kong. “This Competition presents a unique opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs in the region to gain exposure and secure funding for their projects, and will help translate City University of Hong Kong’s outstanding research into applications, which can have a transformative impact on the entrepreneurship landscape here. We are excited to witness the positive impact of HK Tech 300 on the region and are committed to supporting and empowering innovative ideas in this part of the world.”

The HK Tech 300 SEA Competition is being held in partnership with universities and incubators in the region, including Universiti Malaya (UM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) from Malaysia, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) from Brunei Darussalam, Chulalongkorn University from Thailand, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (SIDEC), and various chambers of commerce. Through these partners, the Competition will bring together the most promising start-ups in the region to join the competition. The Top 10 winners will each be awarded Angel Fund investment of up to HK$1 million (about MYR 565,000), providing a significant boost for their entrepreneurial endeavours.

Datuk Seri Khaled Mohamed Nordin, Minister of Higher Education, Malaysia, said, “A thriving small and medium enterprise (SME) and start-up ecosystem is essential for sustainable digital development. The Malaysian Higher Education Ministry welcomes City University of Hong Kong’s decision to launch this regional edition of HK Tech 300 in Malaysia, as it demonstrates the success of Malaysia’s efforts to accelerate the digital economy and produce knowledgeable graduates with excellent marketability. I believe the exposure and guidance they will receive from the Competition, will enable them to contribute to the expanding digital ecosystem.”

Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Morshidi Sirat, Higher Education Adviser to the Minister of Higher Education, in representing Datuk Seri Khaled and delivered his speech during the launch event at Hilton Kuala Lumpur.

Professor Dr Sabri Musa, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya said that they are delighted to be a partner in the Competition and hope to create synergy for the start-up ecosystem in the region.

Since its launch in March 2021, the HK Tech 300 programme has made significant strides towards its goal of creating 300 start-ups within three years. With a total allocation of HK$500 million in 2021, the programme is a strategic move to translate City University of Hong Kong’s groundbreaking research results and intellectual property into practical applications, while simultaneously providing valuable opportunities for young talent and aspiring entrepreneurs to grow and learn. To further support the programme, the University added an additional of HK$100 million (about MYR 56.5 million) this year.

To date, HK Tech 300 has cultivated more than 560 start-up teams, each of which received a HK$100,000 (about MYR 56,500) Seed Fund, and it has provided up to HK$1 million (about MYR 565,000) in Angel Fund investment to more than 110 start-up companies.

Riding on the success and positive impact of the Programme, City University of Hong Kong has expanded the HK Tech 300 initiative to Southeast Asia, with Malaysia chosen as the location for the launch of the inaugural HK Tech 300 SEA Competition, demonstrating its vision and determination to make HK Tech 300 the biggest university-based innovation and entrepreneurship programme in Asia.

The expansion aims to promote technology transfer and commercialisation in the region, showcasing the University’s commitment to support Southeast Asian start-ups in expanding their business to Hong Kong, Mainland China and the whole region, leveraging the unique advantages and resources available in Hong Kong.

Visit www.cityu.edu.hk/hktech300/seasia for more information.

Hashtag: #HKTech300 #SEA #Start-up

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About City University of Hong Kong and HK Tech 300

As one of the fastest-growing universities in the world over the last decade, City University of Hong Kong is recognised as a hub for innovation in research and professional education. Our world-class faculty champion the integration of teaching and research and consistently excel across many key international indicators for research excellence. Focusing on our core mission, we are committed to promoting knowledge and contributing to society through outstanding teaching and research.

Under the theme “Venture Beyond Boundaries”, HK Tech 300 is a large-scale flagship innovation and entrepreneurship programme launched by City University of Hong Kong for aspiring entrepreneurs among the Univeristy’s students, alumni, research staff and others to establish start-ups and ignite their entrepreneurship journey. With an allocation of HK$600 million, the programme offers comprehensive support for entrepreneurship training, a seed fund, an angel fund, co-working space, and networking opportunities in the industrial and commercial communities.

HK Tech 300 aims to provide educational and growth opportunities for young entrepreneurs and to translate City University of Hong Kong’s research results and intellectual property into practical applications. Since its launch in March 2021, over 1,300 people have participated in entrepreneurship training, more than 560 teams have each been awarded a seed fund of HK$100,000, and over 110 start-ups have been selected to receive angel fund investment of up to $1 million each to develop and validate their business models. Over 150 experienced industrialists and successful entrepreneurs have accepted our invitation to serve as mentors.

For more information, please visit:

Laos Records Highest Ever Temperature Amid Sweltering Southeast Asian Heatwave

Laos Records Highest-Ever Temperature Last Week
A man cools himself by splashing water on his face (photo: DW.com)

Amid a heatwave raging across Southeast Asia, Laos experienced its highest-ever temperatures in history last week, according to a prominent climatologist.

Intuit QuickBooks launches QuickBooks Online Accountant in more than 170 countries around the world

In a world first, the launch of the cloud-based financial management software is free to accounting professionals around the globe

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 9 May 2023 – Intuit QuickBooks today announces global free access to QuickBooks Online Accountant (QBOA), enabling accounting professionals in 170 countries to move to the cloud faster, scale their practices and bring more value to their clients and the wider economy.

Intuit QuickBooks launches QuickBooks Online Accountant in more than 170 countries around the world

Intuit QuickBooks launches QuickBooks Online Accountant in more than 170 countries around the world

Accounting professionals make a huge contribution to the economy at a local, regional and global level, working as trusted business partners to the SMB community, which represents 90% of businesses and accounts for 70% of employment globally[1].

But their impact could be even bigger, as QuickBooks research suggests accountants are now busier than ever. Four out of 10 (43%) report they have more than 40 clients – and 86% are looking to technology to help them be more efficient and better meet client needs.

QBOA addresses this by enabling accountants to manage their practice workflow, client interactions and billing all in one place. Developed with a select group of accountants globally over the past 12 months, QBOA is a refined suite of benefits to help professional accountants move to the cloud faster and drive greater efficiency and scalability of their firms.

Access to real time insights from anywhere in the world puts professional accountants at the heart of driving informed business decisions that could positively increase small business survival rates – currently, only 51.6% of U.S. small businesses survive beyond the first five years[2].

Intuit serves more than 100 million customers worldwide and is one of the biggest software companies in the world, with Intuit QuickBooks now the first provider in the market to deliver at this scale for the accounting profession.

Lars Leber, Vice President of Intuit QuickBooks Australia, said: “Hong Kong is regularly recognized as one of the best places globally for running a business, consistently placing in the top five ‘Ease of Doing Business’ rankings. Accountants in the region play a key role in helping these businesses to adapt and prosper. With the rollout of QBOA, every accountant and bookkeeper can efficiently manage their clients from one easy-to-manage platform. Any professional accountant with an internet connection will benefit from financial management innovation fit for the modern age, while businesses benefit from improved expert support.”

Global trends and technological advancements are transforming the world of work and reshaping the future of the accountancy profession, increasingly shifting demand towards more strategic and analytical roles[3].

Hong Kong is one of the world’s most competitive business centers, with the digitization of over 360,000 SMEs, constituting more than 98% of business establishments and employing about 44% of the workforce in the private sector expected to provide further boost to the economy[4]. Accountants will be key to helping fuel local business and economic prosperity. A recent QuickBooks study suggested that 93% of UK small businesses believe their business is more likely to survive with an accountant on board.

QuickBooks Online Accountant benefits professional accountants anywhere in the world – through the following set of features:

  • Singular login and dashboard view of real-time and historic client data, current projects and deadlines;
  • Automated transactions and specific rules classifying data, minimizing manual data entries and reducing risk of errors;
  • Options to use workflows to send reminders to the right people at the right time and automate common tasks – invaluable for bookkeepers in busiest periods of the year;
  • Integrated apps providing functionality that spans reporting, inventory management, expense management, payroll, eCommerce;
  • Predictive AI-based ability to estimate income tax/VAT contributions, support self-assessment filings with automated breakdown of earnings and tax-deductible expense.

Assisted QuickBooks Online Accountant onboarding for accountant professionals and bookkeepers is free, via a Zoom session, and is focused on new clients who are new to QuickBooks, as well as any existing clients that aren’t actively using QuickBooks. It’s a hands-on, “Do-It-With-Me” session.

To celebrate the launch of the QBOA global edition, limited time only pricing bundles have also been announced. To help accountants get their small business clients started on QuickBooks online, for just the next three months, the one-dollar subscription deal will be active. One dollar (or country currency equivalent), per month, per file. The deal is available in all countries, to further support digital expansion for all accountants.

Local developers can now publish apps as part of the QuickBooks Global App Store – to include payroll, payments, inventory and purpose-built applications for specific regions – to integrate with QuickBooks. For more information and information on how to access the free QuickBooks Online Accountant platform please visit here.


[1] World Economic Forum White Paper “Future Readiness of SMEs: Mobilizing the SME Sector to Drive Widespread Sustainability and Prosperity” published 30 November 2021: https://www.weforum.org/whitepapers/future-readiness-of-smes-mobilizing-the-sme-sector-to-drive-widespread-sustainability-and-prosperity
[2] The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1994-2022: https://www.bls.gov/bdm/us_age_naics_00_table7.txt
[3] ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) “Future ready: accountancy careers in the 2020s” report. Link: https://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/ACCA_Global/professional-insights/FutureReady2020s/JamieLyon.FutureCareersAccoutancy2020s.summary.pdf
[4] The Government of Hong Kong, Trade and Industry Department, March 2023: https://www.tid.gov.hk/english/smes_industry/smes/smes_content.html

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