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Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, and with the Catalonia Trade and Investment and InvestHK acting as the event's strategic partners, the Hong Kong Technology Pavilion and ICT Mission to the MWC Barcelona 2019 (the Mission) is to promote Hong Kong's excellence in ICT, telecommunication, mobile and smart city technology.

The Mission is the latest of a series of the HKTDC co-organised initiatives to offer start-ups with opportunities to learn, to grow and to connect with the market players. Last year, the programme "Start-up Express" offered dozens of start-ups a comprehensive range of supporting activities ranging from workshops, seminars, study missions, to trade and brand promotions.

Several winners at the Start-up Express 2018 take advantages of the trade and brand promotions at the MWC Barcelona 2019. Previously known as Mobile World Congress, MWC Barcelona is the largest mobile event in the world, bringing together the latest innovations and technology from thousands of leading companies, while the conference programmes never fail to attract renowned speakers and top business decision-makers.

Accommodating 23 Hong Kong companies, the Hong Kong Technology Pavilion will be staged at the MWC Barcelona, February 25-28, 2019. Among the featured solutions of the Hong Kong Technology Pavilion will be wireless technologies, telecommunications, IoT, GIS-based and wearable tech solutions.

Innovative Display on Glass Surface

Film Players Limited, founded by chemist Toby So and a proud winner at the Start-up Express 2018, carried out research and development on “smart film” in association with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), which was founded by the governments of Spain and Portugal.

"The INL is our research partner on the [Iberian] peninsula," says So, who is also the company's CEO. "Our latest development, Dyno Film, features dynamic type displays, greatly expanding the technology's capability, so that now the display is not limited to numeric or simple patterns."

Participation in the MWC Barcelona 2019 serves Film Players two purposes, So adds. First, the company hopes to make the best possible opportunity of the world-renowned platform to find new customers and partners, who will work with Film Players on licence for their smart film integration solution. Secondly, and most significantly for start-ups, the MWC Barcelona 2019 will be an opportunity to seek out new investors.

Making Energy Grid Smarter

Also with a multinational background, the recently established Synap Technologies Hong Kong is a technology company specialising in offering secured wireless solution in smart grid connectivity; it is a Hong Kong-based operation with Sweden-based product development in Stockholm.

Playing a central role in the operation is Frank Tsui, CEO of Synap Technologies Hong Kong, who has 15 years of innovation and wireless technology start-up experience, in Finland and Hong Kong.

There is a good case for the operation to be Hong Kong based. "The advanced manufacturing facilities and main supply chain activities are in southern China, making Hong Kong particularly suited to playing the role of connecting with business partners. We are just a short ride or flight from many partners," says Tsui.

This year's participation marks the company's first exhibition at the MWC Barcelona, although Tsui is well versed with the leading mobile exhibition in Europe. The company plans to make the best of the MWC Barcelona 2019 to promote a new solution, and to connect with potential partners in the business of smart grid, in particular the solution providers around the world.

The company will start the pilot run of its latest solution in association with Honeywell, an international energy management company, for its integration metering system in Southeast Asia.

  

Surfing on Solid Ground

Koofy Innovation has a playful nature, literally. Established in 2015, it is specialised in the development, design and application of Sense and Motion Technology (SMT).

It may sound sophisticated to untrained ears, but its first launched product, Surfwheel, is a self-balanced one-wheel skateboard which people are seen "surfing", moving with ease on any smooth surface.

Another winner at the Start-up Express 2018, and with its top executive being invited to speak at the Asian Financial Forum held recently at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre sharing the Start-up Express experience as a winning start-up, Koofy Innovation has secured partners in such major markets as the US, Australia and Japan.

However, the European market represents a whole new challenge. "It's important for our company to participate at a leading-edge exhibition in Europe if we want to open up the EU market," says Ondy Ma, co-founder and CEO of the company, observing the more fragmented nature of European markets. "MWC Barcelona is appropriate for us to promote our technology."

Changing the Way People Appreciate 3D Videos

In addition to hosting many exciting new start-ups, the Mission proves equally attractive to more established technology firms. Again this year Marvel Digital returns to the MWC Barcelona; the fourth time in as many years.

By joining the Mission, says Patrick Wong, Marvel Digital's Senior Sales Manager, the company gains many benefits. "In addition to the exposure gained at the exhibition, the Mission organisers bring us added opportunities to connect with potential partners in Europe, and they can learn more about our company and our solutions."

The company has been keen to explore opportunities concerning international collaboration. Last year, it joined the "Think Global, Think Hong Kong" business promotion organised by the HKTDC in Tokyo, getting insights and business intelligence on a series of topics of the market.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, Marvel Digital was founded in 2005 by current Chairman and CEO Dr Herbert Lee. Its aim - to create the "future of imaging" - has served the company well, and their success has attracted the attention of the international technology community. It is now a subsidiary of NASDAQ-listed Integrated Media Technology Limited.

Last December, the company’s glasses-free 3D Video Wall was used to make a 10-metre-long video wall at the Hong Kong Museum of History, when a "naked-eye 3D video" was shown during the exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of China's reform.