HKSTP and HSBC’s Sprinter 2 programme guides traditional manufacturers into a world of innovation

The jointly organised accelerator connects mid-cap corporates and SMEs in Hong Kong with global tech start-ups to boost digital transformation

Pat Chun International and Musical Electronics are among the participants exploring innovative solutions tailored to enhance their specific production processes

Paid Post:Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

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(From left) Trevor Ng, managing director of Pat Chun International Limited; Aldous Mak, chief financial officer of HKSTP; Christina Ong, head of business banking, commercial banking, Hong Kong, at HSBC; and Christopher Tse, CEO of Musical Electronics Limited, welcome the manufacturing innovations developed during the first cohort of the Sprinter 2 programme.

Published: 10:00am, 24 Aug 2021Updated: 10:00am, 24 Aug 2021

Talk of innovation is everywhere today, but what often gets lost amid all the chatter about technologies and their great potential is the difficulty in achieving impactful innovations. Among the businesses facing the toughest challenge in this area are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and traditional family- and private-owned enterprises.

Over the past year, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and HSBC produced the first cohort of their jointly organised Sprinter 2 programme, which brings Hong Kong’s small businesses and mid-cap corporates together with global tech start-ups to accelerate innovation and transformation across key industries.

This first phase was tailored for the city’s manufacturing sector, and attracted a total of 50 local manufacturers and over 40 tech start-ups from Hong Kong and around the world, including Israel, Japan, mainland China, the US and Southeast Asian countries.

Seeking a balance between tradition and modernisation

The first cohort of Sprinter 2 started in September last year and reached its final stage in August. Two of the participating companies – family-owned food producer Pat Chun International Limited, and manufacturer Musical Electronics Limited – found that their programme experiences dramatically opened them up to more widespread adoption of technology.

Pat Chun is well-known for its traditional Chinese sauces and foods, and was founded nearly 90 years ago by the grandfather of the business’ current managing director, Dr Trevor Ng. The biggest challenge for Pat Chun today is enhancing scale, productivity, hygiene and nutrition levels using automation and technology while staying true to tradition.