AIA Hong Kong fully supports social innovation

PRESS RELEASE

AIA Hong Kong fully supports social innovation

22 May 2024

"AIA Creator Fund" provides funding and training to five newly awarded projects encompassing medical technology, environmental protection, and career development for the underprivileged, helping build a more sustainable future for Hong Kong

AIA Hong Kong is committed to giving back to the community and promoting social innovation through a diverse range of activities. In 2022, the company launched a youth-inspired co-creation programme providing funding and practical guidance, among other benefits, to help winners implement their entrepreneurial plans and drive the development of creative economy in Hong Kong.

The new iteration, the "AIA Creator Fund" social innovation competition, began accepting applications in last September and saw a tremendous response, receiving nearly a thousand social innovation proposals within just two months. In the end, the esteemed panel of judges, including Mr Francis Ngai, Founder and CEO of Social Ventures Hong Kong, Mr Joe Yau, Chief Technology Officer and CEO of OpenRice, and Mr Marcus Shiu, Associate Executive Director of Agent of Change Foundation, selected five innovative projects for their potential to address critical social needs in diverse fields ranging from medical technology and environmental recycling to supporting career development for the underprivileged.

In addition to winning total funding of HK$5 million for project development, the awardees also received a series of training and guidance workshops arranged by AIA Hong Kong to help them optimise their social innovation projects, reach larger target audiences and benefit more target groups. Mr Alger Fung, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Hong Kong & Macau, and Ms Melissa Wong, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer of AIA Hong Kong & Macau, have also met the winners to exchange and share views on their projects.

Mr Fung commented, "AIA Hong Kong has been supporting the sustainable development of the society through diverse initiatives. AIA Creator Fund was launched to support creative social innovation ideas that address societal issues in a targeted manner and meet the needs of different groups. It also serves as a unique platform to connect the Creator Fund winners with outstanding leaders from different sectors, from whom they can gain valuable insights and guidance. We wish to bring like-minded partners together and join force for the sustainable future for Hong Kong and help people live 'Healthier, Longer, Better Lives'."

Besides the funding award, AIA Hong Kong has also arranged for the winners different workshops covering topics like market strategies and financial management. Leaders and professionals from different fields such as Mr KK Tsang, CEO of The Bees, Mr Louis Hou, former CEO of Dialogue In the Dark (HK) Foundation Limited, Mr William Chung, Deputy Executive Director of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, and Mr Peter Lee, Senior Manager, Community Investment and Employee Engagement of Kerry Holdings Limited, guided the winners from market positioning, project development with prudent financial management, team-building, talent acquisition, to collaborating with other businesses, helping the winners to make the biggest social impact with their projects.

AIA Hong Kong fully supports social innovation and seeks to drive sustainable development through its "AIA Creator Fund". Pictured are Mr Alger Fung, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Hong Kong & Macau (middle), and Ms Melissa Wong, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer of AIA Hong Kong & Macau (third from left), presenting the award to the five winners.

Mr Alger Fung, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Hong Kong & Macau, and Ms Melissa Wong, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer of AIA Hong Kong & Macau, talk with the winners to exchange views on their award-winning social innovation projects.

The five winners receive training and guidance from experienced industry professionals to help them enhance their initiatives to bring wider positive impact to society.

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About AIA Hong Kong & Macau

AIA Group Limited established its operations in Hong Kong in 1931. To date, AIA Hong Kong and AIA Macau have over 17,000 financial planners¹, as well as an extensive network of brokerage and bancassurance partners. We serve over 3.5 million customers², offering them a wide selection of professional services and products ranging from individual life, group life, accident, medical and health, pension and personal lines insurance to investment-linked assurance schemes with numerous investment options. We are also dedicated to providing superb product solutions to meet the financial needs of high-net-worth customers.

¹ As at 31 December 2023
² Including AIA Hong Kong and AIA Macau's individual life, group insurance and pension customers (as at 31 December 2023)

AIA Hong Kong
Ms. Esther Chan
+852 2110 1416

Start PR
Ms Vanesse Lai

+852 6762 0215

Appendix: AIA Creator Fund

Overview of Winners' Projects

Winners	Overview
Turzo Bose	As Turzo's grandfather grew older, his vision deteriorated, making it difficult to keep up with his daily habit of reading newspapers. His grandfather's diminished quality of life got Turzo thinking about how he could apply his engineering background to improve the lives of visually impaired individuals. Turzo and his team went on to develop Seekr, an intelligent assistive lens that captures real-time visual information for computation and then provides audio feedback describing the scenes and text appearing in front of visually impaired individuals, including their distance from objects. Turzo hopes the technology can help visually impaired people regain their independence. He expects to benefit 150 visually impaired individuals within this year.
Florence Chan	While pursuing her PhD studies, Florence Chan once witnessed several visually impaired individuals overcoming obstacles and manoeuvring through crosswalks with great perseverance. Noting their reliance on primitive means of mobility despite recent advancements in navigation technology, she was inspired to embark on a journey with her partner, Steve, and her team to develop GUIDi, an intelligent waistbelt catering specially for the visually impaired community. Leveraging machine vision, real-time AI computing and tactile feedback, this innovative device utilises vibrations and sound cues to assist visually impaired individuals with navigation. Florence and her team continue to refine this remarkable solution with the ultimate aim of having the waistbelt replace conventional aids such as canes and guide dogs, completely transforming the way visually impaired individuals commute. The first batch of intelligent waistbelts will be launched in September this year.
Gary Cheung	Gary Cheung proudly serves as a key member of Hong Kong's only paper beverage carton recycling plant. Apart from overseeing day-to-day recycling operations, Gary actively engages with the public to promote environmental awareness. In line with this objective, he launched a community recycling service, Mil bus, that reaches residential estates across Hong Kong. Through this innovative initiative, Gary collects various reusable resources while providing a range of services to residents such as book exchange programmes, appliance and kitchenware repairs, and workshops on green living and initiatives. His unwavering commitment to fostering community connections and instilling environmental values has made him a true champion for a greener future in Hong Kong. He is planning to leverage the funding from the AIA Creator Fund to hire more staff and increase the frequency of Mil bus operations for an expected 30% increase in participation, bringing the concept of environmental conservation to the community.
Comma Leung	Comma Leung, a university graduate in visual communication design, established her own design studio upon graduation. In a bid to raise public awareness for vulnerable communities, she actively involves individuals with disabilities in the art, design and production processes, aiming to empower them while also helping them generate income. Apart from her existing ventures, Comma is also planning to establish an inclusive art platform, In:visible art. Individuals with disabilities and designers collaboratively create commercial design assets that can be sold to businesses for branding, gift packaging, spatial design and more. A portion of the licensing fees will be shared with the diverse artists involved in the creation process. By introducing this new concept, Comma aims to change the perception that marginalised communities can only be recipients of assistance. They strive to encourage the business sector to take an extra step towards inclusivity, fostering a society where every individual is respected.
Jojo Xu	While taking care of his family, Jojo discovered that stairs had become an obstacle for one wheelchair-bound family member. In response, he embarked on a mission to empower individuals with limited mobility by enabling them to move freely and independently. With relentless determination, Jojo and his team successfully developed a revolutionary smart wheelchair, TenK, which is capable of traversing various terrains and even conquering staircases. This ground-breaking innovation also comes equipped with cutting-edge features including intelligent environmental sensing and advanced navigational capabilities. Jojo plans to provide stair-climbing wheelchairs to 100 residential buildings without elevators this year, allowing elderly individuals with mobility challenges to regain access to the community.

AIA Group Limited is incorporated in Hong Kong with limited liability.
"AIA Hong Kong & Macau", "AIA Hong Kong", "AIA Macau", "AIA" or "the Company" herein refers to the Hong Kong Branch and/or Macau Branch of AIA International Limited (Incorporated in Bermuda with limited liability).
"Hong Kong" and "Macau" herein refer to "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "Macao Special Administrative Region", respectively.