HKSTP & Microsoft Hong Kong Kick Off City’s Transformation Into Internet of Things (IoT) Hub

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) injects more than one million US Dollars to develop the IoT industry via the IoT Innovation Platform, the first of its kind in Asia

Hong Kong, 19 May 2015 – Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (“HKSTP”) and Microsoft Hong Kong Limited announced a partnership today that aims to raise the IoT industry in Hong Kong to the world stage, by providing IoT developers with unprecedented support to enhance their product offerings.

This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) includes the creation of the IoT Innovation Platform and a dedicated cloud-based Data Analytics environment at Hong Kong Science Park. IoT developers, including students, startups, and traditional independent software vendors who want to expand their solution portfolios or add value through IoT, will receive proof of concept support, can consult experts for advice and attend training sessions, and will be able to accelerate their development of IoT solutions through cloud services and tools.

“Our collaboration with Microsoft Hong Kong to create the IoT Innovation Platform and Data Analytics environment at Hong Kong Science Park, is a testament to Hong Kong’s unlimited potential as an Internet of Things hub,” said Mr Allen Ma, Chief Executive Officer, HKSTP. “The city has attracted numerous IoT developers and many of them have chosen Hong Kong Science Park as their base of operations because of the unique collaborative and inspiring environment, as well as the full range of available technical and marketing services. We currently have 90 IoT companies at Science Park working on IoT-related projects. Their work includes a wide range of endeavours ranging from data security and IoT enabled ERP systems. These companies are agile and react quickly to rising trends with tailored solutions to meet changing customer needs.”

Mr Allen Ma added, “The next few years will be key for Hong Kong’s development into an IoT hub, as we push developers to achieve even more, train the next generation of IoT specialists as well as nurture startups and young ICT companies. The technical infrastructure is already in place and Hong Kong’s high smartphone adoption and broadband penetration rates makes big data readily available. We’re confident that Hong Kong will become the location of choice for IoT solutions in the Asia-Pacific region and the world in the near future.”

Horace Chow, General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong Limited said, “It’s our pleasure to join forces with HKSTP to help Hong Kong become a central hub for IoT development in Asia. Microsoft Hong Kong and HKSTP have already been working together in areas such as nurturing startups, and this partnership is a natural extension of our existing collaboration. Microsoft HongKong’s investment in this MoU is closely aligned with our SparkHK initiative, which is aimed at empowering Hong Kong’s growth and competitiveness through innovation.”

Gary Sun, General Manager of Microsoft Asia-Pacific Technology Company Ltd. (MATL) said, “The economic and social benefits that come with the development of the IoT industry in Hong Kong are numerous. With MATL’s IoT expertise, which is the best in the world, and our experience in helping Mainland China customers to succeed in the IoT industry, we’re very excited to collaborate with HKSTP to re-energise traditional industries in Hong Kong and create big data job vacancies in the next five years. I’m confident that this collaboration to create the IoT Innovation Platform will take the technology industry in Hong Kong to the next level.”

HKSTP and Microsoft Hong Kong will jointly contribute resources and technical expertise under this MOU. This includes free Azure services through BizSpark for startups, an Azure IoT Starter Kit, training facilities, staff support, and advisory services.

For more information on HKSTP, please visit www.hkstp.org.

For more information on Microsoft Hong Kong, please visit www.microsoft.com.

Please click here for download this press release.

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About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Comprising Science Park, InnoCentre and Industrial Estates, Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is a statutory body dedicated to building a vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem to connect stakeholders, nurture technology talents, facilitate collaboration, and catalyse innovations to deliver social and economic benefits to Hong Kong and the region.

Established in May 2001, HKSTP has been driving the development of Hong Kong into a regional hub for innovation and growth in several focused clusters including Electronics, Information Communications and Technology, Green Technology, Biomedical Technology, Materials and Precision Engineering. We enable science and technology companies to nurture ideas, innovate and grow, supported by our R&D facilities, infrastructure, and market-led laboratories and technical centres with professional support services. We also offer value added services and comprehensive incubation programmes for technology start-ups to accelerate their growth.

Technology businesses benefit from our specialised services and infrastructure at Science Park for applied research and product development; enterprises can find creative design support at InnoCentre; while skill-intensive businesses are served by our three industrial estates at Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long.

More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft Hong Kong was established in 1991.