2020 was a year that Hong Kong’s social innovation proliferated. Start-ups and tech companies unleashed their creativity in droves to aid anti-pandemic efforts and to help people mitigate the challenges of COVID-19.

To recognise the people and organisations whose IT solutions and services have made remarkable contributions to the society, the Hong Kong Computer Society (HKCS) launched the Pandemic Innovative Digital Solution Awards (PIDSA) 2020. In addition to acknowledging the greats, the HKCS wishes to promote wider application of the solutions, foster collaboration across industries, and gather strength to triumph over the pandemic together.

Among the thirteen awards in five categories including one exclusively for students, four of the awards were conferred on members of the Cyberport community.

The winners include WildFaces.ai (Outstanding Tracking and Surveillance Award), Rice Robotics HK (Outstanding Productivity Award), and Snapask and GRWTH (Outstanding Education Award). Their vision-based AI systems for organisational facilities management, autonomous delivery and disinfection robots, and remote learning solutions have been widely embraced across Hong Kong.

Peter Yan, CEO of Cyberport, said, “Cyberport and its community of start-ups remain committed to combatting the epidemic with the rest of society through technology. We are glad to see four of our start-ups and their solutions recognised for their contributions in the fight against the virus alongside government organisations and other enterprises. Cyberport will continue to work with its start-ups to help society navigate the new normal, all whilst promoting the development of Hong Kong as a smart city.”

Other winning solutions included those that facilitate quarantine monitoring (LSCM / Compathnion Technology), organising online events (Midas FMS Limited), disinfecting premises (Hong Kong Communications Co. Ltd), managing hospitals (Hospital Authority), contactless lift buttons (Hong Kong Productivity Council), as well as mood boosting and remote learning (by three secondary schools and a vocational training institute).

PIDSA 2020 is a brand-new range of awards created by the HKCS and was supported by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, Cyberport, and other professional and industry bodies.