Hong Kong ICT Awards 2025: Smart Mobility Award

Background

The Hong Kong ICT Awards (HKICTA) aims at recognising and promoting outstanding information and communications technology (ICT) inventions and applications, thereby encouraging innovation and excellence among Hong Kong’s ICT talent and enterprises in their constant pursuit of creative and better solutions to meet business and social needs. 
 
The HKICTA was established in 2006 with the collaborative efforts of the industry, academia and the Government. Organised by the Digital Policy Office, and led by Hong Kong ICT industry associations and professional bodies, the Awards aims at building a locally espoused and internationally acclaimed brand of ICT awards.
 
There are eight categories under the HKICTA 2025.  There will be one Grand Award in each category, and an “Award of the Year” will be selected from the eight Grand Awards by the Grand Judging Panel. In addition, in a bid to foster the innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI), a "Best Use of AI" award winner will be selected in each of the eight categories to magnify and honour outstanding achievements in harnessing the power of AI in respective areas.

Objective

1. Building Hong Kong as a Smart City with innovative ICT applications

Smart Mobility plays a pivotal role in building a smart city by enhancing its transportation & logistics systems, promoting sustainability, improving quality of life, and fostering economic growth. Smart mobility is a critical component of any smart city, it involves optimizing transportation, infrastructure, connectivity and communications in order to improve the sustainability, efficiency, safety, convenience, and provide better mobility options for citizens. A smart city should be connected and citizen-centric to enhance the interconnectedness of every aspect of daily life, provide better quality of live, meeting the evolving needs of citizens, and achieving a higher level of city competitiveness. 

The award aims to encourage the development and innovation of applications, leveraging the integration of Internet of Things (IoT), intelligent transportation systems, connected & autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, big data and analytics, geospatial technologies, robotic, 5G, augmented & virtual reality, smart energy management, as well as mobile applications, to enhance the flow of people, goods, and tourists. By integrating the technologies cohesively, it helps improve the experiences of citizens and visitors, enhance the sustainability and mobility for a smarter Hong Kong. 
 

2. Championing HK as a Hub for IT Talents, Creativity and Innovations

The award will serve as a platform to facilitate the dynamic and transparent exchange of expertise with renowned ICT professionals in the community, to sparkle and co-create innovative ideas, to nurture technology talents, to build an ICT ecosystem, and to showcase Hong Kong as a hub for IT Innovation. 

We hope that through various initiatives and activities, including recognition & promotion of excellence and innovation, knowledge sharing, nurturing and advocacy efforts, it will further stimulate creativity and drive innovation. GS1 HK will also nominate appropriate winners to participate at other regional and global awards competition.
 

3. Inspiring Local Industry Adoption

Innovation and technology are drivers for economic growth and the key to enhance business competitiveness. Award winning cases attest to successful implementation, helping users in Transport, Logistics and Tourism industries to understand the value of smart business applications, encouraging industry adoption, creating a mutually beneficial interaction between technology and business sectors. These lead to a sustainable eco-system of technology-driven new business paradigm which not only improves the daily lives of users but also brings jobs, innovation, and the creation of new start-ups with high-growth potential.

Award Streams

Smart Transport

Smart Transport refers to the integration of advanced technologies and innovative solutions to improve transport experience and convenience for users, enhance traffic efficiency, safety levels and environmental sustainability. It can create a seamless, passenger-centric travel experience while minimising the impact on environment. 

The objective of this stream aims at using ICT, sensors, location-based services, computer vision, real-time data analytics, etc., making mobility ‘intelligent’, optimise traffic flow, transportation accessibility and efficiency, reducing congestion and energy consumption, improving the flow of people, safety and liveability, thus, enhancing the quality of life for citizens and contributing to a more sustainable environment.
 

Smart Logistics

Smart Logistics refers to the application of advanced technologies and data-driven solutions to enhance the efficiency, visibility, resilience and sustainability of logistics and supply chain operations. With IOT, intelligent tools, automation, AI and data technologies, Smart Logistics brings end-to-end supply chain visibility, streamlines the entire logistics process.

The objective of this stream aims at using technologies innovatively to improve end-to-end visibility, increase cost efficiency & transparency, enhance distribution management, automate information flow, streamline and optimise supply chains and logistics operations, helping the logistics industry to reduce fragmentation, adapt to the fast changing landscape, and achieve a more sustainable and green supply chain.
 

Smart Tourism

Smart technologies are changing consumer experiences and are generating creative tourism business models. Big data, AI, mobile apps, location-based services, geo-tag services, facial recognition, digital connectivity, virtual reality, augmented reality, web3 & metaverse, and social networking platforms are all cutting-edge examples of smart technologies enhancing tourism experiences and services. 

The objective of this stream aims at using technologies innovatively to achieve resource optimization, maximise competitiveness and enhance sustainability for the tourism industry. Also, to offer tourists seamless, personalized and sustainable travel experiences, and enhance tourists' information accessibility and convenience, transportation, dining, shopping, entertainment and accommodation experience. 

Prizes and Benefits for Winners

The remarkable achievements of the Awards winners (Gold/Silver/Bronze) will be recognised by customers, organisations, the ICT industry practitioners and across the community. Winners will be entitled —

• to receive trophies (Gold/Silver/Bronze) of the HKICTA;
• to display the official logo of the HKICTA in their promotional materials;
• to participate in various promotional campaigns to publicise their achievements;
• to be supported for entering into other regional and international awards and competitions;
• to 3 months free access to co-working space in Hong Kong Science Park Incubation Centre for eligible SMEs1;
• to participate in investment matching activities co-organised by the Hong Kong Venture Investment and Business Angel Network Limited (HKBAN) and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP);
• to 3 months free access to Flexi Space in Cyberport Smart-Space for SMEs2; and
• to free participation in some large-scale local ICT events (e.g. InnoEX) for marketing exposure.
   
  Grand Award winners will also be entitled —
   
• to receive Green Channel Interview (conditional3 ) offer of “HK Tech 300 Seed Fund” by City University of Hong Kong (CityU). The awardee will receive a seed fund of up to HKD100,000 and other support from the programme after passing the interview. (https://www.cityu.edu.hk/hktech300/about-hk-tech-300/hk-tech-300-seed-fund)
   
  Further details and conditions are available at the website: www.hkictawards.hk

Notes:

1. HKSTP offers 1 free seat access to co-working space in Hong Kong Science Park Incubation Centre for 3 months (assigned by HKSTP, subject to availability) to SMEs who are HKICTA 2025 Gold, Silver or Bronze award winners.

2. Cyberport offers 1 free Flexi Space in Cyberport Smart-Space for 3 months to SMEs who are HKICTA 2025 Gold, Silver or Bronze award winners. The number of flexi-desk offered to the Winners is capped to 32. Given the quota, flexi-desk will be offered on a first-come-first-served basis and subject to the availability. Winner shall submit application to Cyberport for the offered flexi-desk on or before 31 March 2026 after the announcement of results. Any submission after the deadline will become ineligible.
3. 1. Either one of the startup's founders is associated with CityU, such as a student / alumnus / research assistant; or 2. The team should identify at least one CityU’s intellectual property (IP) for evaluation use and development if there is no associated founder. (https://www.cityu.edu.hk/hktech300/cityu-intellectual-property)

Registration link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-lrfRp6Nu1m32M3XzQnZ7PJ7KGQVNGUAdPTtPFLVwFrcTXg/viewform

Enquiry: ictawards@gs1hk.org