Innovation expo promises to be just out of this world

The latest scientific breakthroughs from Hong Kong and the mainland will be showcased in the city next month, including 25 top local developments and 50 national exhibits covering aerospace, land, and ocean exploration, some of which will be on display here for the first time.

Among the exhibits at the InnoTech Expo 2022 are replicas of China’s first Mars rover and a launch pad from the country’s inaugural mission to the red planet.

Researchers from Polytechnic University assisted the 2020 mission, known as Tianwen-1, through the design of a “Mars camera” for the rover and the development of a topographical survey technique to identify possible landing spots.

“The aim of large-scale events like this is to bring the country’s latest scientific achievements to Hong Kong, to let Hongkongers understand national scientific development and inspire youngsters to develop an interest in science and innovation, as well as encourage more young blood to participate in this important pillar of national development,” said Tsui Lap-chee, advisory group convenor of the expo.

Returning after a four-year hiatus in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and social unrest in 2019, the event will allow the public close-up access to the items.

Groundbreaking work by Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, associate dean of research from Chinese University’s faculty of medicine, is among the items featured in the 10-day expo.

Lo’s work has been widely used in non-invasive prenatal analyses to detect Down’s syndrome and to perform liquid biopsies for diagnosing cancer.

“It was a difficult task selecting the exhibits, as we had around 50 nominations from around 10 universities and research organisation,” said Christopher Chao Yu-hang, vice-president in research and innovation from Polytechnic University.

Chao was one of the experts appointed to the selection panel by organiser Our Hong Kong Foundation.

“The entries were very strong. They didn’t just display strength in basic research, but also in application and social impact.”

Besides celebrating local talent, exhibits will feature the mainland’s latest innovations, including spacesuits and soil samples collected from the moon.

The free exhibition is at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from December 12 to December 22.