HKSAR Government to hold its first large-scale expo and summit on gerontechnology
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will hold its first large-scale expo and summit on gerontechnology to showcase new technology products developed in various places worldwide. The event will also explore strategies of applying technology and innovation to enhance quality of life for the elderly.
The Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit (GIES) will be held from June 16 to 18 at Halls 3D and 3E of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event is co-hosted by the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), and co-organised by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP). The GIES is one of the celebration events for the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR.
Gerontechnology is an interdisciplinary field of scientific research and product development in which innovations in technology are directed towards caring for elderly persons. It aims at helping the elderly to live in the community and institutions comfortably, healthily and independently while remaining closely connected to the community and their families. The application of gerontechnology covers all facets of daily living including healthcare, home design, food, personal hygiene and care, digital communication and mobility enhancement.
The Head of the Policy and Project Co-ordination Unit of the Chief Secretary for Administration’s Private Office, Ms Doris Ho, said at the press conference today (May 31) that the proportion of the elderly in Hong Kong’s population is expected to increase from the existing 17 per cent to more than 30 per cent in 20 years. The elderly people of this new era are healthy, active and better educated, she said, adding that the Government, while striving to enhance social and healthcare facilities and services to cope with increasing demands, should also promote a wider application of innovative technology and service models so as to provide a better quality of life for the elderly today as well as the future cohorts. Ms Ho noted that the increasing elderly population should not be perceived as a social burden, as population ageing also brings opportunities and developments.
Ms Ho said the objective of the GIES is to promote community awareness and knowledge on the application of gerontechnology. The Summit will enable stakeholders from different parts of the world and disciplines to exchange views and share experience in order to shed light on the strategy for further promoting development of gerontechnology in Hong Kong.
The GIES will consist of two parts: the Expo and the Summit, both to be held side by side for three consecutive days from June 16 to 18 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The opening of the Summit will be officiated by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, and the Chairperson of the HKCSS, Mr Bernard Chan. The World Health Organization’s Representative in China, Dr Bernhard Schwartländer, and the Secretary General of the International Federation on Ageing, Dr Jane Barratt, will deliver keynote speeches on the theme of “Ageing in the technological era”. On June 16 and 17, the Summit will have four plenary sessions in which international, Mainland and local experts and stakeholders will exchange views on issues related to population ageing and gerontechnology. The Healthy Ageing Summit, co-ordinated by the HKSTP, will be held on June 18. Leading international and local academics and practitioners will speak on innovations and technologies focusing on treatment and care for diseases affecting the elderly.
As regards the Expo, the approximately 5,000-square-metre exhibition floor will house more than 100 local and international exhibitors to showcase their inventions and products. At the press conference, the Chief Executive of the HKCSS, Mr Chua Hoi-wai, introduced some of the products to be exhibited, including an automatic toileting aid system, a smart phone book and an infrared thermal sensing safety alert system for the elderly. These products can help enhance the quality of life of the elderly and provide great convenience for their carers. Some products to be shown at the Expo will be exhibited for the first time in Hong Kong.
In addition to the exhibition and the Summit, more than 20 sessions of workshops and briefings will be held at the event, with focuses on specific streams of products or services such as application of robots, elderly food, elderly product design, smart city development, smartphone applications for the elderly, walking aids and digital healthcare.
The GIES is designed for all sectors of the community and the general public, especially stakeholders in elderly care and the services sector, elderly persons and their family members and caregivers. The Expo, the plenary sessions of the Summit and the workshops will be open to the public for free. Those who are interested may visit the event website (http://gies2017.hkcss.org.hk) for more information and pre-registration for attendance at various sessions. A social media page (www.facebook.com/gies2017) has also been set up for sharing relevant information.
