Press Release
For immediate release
Winners of Techstyle for Social Good International Online Competition 2020
3rd September 2020 – The Mills Fabrica announces the winners of the Techstyle for Social Good International Online Competition 2020, co-organized with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Supporting Techstyle Innovations for Social Good
Now in its second year, the Techstyle for Social Good Competition supports and celebrates techstyle (technology and lifestyle) innovations from students and graduates from around the world focusing on apparel/textiles and agri/food tech (a newly added category for 2020). Designed to encourage young innovators to apply with their ideas and solutions that are making a positive impact on society for the greater good, the competition saw over 100 submitted projects worldwide from Hong Kong, the US, UK and more.
The first of the two categories, apparel/textiles, includes: 1) new materials and supply chain innovations, 2) wearables and products merging technology and design and 3) new retail experiences and platforms. While the second category, agri/food tech, is a new addition to the competition this year and includes: 1) agritech – farming management, supply chain and distribution, logistics, transparency and traceability, 2) food tech – novel ingredients and new food brands/products and 3) food retail – platforms, marketplaces, kitchen and retail tech, food waste management and circular solutions. Applicants’ projects were assessed based on 4 key criteria: creativity, sustainability, innovation and impact to society, by a judging panel of renowned industry experts in the apparel/textiles and food tech fields including Adidas Group, Asia Value Advisors, Bolt Threads, Food-X, H&M Foundation, The Good Food Institute, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel.
The Prize Winners
Techstyle Grand Prize: Tômtex
Tômtex biomaterial is created from shell seafood waste and coffee ground to produce a customizable, fully compostable faux leather material (https://www.tomtex.co/)
I am deeply honoured to be the winner of the Techstyle Grand Prize this year. This award not only provides critical funding for my research, but also provides key support for my future career. I am very excited to see what the future holds for Tômtex.
– Uyen Tran, Parsons School of Design – The New School
Techstyle Special Prize in Apparel/Textiles: Mitt
Mitt is a prothesis that has a flexible socket with rigid regions to provide support whilst being lightweight and comfortable (https://www.yourkoalaa.com/)
The Mitt team is delighted to be awarded the Techstyle Special Prize in Apparel and Textiles. We’re really looking forward to working at the lab space and making the most of this opportunity to progress our product development. We hope to push our contributions to the techstyle industry even further!
– Nate Macabuag, Gino La and Sanish Mistry, Imperial College London; Elena Slobodyuk, Loughborough University
Techstyle Special Prize in Food Tech: AquaTech – Immortality Indoor ECO Aquaculture System
Immortality Indoor ECO Aquaculture System is an indoor close-looped aquaponic eco-system, producing low-polluting indoor sustainable aquatic products, fruits and herbs
In this era of rapid technology acceleration, traditional industries are facing market saturation. To achieve sustainable development and to revitalise the declining industries, it is crucial to merge innovative technologies into companies’ everyday operations. We are more than delighted to have the chance to meet innovators from around the globe on this amazing platform, and hopefully be able to explore some exciting business opportunities.
– Sunny Lee, Lingnan University; Ka Wai Chum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK); Hin Hang Sin, South China University of Technology; Shing Chiu Law, Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education
Techstyle Community Prize: Advanced Sous-vide Aseptic Packaging
Advanced sous-vide aseptic packaging (ASAP) enables food sterilization at relatively low temperatures between 60 to 80 degrees. Fresh meat can be made sterile and therefore be stored at room temperatures for up to two years (https://www.ixon.com.hk/)
We are honoured to have received the Community Prize from this year’s Techstyle for Social Good competition. The platform enabled us to showcase our technological achievements in past years and to build relationships with the online community, as is evident from the overwhelming number of likes and comments for our video.
– Felix Cheung and Elton Ho, Hong Kong Baptist University; Keith Tong, City University of Hong Kong
What the Future Holds
All of the winners will receive essential support to develop their projects including residency at The Mills Fabrica in Hong Kong with mentorship, access to flexible coworking space, use of Fabrica Lab for prototyping and experimentation, attend and participate in industry events with The Mills Fabrica’s partners and community, showcase opportunities, and a cash prize.
“With The Mills Fabrica’s support, our hope is that the innovators will become better-equipped with the knowledge, skills, resources and connections to transform their projects into successful businesses and apply their innovative solutions to solving real problems that society faces today.”
– Vanessa Cheung, Founder, The Mills & Managing Director, Nan Fung Development Ltd.
On behalf of The Mills Fabrica, we would like to give a special thank you to all of the judges, supporting organizations and schools/universities that participated and supported us throughout, and we look forward to continuing to nurture techstyle innovations together.
For media enquiries please contact:
Cindy Law
Marketing, The Mills Fabrica
Email: cindy.law@themills.com.hk
Phone: +852 3979 2311 / +852 6739 0543
About The Mills
The Mills is Nan Fung Group’s landmark revitalization project transforming its former textile factories into a new destination for heritage and innovation. It is essentially a reinvention story, preserving the best of Hong Kong’s past and combining it with the future to offer a new platform for inspiration and creativity. The Mills represents the movement ‘from textile to techstyle’, symbolizing the transition from its heritage to innovation, from old to new.
The Mills is composed of 3 pillars:
1) Fabrica – a business incubator, fund and space/lab/store for techstyle startups and strategic partners – companies at the intersection of technology and style www.themillsfabrica.com
2) Shopfloor – experiential retail; an expression of Hong Kong’s evolving character www.themills.com.hk/en/
3) CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile) – non-profit art centre interweaving textile arts, history and science www.mill6chat.org
About The Mills Fabrica
The Mills Fabrica is a business incubator, fund and space/lab/store for techstyle startups and strategic partners — companies at the intersection of technology and lifestyle. Fabrica Incubator onboards startups with great potential and puts them through an intensive program of self-improvement, practical business guidance, and marketing exposure while Fabrica Fund invests in leading techstyle entrepreneurs creating the future. Fabrica Space provides members with flexible co-working space to create and share ideas with like-minded entrepreneurs, whilst Fabrica Lab allows for experimentation and prototyping in a collaborative environment with state-of-the-art machinery and equipment. Techstyle X is our very own store located on The Mills Shopfloor which showcases the latest techstyle innovations to the public. Fabrica is dedicated to co-creating techstyle startup success stories and a global techstyle community, a catalytic hub where new ideas spark and game changing collaboration takes off. www.themillsfabrica.com
About The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is a world-class research university, ranking among the world’s top 100 institutions. A home for educating thinkers, communicators and discoverers in delivering positive impact, the university is committed to training tomorrow’s leaders today, through a professionally-oriented education that delivers graduates unrivaled placements to thrive in businesses and industries. https://www.polyu.edu.hk
