Hong Kong Cyberport and STEM+E Consortium are pleased to present the STEM+E Summit x EdTech Demo Day.

From cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data and blockchain to daily life applications including FinTech, smart living and digital entertainment solutions, the digital economy’s major growth engines are all technology-driven. It’s no wonder why tech-savvy talent is in huge demand.

STEM education is the key that open the doors of innovation and technology for our younger generation. It paves the way for young people to seize future job opportunities, or to become entrepreneurs with their own technology venture businesses.

Hong Kong’s Government is committed to promoting STEM education and has allocated tremendous resources to help primary and secondary schools implement relevant initiatives. However, these efforts by the government and schools are not just the foundation. Teachers need well-designed and comprehensive teaching materials and solutions to support their teaching. To this end, the innovation and technology sector can be a useful and an important partner.

Cyberport houses more than a hundred EdTech start-ups, many of which specialise in STEM education solutions or have technological innovation that inspire STEM Education. The demo day aims to provide a platform for teachers and other educators to learn about STEM education solutions that can facilitate their work and ease their pressure. These solutions come from both Cyberport community and the external market. For schools looking for EdTech solutions, Cyberport is delighted to bridge them to relevant start-ups.

I would also like to express my most sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, Hong Kong Science Park and STEM PLUS for their support of this event.

The demo day is just the beginning. Cyberport will continue to promote EdTech development, and to support the education sector’s digital transformation through ongoing activities and initiatives. I wish all the participating schools a rewarding and fruitful experience from the Summit.

No one would disagree that our world is ever-changing, and changing more rapidly by the day. Innovations and inventions, especially those of technological nature, are leaving their footprints in every aspects of our lives: at home, at school, and at work.

Names such as WhatsApp, WeChat, Chrome were unheard of just over 15 years ago. In the workplace, new job types and titles - Data Scientist, Grab Driver, KOL, were not even invented yet.

The lesson we learn from history, is that history will repeat itself. We had very little idea our homes and workplaces would become the way it is today. The same concept will continue to apply: we do not know what our future holds. The only one thing we know is that it will be very different from today.

It is a cliché, but change is the only thing that is constant.

So how can we prepare our children for their future without knowing what the future is going to look like?

With its inception in 2019, it is the belief of the STEM+E Consortium that by nurturing and fostering of life skills in our students, they will be ready to stand up to challenges that will come their way. Four essential life skills to be precise: Creative mindset, critical thinking, resilience, and perseverance.

Roosevelt once said “We Cannot Always Build The Future For Our Youth. But We Can Build Our Youth For The Future”