Remarkable Entries by SMEs Level the Playing Field with Big Players

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 10 November2020 - Steered by the Office ofthe Government Chief Information Officer and co-organised by GS1 Hong Kong, the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2020 - Smart Mobility Award Presentation Ceremony was held today. 65 entries from 3 differentstreams were received this year, of which 11 of them were awarded. As digitaltransformation accelerates under the new normal, SMEs and micro enterprises areinvesting more in innovations and technologies, resulting in more SMEs entriesreceived this year than the last. They have performed well in the 3 streams ofthe Award and claimed most of the awards, including the Smart Mobility GrandAward.

(Back row left to right, 7^th on the left)The Hon Charles Peter Mok, Legislative Councillor (Information Technology); AnnaLin, Chief Executive of GS1 Hong Kong; Ir. Susanna Shen, Chairman of the FinalJudging Panel of Hong Kong ICT Awards 2020 - Smart Mobility Award and GeneralManager - Corporate Information Technology of The Hong Kong and China GasCompany Limited (Towngas), as well as other judging members and awardees at the"Smart Mobility Award" presentation ceremony.

The "SmartMobility Award" aims to encourage the development and adoption of SmartTourism, Smart Logistics and Smart Transport applications, inorder to drive the development of smart city and enhance the quality of life,creating a more convenient, safer and more efficient environment for citizensand tourists.

"Thenew normal brought by the COVID-19 has sped up the growth of innovations and technologies. Companies are using social commerce,e-marketplaces, IoT and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to continue developingtheir sales channels and managing business remotely. Although we encountered somechallenges during the judging processes this year, we are still excited to see moreactive participation than the previous year, particularly from the SMEs thatoutperform the others. I think this shows Hong Kong people remain to be flexible,quick-witted and able to grow stronger in adversity, which are instrumental tothe robust development of innovation ecosystem in Hong Kong." said Anna Lin, ChiefExecutive of GS1 Hong Kong.

Accounting for over half of the contestants, SMEs impressedthe judges with their innovative, practical applications that have great potentialsfor growth. This proves that even under limited resources, SMEs are capable ofdeveloping or deploying innovative solutions to enhance competitiveness andlevel the playing field with big businesses, making substantial contribution todeveloping Hong Kong as a Smart City.

Maphive Technology Ltd. is one of the SMEs that excelledand won the Smart Mobility Grand Award and Smart Mobility (Smart Tourism) GoldAward with its "Mapxus Barrier-free Indoor Navigation Platform". An innovativeindoor navigation platform, it digitalises the indoor environments and providesmap, positioning and 360-degree view for the users. With the use of technologiessuch as Wifi fingerprints, sensor fusion and AI, the solution helps visitors tonavigate their ways at unfamiliar venues and enhance their travel experience.The company has already developed digital maps for around 1,000 buildings inHong Kong, and is planning to expand their services to overseas market,demonstrating a significant potential for growth and development.

There are 3 award streams under the Hong Kong ICTAwards - Smart Mobility Award, namely Smart Tourism, Smart Logistics and SmartTransport. Selected contestants will be awarded with Gold/ Silver/ BronzeAward, or Certificate of Merit after undergoing adjudication processes and interviewsby the judging panel, comprised of members and professionals from the ICT associations,companies, academic and government institutions.

Hong Kong ICT Awards 2020 - Smart Mobility Award winners list (inalphabetical order):

Please visit here for details of the winning entries: https://www.gs1hk.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/HKICTA-2020-SMA-Booklet.pdf

For details about "Smart Mobility Award",please visit here: https://www.gs1hk.org/SmartMobilityAward

Download photos here: https://gs1hongkong.box.com/s/fk11qvmgj9hquecxx0g7w34gqntplkk9

About GS1 Hong Kong

Foundedby the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce in 1989, GS1 Hong Kong is thelocal chapter of GS1®, a not-for-profit, standards organisation that developsand drives adoption of easy-to-implement global standards for business touniquely identify, accurately capture and automatically share vital informationabout products, locations and assets. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, GS1has 115 national chapters serving 150 economies globally.

GS1Hong Kong's mission is to empower business to grow and to improve efficiency,safety, authenticity and sustainability across multiple sectors and facilitatescommerce connectivity through the provision of a full spectrum of platforms,solutions and services based on our global standards. We provide a trusted foundationfor accurate, sharable, searchable and linkable data. Our EPC standard lays thefoundation for IoT, powering a range of IoT-based services and applications. Weare helping industry to meet the challenges of omni-channel commerce and createa seamless customer experience. By engaging with communities of tradingpartners, industry organisations, government, and technology providers, we arefostering a collaborative ecosystem and aiming for "Smarter Business, BetterLife".

Currently,GS1 Hong Kong has around 8,000 corporate members covering close to 20industries including retail consumer goods, food and food services, healthcare,apparel, logistics as well as information and technology.

Formore information about GS1 Hong Kong, please visit www.gs1hk.org.