EMSD and Wan Chai District Office co-organise GBA innovation and technology study tour (with photos)

     Participants of an innovation and technology (I&T) study tour to the Greater Bay Area (GBA), organised under the Engineering Opportunities for Wan Chai – Youth Community Facilities Enhancement Programme, visited I&T facilities in Dongguan, Guangdong Province today (October 19) to explore the latest I&T development of the country.
      
     Led by the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Poon Kwok-ying, and the District Officer (Wan Chai), Ms Fanny Cheung, the tour group comprising around 40 students and teachers first visited the XbotPark to understand the latest technologies and applications of robotics and 3D printing, as well as the country's initiatives to nurture innovative talents.
      
     The tour group then proceeded to the China Spallation Neutron Source to learn about the operation of the first pulsed neutron source facility in the country. The facility, which is for exploring the microscopic structures of physical materials, is widely used in research fields such as physics, materials science and resource environment. The visit to popular science projects at the base enabled the students to gain insights into the country's development in new energy and life sciences.
      
     The tour was concluded with a visit to the Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory where members learnt about the development and daily applications of materials sciences as well as the process of transforming basic research into applied technology, so as to gain a better understanding of how to foster community development with innovative ideas.
      
     Mr Poon said that the diversified visit programme enabled students to see for themselves the I&T developments in GBA, not only helping them to further understand the latest developments of the country, as well as Hong Kong's opportunities and contribution, but also motivating students to explore the feasibility of applying relevant technologies to enhance the quality of life of local communities.
      
     With a total of 170 participating students from 12 schools, the Engineering Opportunities for Wan Chai – Youth Community Facilities Enhancement Programme is jointly organised by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and the Wan Chai District Office. It aims to enhance students' understanding of electrical and mechanical safety, energy saving, decarbonisation and I&T through interesting and diversified learning activities, and to encourage their participation in community building and enhancing people's daily lives with technology. In addition to the study tour, programme activities include STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) design thinking workshops, community visits, makerspace activities and practicums, inter-school learning outcomes sharing exhibitions, and community facilities enhancement design competitions.