World's Top Electronics Marketplace to Feature Startup Zone

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The 37th HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition), organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), and the 21st electronicAsia, jointly organised by the HKTDC and MMI Asia Pte Ltd, will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) from 13 to 16 October. Meanwhile, the 19th HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) (27-30 October) and the second HKTDC Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo (26-29 October) will take place at the HKCEC and AsiaWorld-Expo respectively.

"Hong Kong has seen considerable growth in total exports (+8%) in the first eight months of this year, including electronics (+11%), parts and components (+12%) and lighting products (+6%). This shows that Hong Kong companies are benefiting from the stable recovery of the global economy," HKTDC Acting Executive Director Benjamin Chau said at a press conference today. "Traders must, of course, continue to pay attention to the effect of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy normalisation on the global economy, especially on the consumer market. Looking at the exhibitor numbers and buyer mission attendance for the four HKTDC autumn fairs, we are cautiously optimistic about the prospect for the electronics and lighting sectors."

World's largest electronics marketplace

The Autumn Electronics Fair and electronicAsia will feature close to 4,300 exhibitors from 25 countries and regions this year, forming the world's largest electronics marketplace. At the Autumn Electronics Fair, the Hall of Fame will gather more than 550 brands including Binatone, Goodway, Motorola and VTech. The Tech Hall, located at the Convention Hall of HKCEC, will feature some 150 exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge innovative technology, which will be arranged in five themed zones: Robotics & Unmanned Tech, Smart Tech, Virtual Reality (VR), 3D Printing and Startup. The Chinese mainland, Korea and Taiwan will set up group pavilions, while Beihai city of Guangxi province will exhibit at the fair for the first time.

In line with the HKSAR Government's policy to support start-ups, the Startup zone will continue to be staged at the Autumn Electronics Fair, with close to 100 start-ups, doubling last year's number. A series of start-up-related events will also be organised during the fair, including "Startup, Smart Launch", Mentoring Classes, "Tech Startups - Pitch, Mix and Match", and "HelloReporter Media Pitch Day - On The Shoulder Of Giant: Startup-Corporate Collaborations."

Meanwhile, electronicAsia will feature the inaugural Power Supplies zone introducing state-of-the-art green products and solutions. The Printed Circuit Board & EMS zone will showcase printed circuit boards (PCBs) for use in a wide range of electronics, as well as customised PCB design services. Other offerings include display technology, sensor technology, parts and components. Japan and Taiwan will also set up group pavilions, reflecting the importance of the two economies in the Asian electronics supply chain.

Large-scale Symposium to unveil technology trends

The Symposium on Innovation & Technology will be held on 13 October. Representatives of top technology enterprises, including Amazon Web Services, Google, Huawei, Microsoft and Tencent, will provide first-hand information on state-of-the-art technology, such as the latest developments and applications of Mixed Reality, artificial intelligence, autonomous driving and the Internet of Things (IoT).

On 16 October, the Hong Kong Electronic Forum will be held to discuss artificial intelligence and flexible electronics. Speakers include American artificial intelligence company nVIDIA, Qualcomm, the Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan, German software development consultancy company MSWTech, and the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute of Hong Kong.

Other seminars will cover such topics as the latest drone developments in Japan and sensor technologies. There will also be buyer forums, Product Demo & Launch Pad sessions, as well as networking receptions for the industry to learn about the latest market trends and establish connections.

Autumn Lighting Fair spotlights smart tech

The 19th Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) will welcome a record number of around 2,670 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions, with exhibitors from Denmark and South Africa taking part for the first time. Themed zones will be set up to facilitate sourcing. The Hall of Aurora will welcome more than 600 global brands, including BJB, PHILIPS, LEDUS and MEGAMAN and more.

The LED & Green Lighting zone will feature over 1,000 exhibitors offering a range of energy-efficient LED lighting and energy-saving solutions. The Smart Lighting & Solutions zone will gather fashionable lighting design, software, management systems and smart lighting solutions.

Seminars will be organised during the fair period to analyse market and product trends. Industry leaders, such as representatives of Sengled, Tencent, MEGAMAN and Philips, and leading academia from the University of Sydney, have been invited to share their insight on various hot topics for the industry, including "Putting People First: The Revolution of Human Centric Lighting", "The Latest Standards and Requirements for the Global LED Industry", "Smart Lighting Outlook 2018: Global Opportunities and Challenges Ahead" and "Beyond Illumination: Internet of 'Lights' and its Applications."

Outdoor and Tech Light Expo launches "Lighting Solutions and Systems" zone

The second Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo will gather about 410 exhibitors from Hong Kong, the mainland, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan to showcase outdoor as well as industrial lighting products and systems for construction sites, factories, advertisements, stadiums and studios. The fair will feature group pavilions including Henglan Town, Zhongshan LED Lighting Industry Association, Guangdong Lighting Association and Gaoyou Lighting Association of Jiangsu. To cater to the demand for energy-efficient and low-cost products, a new Lighting Solutions and Systems zone will be launched to showcase the latest lighting technologies. Other thematic zones, including Outdoor Lighting, Professional and Industrial Lighting and Advertising Lighting, will also be available to facilitate effective sourcing.

On 26 October, Simon McCartney, the lighting designer for A Symphony of Lights, the lights on HSBC's main building marking the bank's 150th anniversary, City of Dreams in Macau and other landmarks, will join a representative from German lighting solutions supplier Zumtobel Group and the Editor-in-chief of German lighting magazine Highlight Markus Helle at a seminar on future developments, challenges and opportunities for outdoor lighting. Another seminar, jointly organised with the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification, will discuss testing and certification services for lighting products in Hong Kong.

The Outdoor and Tech Light Expo will be held concurrently (26-29 October) with Eco Expo Asia at AsiaWorld-Expo, and the Autumn Lighting Fair will be held at the HKCEC. The parallel fairs will create strong synergy and more business opportunities. A free shuttle bus service between the HKCEC and AsiaWorld-Expo will be provided during the fair period for buyers to maximise these cross-sector sourcing opportunities.