The Hong Kong Techathon+, the city’s premier international intercollegiate innovation and technology (I&T) event, marked its 10th anniversary with a vibrant finale and forum that brought together students, academic leaders, industry partners and innovation champions from around the world. The milestone celebration highlights Hong Kong’s evolution as a hub for global talent and entrepreneurial collaboration.
Organised by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) in partnership with 15 local tertiary institutions, Techathon+ has become a cornerstone of Hong Kong’s innovation ecosystem since its launch in 2015. Over the past decade, the platform has attracted more than 7,000 participants, generated thousands of innovative project ideas and helped nurture emerging founders and startup teams.
A Milestone Event with Global Reach
The 10th-anniversary finale, held on January 24 at Hong Kong Science Park, showcased the creative energy and problem-solving prowess of student teams tackling real-world challenges in areas such as AI, data science, sustainability, digital economy and smart technologies. The top honours went to the team “Cresento” from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, recognised for excellence in “Trusted AI and Data Science” as well as earning the crowd-voted Best Presentation award.
In addition to the competition itself, the celebration featured the inaugural forum of the Global University Innovation Network (GUIN) — a new international initiative launched to expand cross-border academic collaboration, talent exchange and research partnerships among universities worldwide.
Building Bridges Across Borders
Techathon+ has steadily expanded its global presence. Since opening participation to international institutions, the event has welcomed students from over 30 leading universities spanning mainland China, Southeast Asia, Australia and the United States, including prestigious partners like MIT and Stanford. This global footprint has helped position Hong Kong as a vibrant node in the international innovation landscape.
Beyond the competition, participants benefited from mentorship sessions, investor networking opportunities and ecosystem immersion programmes — experiences designed to prepare the next generation of technopreneurs to launch viable ventures and scale their innovations.
A Platform for Talent and Startup Growth
Organisers emphasise that Hong Kong Techathon+ is more than a hackathon — it serves as a “soft-landing” ecosystem for students to bridge academic innovation and entrepreneurial execution. Many alumni have gone on to join incubation programmes, secure funding, or receive recognition on international lists such as Forbes Asia’s “30 Under 30.”
With the launch of GUIN and increasing global participation, this year’s anniversary reinforces Techathon+’s role in fostering next-generation leaders, driving cross-campus collaboration, and expanding Hong Kong’s influence as a hub where world-class innovation meets opportunity.
