Lingnan University organises startup competition to tackle the issue of ageing population

31 Oct 2017

Lingnan University organises startup competition to tackle the issue of ageing population

In order to tackle the social issues created by Hong Kong’s ageing population, the Office of Service Learning of Lingnan University organised the first Startup Weekend Hong Kong Silver Society@Lingnan University on the 29 October, in the hope that participants of the competition can use their innovations to respond to the community needs generated by the ageing population.

 

The competition attracted the participation of 40 contestants and 20 coaches including Lingnan alumnus from different industries to respond to the needs of elders, and promote cross-industry economic cooperation in the areas if health and nutrition, leisure and welfare, transportation and housing, economy, social policies, education and employment.

 

The team selected by the judging panel for the “Validation Award” is Body Activation Hub, which focused on preventing and relieving the pain of the elderly as a result of chronic diseases by establishing a massage hub with a relaxing environment to apply Origin Point Medicine (OPM) therapy.  The team also planned to invent an automated OPM chair to address the problems of shortage of OPM practitioners and variations in their therapeutic techniques.

 

On the other hand, E-Care won the “Design and Execution Award”.  The team will provide home-based medical and caring service by developing a mobile App, including AI Nurse and AI Doctor, to monitor the health conditions of the elderly and send alert for any unusual situation.  The team hopes to reduce the cost of delayed diagnosis and relieve the burden of the public health care system.

 

Winner of the “Business Model Award”, which is regarded as the grand award of the competition, is Silver Hong Kong.  To tackle the problems of ageing population and elderly poverty as well as to conserve local culture, the team planned to recruit elders as “Silver tour guides” to lead local tours, organise workshops and make handcrafted souvenirs.  The ultimate goal is to empower the silver generation by providing them opportunities to utilise their skills and share their life stories.