Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

AUDITIONS for the 2017 HK SZ SME Innovation Awards have kicked off, according to a news conference held at Great China International Finance Center in Futian District on Thursday morning.

Co-organized by Hong Kong-based nonprofit organization SME Global Alliance and the Futian government, the competition aims to explore promising enterprises, enhance exchanges and interaction among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and to create a win-win platform for SMEs from both sides to give play to their distinctive strengths.

According to the organizers, business activities and resources between Hong Kong and Shenzhen have always been the driving forces for the development of SMEs. Through this event, Hong Kong enterprises, and especially young entrepreneurs, can improve their understanding of the country’s latest development trends and policies, while entrepreneurs and investors from Shenzhen can learn from experiences in enterprise transformation and international market financing.

According to Jefferson Wat, president of SME Global Alliance, the event highlights innovation, which will be reflected in products and services, as well as platforms arising from a sharing economy. By hosting this event, he hopes that Hong Kong and Shenzhen can join hands and move forward together while embracing the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the final contest, 10 outstanding winners and 10 excellent winners will be selected for awards by a judging panel composed of experts from the industrial and commercial sector and scholars from the academic circle.

The final contest and the awards ceremony will be held in Hong Kong on Nov. 3 and Dec. 8, after which the award-winning projects will be displayed online and offline.