Innovative ideas from startups and inventors are being brought to life at Inno Space.

Among the centre’s members is a startup launched by Jelly Tang and her friends.

Their virtual reality product, which allows people to stroll through virtual showrooms of interior designers’ sketches and ideas, flourished after joining Inno Space.

“We will convert their design into a VR space, and then we will go out to their company to set up VR equipment for their presentation to their clients and then when their clients wear the headset, they can actually see their future home right in front of them,” Ms Tang said.

Successful move

Ms Tang said joining the startup platform proved to be the right move for the firm, which has high aspirations.

With limited resources the team found it difficult to grow, so to expand the business they joined Inno Space, which provides them with office space and wide-ranging technological support.

“They provide us the space to have team meetings and also meetings with potential clients to demonstrate our services to them.

“They also equip us with technology support. They have provided two sets of VR kits in the Inno Space and that saved us a lot of time and money when we first started with our business.”

Here, Ms Tang and her team have been able to meet people from a variety of industries, opening up many opportunities to expand their business.

Igniting young minds

Inno Space, set up by the Hong Kong Productivity Council and supported and funded by the Government, also helps students turn their concepts into reality.

City University’s Underwater Robotics Team, which designs and creates specialised robots, is one of its members.

The team, together with the university’s State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, is carrying out sea trials with its robot.

The team’s leader Max Sze said it has benefited from the centre’s support, making it easier to innovate.

“We have technicians to support us during the whole process. Then we can just finish the small part in just a few days, rather than spending three weeks or even a month of time to get the part from China.”

Members can also use a wide range of advanced facilities such as 3D printing machines, laser cutting tools, computer-aided engineering software, motion capturing systems and virtual reality or augmented reality application development systems.

Smart future

Inno Space, located at the Productivity Council’s headquarters in Kowloon Tong, helps transform innovative ideas into industrial designs, prototypes and products to facilitate Hong Kong’s re-industrialisation.

Centre Manager Stephanie Huang said: “When people come here and they make their proof-of-concept prototypes and they want to take it to manufacturing, we are able to provide them with the support and the services to do so.”

She added the centre also hopes to connect all the players in the startup ecosystem.

“That includes other semi-government organisations, universities, trade associations and of course startups, so they can find a way to collaborate (with) each other and provide each other with the support they need.”