Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Shatin), St. Paul’s College, Tai Po Old Market Public School Crowned Champions with St. Paul’s Convent School Named Most Active Participant

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 March 2026 – Samsung ‘Solve for Tomorrow,’ a global inter-school technology competition operating in 68 countries, has been held in Hong Kong since 2013, empowering youth to address social and global challenges through innovation. This year, two core themes guided participants: Topic 1: Environmental Sustainability via Technology — Create sustainable solutions to protect our planet via AI, and Topic 2: Social Change through Sport & Tech: For Better Futures — Harness the power of AI technology and sports to open new opportunities. Both themes rigorously challenged students to innovate beyond traditional boundaries, leveraging AI and cutting-edge technologies to develop creative, practical solutions to complex societal issues and actively shape a better future.

Running from September 2025 to March 2026, the competition, co-organized by AiTLE and fully backed by the HKSAR Education Bureau’s ‘Business-School Partnership Programme’ and Hong Kong Education City, attracted over 250 teams from 100 tertiary, secondary and primary schools. Each team demonstrated unique technological approaches to tackle pressing social issues.

Yiyin Zhao, Managing Director, Samsung Electronics H.K. Company, Limited, stated: ‘Samsung has always believed technology is not merely a tool for changing lives, but a vital force driving social progress. ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ empowers young people to leverage creative thinking and technology to address real-world needs and challenges. It’s more than a competition; it’s a journey of innovative exploration that nurtures and empowers the younger generation. The widespread adoption of AI, in particular, presents unprecedented opportunities for innovation. This year, we were delighted to see students actively using AI and diverse technological solutions across the community, environment, sports, and sustainability, submitting outstanding, inspiring, and practical work. This truly demonstrates the remarkable creativity, keen observation, and effective problem-solving skills of Hong Kong’s youth.”

Samsung Nurtures Tomorrow’s Tech & Innovation Leaders
She also hopes the competition will encourage more students to step out of their comfort zones: “Beyond stimulating creativity and developing innovative solutions, we aim to cultivate critical skills: problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and communication. This equips students to navigate the challenges of our rapidly evolving intelligent era confidently. We believe this competition will discover and cultivate the next generation of innovation and technology talent, contributing significantly to both Hong Kong’s and global innovation.

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow extends beyond monetary rewards, actively aligning with the Education Bureau’s ‘Business-School Partnership Programme’ to provide invaluable hands-on experience. Tertiary champions secure corporate internships, while secondary champions and first runners-up gain critical work experience, preparing them for future careers. The competition ignites students’ passion for technology and STEM, building a robust foundation for their innovation journeys and continually inspiring alumni to pursue pioneering solutions.

Final Awards Reveal Extraordinary Creativity
After the initial judging round, 95 outstanding projects advanced. They then refined their innovative solutions in Design Thinking workshops and through expert guidance. The judging panel then selected the nine finalists—the top three teams from each category, who will present their detailed project concepts and results, vying for the ultimate recognition.

Tertiary Category Champion “AquaPulse” – Developed by the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Shatin), AquaPulse is an AI coastal protection system powered by continuous 24/7 tidal and solar energy with integrated storage. It reliably detects abnormalities such as falling into the sea, even at night or in adverse weather, using millimeter-wave radar and AI vision. Upon detection, it instantly notifies rescue teams via lamppost positioning, significantly shortening response times. AquaPulse also monitors environmental data, aiming to create safer, more sustainable waterfronts for Hong Kong.

Secondary Category Champion “Plastine” – Developed by St. Paul’s College, Plastine is a solar-powered microplastic removal system for freshwater environments. It utilizes advanced electrocoagulation with aluminum electrodes to aggregate microplastics for efficient filtration and collection. Combining IoT sensors and AI algorithms, Plastine intelligently identifies optimal deployment locations. Focused on Hong Kong’s microplastic-rich rivers, it purifies water, safeguards public health, and restores aquatic ecosystems.

Primary Category Champion “Yoga 24 Go!” Wellness Exercise App – Developed by Tai Po Old Market Public School, “Yoga 24 Go!” is an innovative wellness application. It intelligently integrates the health wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 24 solar terms with the body’s 12 meridians. Guiding users through specific yoga poses for each solar term, the app promotes “seasonal wellness” by targeting health goals such as nourishing the liver in spring, the heart in summer, the lungs in autumn, and the kidneys in winter

Award List (for details, please refer to the appendix):

Tertiary Category	Champion	Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Shatin)
	1st Runner-up	Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Shatin)
	2nd Runner-up	Youth College (Kowloon Bay)
	Merit Award (3 teams)	The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Shatin) Hong Kong Baptist University
Secondary Category	Champion	St. Paul’s College
	1st Runner-up	St. Stephen’s Girls’ College
	2nd Runner-up	ESF Island School
	Merit Award (3 teams)	Fung Kai No.1 Secondary School Christian Alliance SW Chan Memorial College Diocesan Girls’ School
Primary Category	Champion	Tai Po Old Market Public School
	1st Runner-up	Ying Wa Primary School
	2nd Runner-up	Cumberland Presbyterian Church Yao Dao Primary School
	Merit Award (3 teams)	Yaumati Catholic Primary School (Hoi Wang Road) Marymount Primary School TWGHs Tsoi Wing Sing Primary School
The Most Active Participating School Award		St. Paul’s Convent School

Hashtag: #Samsung #SolveforTomorrow

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About Samsung Solve for Tomorrow

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is an annual competition that brings together the creativity and passion for new technologies of young people around the world to solve social problems in local communities. In 2013, Samsung introduced this meaningful event to Hong Kong, inspiring tens of thousands of students to develop innovative solutions to address social issues in the City. Samsung is promoting the new educational philosophy of STEM. Besides encouraging Hong Kong students to deepen their knowledge of STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – Samsung hopes that they can develop empathy and a sense of responsibility and apply their STEM knowledge to contribute to society. Through the competition, Samsung hopes to cultivate tomorrow’s thought leaders, equipping them with both technological knowledge and a sense of responsibility as global citizens. To learn more about Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, please visit: https://hkclubs.samsung.com/hk/offer/solvefortomorrow2025/

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, home appliances, network systems, memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions, consistently elevating their performance and innovation to new heights. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com/.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 March 2026 – Mental health in Hong Kong has reached a critical “red light” status. According to last year’s “The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong” survey¹, the average scores for depression and anxiety among Hong Kong residents reached 7.27 and 5.9, respectively—marking the highest levels recorded since 2012. The findings highlight that Gen Z (aged 18 to 24) faces the most severe mental health crisis, with a strong correlation identified between excessive electronic device usage and emotional distress.

When facing emotional lows, as many as 55% of respondents remain hesitant to seek professional help, while “AI Assistants” have climbed to the sixth most popular choice for seeking support for the first time. In response to these trends, Seed Medical has launched its new Specialist Psychiatric Services, providing comprehensive mental health support for children, adults, and the elderly. Covering conditions such as ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), and various symptoms of anxiety, the clinic provides professional clinical diagnoses and urges the public not to over-rely on virtual interactions, which may lead to missing the “golden window” for effective treatment.

Virtual Interaction Cannot Replace Human Connection; Emotional Support Still Requires a “Human Touch”

As AI emerges as a new channel for emotional expression, its immediacy and low barrier to access have made it easier for many individuals to “open up” when facing stress. However, experts note that AI interactions are fundamentally based on algorithms and data-driven responses, and may not accurately capture an individual’s personal context or emotional depth.

Mr. Wong Man Shun², Deputy Executive Director of the Hong Kong Mental Health Association, cautioned that for individuals already experiencing emotional distress, treating AI-generated content as reality or relying on virtual interaction in place of real human relationships may not address the root of the issue. In some cases, it may even delay timely access to professional support.

Compared with impersonal, machine-based interactions, communicating with real people and expressing emotions remain irreplaceable components of mental well-being. Face-to-face communication not only provides emotional support, but also enables professionals to conduct comprehensive assessments through careful observation and active listening—taking into account verbal and non-verbal cues—thereby offering more appropriate, personalised guidance and support.

Person-Centered Mental Health Support: Addressing Diverse Needs

In response to the growing demand for mental health services, Seed Medical has officially launched its Psychiatric Services. Led by experienced psychiatrists, the center provides comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, and tailored support for all age groups, including:

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Supporting Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Special Educational Needs (SEN), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and various behavioral challenges through early assessment and intervention.
• Adult Mental Health: Addressing anxiety, depression, stress-related issues, and emotional difficulties.
• Elderly Mental Health Support: Specialized care for dementia(cognitive decline), emotional health issues, and sleep disorders.

While it is natural to seek different ways, including AI tools, to relieve stress in daily life, when emotional distress persists or begins to affect daily functioning, professional healthcare support remains essential.

If citizens or those close to them are experiencing mental health challenges, seeking professional advice at an early stage can help provide clarity and facilitate appropriate next steps.

Refeerence：

1. 香港心理衛生會｜「全港抑鬱指數調查2025」發佈會
2. CUHK reveals Hong Kong’s depression and anxiety indices reach record highs；AI assistance rises to sixth place Over-reliance may delay professional treatment

Hashtag: #SeedMedical #Medical #Health

https://www.seedmedicalhk.com/
https://www.seedmedicalhk.com/psychiatry

Phone / WhatsApp: +852 3488 3836

Email: in**@***********hk.com

Opening Hours: Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00; Sat 09:00–13:30 (Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays)

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 March 2026 – Machining, involving the precise cutting and shaping of materials, is a key manufacturing process. As industries increasingly adopt the use of high-performance materials with high strength and hardness, traditional machining methods often fall short in delivering the required precision. A research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed a ground-breaking machining technology that combines laser and magnetic fields during diamond cutting, enhancing cutting smoothness and surface quality while reducing a material’s subsurface damage and tool wear. This dual-field approach demonstrates exceptional manufacturing capabilities that surpass existing field-assisting cutting techniques, making possible ultra-precision machining of a range of challenging advanced materials.

The innovative and unique multi-energy field-assisted ultra-precision machining technology, known as in-situ laser-magnetic dual-field assisted diamond cutting (LMDFDC), has been developed by Prof. Sandy TO Suet, Professor of the PolyU Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Associate Director of the State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology, and her research team. Relevant research findings are published in International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing.

Site field machining refers to the application of external energy fields, such as laser and magnetic fields, at the cutting site during the machining process. Existing field-assisting cutting techniques have certain limitations. For example, a laser field helps soften hard-brittle materials and makes them easier to cut, but often causes melting or craters due to overheating; a magnetic field can diminish cutting force and enhance heat dissipation to ease cutting process, but its effect is unstable across different materials and surface scratches caused by the exfoliation of hard particles in high-performance materials like high-entropy alloys (HEAs) cannot be avoided.

By combining laser and magnetic fields, LMDFDC synergises strengths of both fields and mitigates their respective drawbacks. The researchers compared this new approach with three other machining methods for HEA workpieces: laser-only, magnetic-only and cutting without any external field. Using a suite of advanced tools, they observed changes of the workpiece at multiple levels—from surface appearance to subsurface features and atomic-scale structures.

Results showed that, through thermo-magneto-mechanical multi-physical synergistic interactions, LMDFDC improves machinability to a degree not achievable with either field alone. In particular, the technology produces finished pieces with smoother surface and less damaged subsurface by using a magnetic field to enhance heat transfer and suppress laser-induced thermal damage, while the laser softens hard particles to avoid scratches and improve cutting stability. The dual-field coupling effect also prevents the formation of build-up on tool edges caused by severe friction, and rapid tool degradation from heat, significantly reducing tool wear and extending their lifespan.

In 2017, at the forefront of advanced manufacturing technology research, Prof. To led her team to propose the world’s first magnetic field-assisted diamond cutting technique that enhances manufacturability of difficult-to-machine materials. She said, “As time progresses, single-field assisted machining technologies are proving increasingly inadequate for the precision manufacturing of new high-performance materials, especially the emerging HEAs with their excellent strength and stability that are highly desirable for advanced engineering applications in high-ends fields like aerospace and energy. LMDFDC marks a technological breakthrough in machining these new materials, opening up new avenues of ultra-precision manufacturing technology.”

In addition to introducing a transformative dual-field assisted machining technology, the research also investigated what occurs, what changes and what improves in the materials when dual fields are applied. This deepens scientific understanding of material transformations during field-assisted processes and their underlying mechanisms, bridging a critical knowledge gap for designing future multi-field machining methods for various advanced materials.

“The research is among the first to thoroughly examine how laser and magnetic fields work together during ultra-precision machining, and how this combined action differs from using either field alone,” Prof. To added. “The significance of the findings resides in propelling frontier academic developments in multi-physics coupled manufacturing theories while discovering innovative machining approaches.

Currently in the process of patenting the innovative LMDFDC technology, the research team plans to explore additional combinations of energy fields to support the development of more versatile and reliable multi-physics machining approaches.

The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China’s General Program, as well as the General Research Fund of the Research Grants Council and the Mainland-Hong Kong Technology Cooperation Funding Scheme under the Innovation and Technology Fund of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.
Hashtag: #PolyU #Machining #UltraPrecisionMachining #DiamondCuttingTechnique #HongKong

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