Background and Objectives

In today’s rapidly aging society, enhancing the quality of life and well-being of older adults has become one of our most important societal priorities. In particular, Hong Kong is experiencing a particularly rapid pace of population aging, with the growing elderly population creating increasing demand for cognitive maintenance, post-stroke motor rehabilitation, and community-based dementia support. Supporting older adults goes beyond meeting their basic healthcare needs. It is also about empowering them to lead active, engaging, independent, and dignified lives. As technology continues to evolve, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation offers unprecedented opportunities to transform elderly care. By leveraging these technologies, we can develop creative, accessible, and engaging solutions that make daily activities more interactive, enjoyable, and meaningful for older adults, while delivering practical cognitive, physical, and social benefits.

To encapsulate this vision, this award is built around the “ACTION” framework:

• Ageing & Care Technologies: Using technology to support older adults’ everyday lives, care needs, and especially cognitive well-being, while also considering ease of use from both the perspectives of the elderly and caregivers
• Innovation: Encouraging students to develop creative approaches to care.
• Outreach: Connecting students with older adults, caregivers, and communities.
• Nurturing: Providing compassionate support for dignity, relationships, and well-being.

• Phase 1: Idea Pitching
  • This phase encourages the formation of multidisciplinary teams, blending skills from technology, business, social sciences, and design. The primary goal is to ground student innovation in the real-world needs of the elderly community. The phase culminates in a proposal submission designed to capture the team’s vision and its feasibility. Submissions must include:
    • A detailed slide presentation (PPT) outlining the identified problem, the proposed solution, its target user group, and its potential impact.
    • A short video pitch (3-5 minutes) that creatively and concisely communicates the core idea and the team’s passion for the project.
• Phase 2: Application Design & Technical Implementation
  • This phase involves an agile development process where teams will code, test, and refine their software modules. A second social service will be arranged, providing a crucial opportunity for teams to gather immediate user feedback. The final submission for this phase is a functional software application that can be deployed on the PLH system.

• All current HSUHK undergraduate and postgraduate students are eligible to participate.
• Participants must form a team of 1 to 4 students and submit the application form by 18 November 2026 (Wednesday).
• Students are welcome to form teams with students from other local institutions, provided that the team leader is a current HSUHK student.
• At least 50% of the team members must register for the briefing, workshop, and community service activities. Attendance at these activities will be recorded and may be taken into consideration during the judging process.
• Each team may submit ONE entry only.
• The entry must be the students’ original work and demonstrate innovation, creativity, practicability, and potential impact.

• To celebrate the diverse contributions of our participants, the Smart ACTION Award will feature three main categories:
  • Smart Ideas Award (Phase 1: Idea Pitching): Awarded to teams that propose the most innovative and well-researched solutions.
  • Caring Minds Award (Phase 2: Application Design): Presented to teams that excel in creating functional, user-centric, and impactful applications.
  • Better Ageing Award (Overall Grand Prize): The premier award for the team whose project best embodies the complete “ACTION” framework, combining technological innovation, practical application, and a deep commitment to improving the lives of older adults.
• The results will be announced after assessment by the judging panel. 
• Physical medals, certificates, trophies, and generative AI tokens (for Phase 2 winners only) will be given to awardees.
• The awarded teams must attend the Award Presentation Ceremony to receive the awards. 

Submissions will be evaluated based on the criteria, subject to final confirmation:

• Innovation and Creativity
• Rehabilitation Relevance and User-Centered Design
• Technical Implementation
• User Experience and Engagement
• Practical Value and Impact