Cyberport and Microsoft Launch Platform to Drive Innovation
In March, a new initiative was unveiled at Cyberport to energize local start-ups and small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the creative industry by giving them access to advanced development tools and expert technical and business guidance at no upfront cost.
A joint initiative between Cyberport and Microsoft, BizSpark Creativity Centre aims to give entrepreneurs in the local digital entertainment and creative lifestyle content development industry opportunities to accelerate the early stages of their businesses and ultimately generate employment and drive growth in Hong Kong in these difficult economic times.
Challenging economic conditions always bring new opportunities. Troubled periods often see increases in business startups, as reflected in the record-high number of business establishments in difficult times such as with the SARS outbreak in 2003.
In the Budget 2009/10, the Financial Secretary stressed that creativity was an important element for enhancing productivity and competitiveness. The Hong Kong government will therefore set up a dedicated office to coordinate the development of a creative economy and earmark US$38.46 million for the development of other creative industries in the coming three years.
BizSpark provides startups with software, support and visibility when those resources are most needed and least affordable. Supported by the Innovation and Technology Commission and Cyberport as Network Partner, the Microsoft BizSpark Creativity Centre provides fast and easy access to current full-featured Microsoft development tools and production licenses of server products.
The center will also provide Microsoft BizSpark registrants with technical support and market visibility. All participants can take advantage of the resources and support of a global network of hundreds of organizations such as economic development agencies, university incubators, hosters and investors.
These BizSpark partner organizations provide guidance, mentorship and resources to help drive the success of nascent talent in Hong Kong’s creative industry and market their innovations to the world. BizSpark will act as a comprehensive platform for nurturing local entrepreneurs by connecting and centralizing other support from Cyberport and the government, including hardware, a mature business network and funding resources.
The program is open to privately held startups building a digital entertainment and creative lifestyle content-based product or service that have been in business less than three years and have less than US$1 million in revenue. The software support funding from the center will vary according to how startups design their solutions; it could be as much as US$256,410 based on a standard five-person software company.
Local digital entertainment startup and Cyberport IncuTrain Excellence Award winner, Playmotion, has benefited from the center’s pilot program. One achievement is a new solution called D’fusion, which delivers immersive and interactive digital experiences. D'fusion is a real-time video processing technology to create augmented reality applications with standard PCs. The technology was successfully registered for a European patent, and, with the help of BizSpark, is being upgraded to the latest Windows platform.
“In view of the current economic downturn, the government is strengthening its measures to help SMEs in the IT sector weather the storm,” said Duncan Pescod, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology). “We will continue the existing aggressive outsourcing approach of the Government IT projects, and accelerate projects where possible, to create a local market of sufficient size to support the local IT industry,”
“In addition, we will launch a sector specific IT training program for SMEs to help them embrace IT as strategic tools for business, and enhance their operational efficiency and competitiveness through the application of IT. We plan to inject US$769,230 to the program and estimate that the program will create some 50 temporary jobs for the IT industry in areas of IT training, consultancy and advisory services,” said Mr. Pescod.
“The BizSpark Creativity Centre is a perfectly timed and innovative initiative for Hong Kong’s young digital entertainment and creative lifestyle content development companies,” said Nicholas Yang, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company. “Aiming at developing a regional center of excellence for IT and digital media training for creating human capital in IT through collaboration and partnership with the industry, academia, and research institutes and professional bodies, Cyberport is proud to work with Microsoft to help incubatees, startups and SME bring innovative solutions to the market.”
Cyberport is a US$2 billion landmark project managed by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, and wholly owned by the Hong Kong SAR Government. Focusing on enterprise and professional development, Cyberport helps commercialize creative ideas and incubate startups. Cyberport has a cluster of creative ICT and digital content tenants who enjoy synergies from being located near each other. Interconnected by a state-of-the-art broadband network, the Cyberport community is home to four Grade-A intelligent office buildings, a five-star hotel, a retail entertainment complex and about 2,800 deluxe residences.
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