Eco Expo Asia 2016 closed amid great acclaim with record-breaking exhibitor and visitor numbers. Held from 26 – 29 October, the Expo was jointly organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, and co-organised by the Environment Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The four-day event attracted 325 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions, including 15 overseas and local pavilions and group participation. The growth signifies stronger engagement by the green building, energy efficiency and green transportation sectors driven by the Expo’s emphasis on climate change solutions. Additionally, a total of 88 delegations added to record visitor figures of 13,458, which grew by 8.7% from last year. These numbers reflected strong participation by markets including the Chinese mainland, the US, Taiwan, Korea and Malaysia.
With support from the Canadian government, the Canada Pavilion returned to the Expo for the second time. Ms Jodi Robinson, Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner of Consulate General of Canada Trade Commissioner Service of the Government of Canada, said: “We chose Eco Expo Asia in Hong Kong because it is an important business hub where regional managers in Asia gather. We handpicked technologies that are fit for this market to exhibit here. Through the Expo’s networks, we met property developers and delegates from manufacturing industries in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland who showed keen interest in our Canadian technologies. Discussions with local NGOs regarding potential partnerships are also underway and it seems we will achieve a win-win situation for all parties involved.”
The Finland Pavilion consisted of five exhibitors including Clewer Logistics Oü, Eco Living Ltd, Finpro, Molok Oy and the City of Tampere. Mr Mika Finska, Program Director of Cleantech Finland of Finpro, agreed that both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland offer enormous market opportunities. He stated: “We are able to get a better understanding of the opportunities and market model in place as well as the business ecosystem and project owners in both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland through the show. We hope to promote our small, innovative green enterprises here and connect them with potential partners, distributors and financiers. We have met several government officials and associations to help enhance the visibility of our SMEs and build up Finland’s image as a holistic green-tech solutions provider.”
Dato’ Leong Kin Mun, President of the Malaysia Biomass Industries Confederation, was at the show looking for high-potential sludge, waste water treatment, waste-to-energy solutions and services providers. He mentioned: “The Asian green market is highly lucrative with generous bank loans, subsidies and SME financing support pouring in from various governments in the region. Malaysia is also taking an aggressive role in expanding its green industries, which is the main reason why I am here looking for new and cost-efficient solutions to bring back to Malaysia.”
Markets show strong demand for green transportation technologies
With the Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland government striving to promote green transportation, the Expo upgraded its Green Transportation Experience Zone and launched the new Green Transportation Forum to better serve the increasing demand for the latest green transportation solutions and technologies.
Mr Cliff Wu, General Manager of Hong Kong EV Power Ltd, expressed that the Expo was an ideal platform for promoting EV charging solutions. He commented: “Eco Expo Asia is the only environmental protection fair in Hong Kong with a strong focus on electric vehicles (EVs). Visitors from the Chinese mainland, Malaysia, Russia and Thailand came forth to learn more about how our EV charging network operates. Government officials, property management companies, potential car makers, green funding companies, and existing and potential EV users also showed interest in our smart ceiling EV charger.”
Mr Allen Wong, Head of Product and Business Development – Consumer Group of HKT Ltd was impressed to find a vast variety of Hong Kong green SMEs at the Expo. He said: “We are looking for suitable technologies for an EV charging joint venture with CLP Holdings. We met six potential exhibitors including Hong Kong EV Power Ltd, Powerpeg NSI Ltd and Fortune Dragon Motors. I will definitely come again next year to learn more about the development of local green companies and the EV industry.”
Mr Sebastien Brabant, Area Operation Manager of Renault Asia Pacific Ltd, was searching for suitable charging systems for the company’s electric cars. Finding the Green Transportation Forum fruitful, he mentioned: “The presentation by the Hong Kong Productivity Council gave me a good summary of the charging facilities in Hong Kong and useful figures. It also offered me a great opportunity to network with the speakers in the industry.”
Eco Asia Conference facilitated dialogue between governments, private sectors and NGOs
More than 20 events were held during the three-day Eco Asia Conference, in addition to a great variety of country- and industry-focused seminars and Public Day events. The conference gathered government officials from Hong Kong and those from the central and provincial levels from the Chinese mainland, and trade associations, leading enterprises as well as NGOs from across the globe to discuss issues revolving around waste management, air and water quality, energy efficiency and energy, as well as green buildings.
Ir Enoch T S Lam, JP, Director of Water Supplies, the Government of the Hong Kong SAR, presented on the topic of “Climate Change – Water Security Development in Hong Kong”. He said: “The conference is a platform where the participants have an opportunity to voice their opinions openly and ask presenters questions on various topics surrounding water resources management, environmental protection and carbon emissions. It generates new ideas and enhances the understanding of the participants and stakeholders in regard to the major topics of the exhibition.”
Ms Vivian Taam Wong, JP, Chairperson of the Friends of the Earth Charity, has attended the conference since its commencement. She shared: “Eco Asia Conference invites speakers from around the globe, offering an international and comprehensive perspective on the green industry. We are here to offer cooperation opportunities on CSR initiatives for the corporations taking part in this event. I encourage all my staff to attend this Expo and the conference in order to get in touch with these key decision-makers. The fact that the conference engages the NGO community is a rare quality for such events that I very much value.”
The next edition of Eco Expo Asia will be held from 26 – 29 October, 2017 at Asia-World Expo. For more information, please visit www.ecoexpoasia.com or email us at ecoexpo@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com or exhibitions@hktdc.org.
