Message from the Director
Prof Jeanne Fu
Vice-President (Learning and Student Experience)
Centre Director of Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Welcome to the GBA Youth Start-up and Social Innovation Programme!
We are thrilled to have you join us. The primary mission of the GBA Youth Start-Up and Social Innovation Programme is to nurture and empower passionate students and alumni to drive social progress through innovative solutions with tangible social impact.
Here, we bring together the region's leading forces for change forward — thinking minds, creative problem-solvers, and humanistic ventures, to advance social well-being across the Greater Bay Area.
Through this initiative, you'll gain access to comprehensive support, including up to HK$360,000 in seed funding, practical entrepreneurial training, tailored mentorship and expert guidance, and high-impact networking opportunities.
Every successful venture begins with a single idea. From initial concepts to scalable growth, and from prototype experiments to sustainable impact, we are here to support you throughout every step.
Let's create meaningful change together.
Message from the Associate Director
If you're reading this, chances are you're curious, creative, or maybe just someone who's had a random idea in the shower and thought, "Wait… could this actually work?"
Then you're exactly where you should be.
Welcome to the GBA Youth Start-up and Social Innovation Programme — a flagship initiative of The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at HSUHK, and your launchpad for the next big (or small-but-mighty) idea.
Here at CIE, we believe innovation does not always start with a pitch deck or a funding round. More often, it begins with noticing what is around us: the daily frustrations, the inefficiencies, the moments that make you go, "There has to be a better way."
Maybe you've waited too long in a lunch queue and imagined a smarter system. Maybe you've tried to organise a student event and thought, "This could be so much easier." Or maybe you've seen a gap in your neighbourhood — something that could improve lives — and wondered if you could be the one to change it.
That's where this idea comes in.
We're here to help you take those observations and turn them into action, whether that means improving life on campus, addressing community challenges, or even building a business that contributes to the region's sustainable growth.
From 2025 to 2028, this programme will support selected teams with:
- Seed funding (up to HKD 360,000)
- Hands-on start-up training
- 1-on-1 mentorship and expert advice
- Access to markets, networks, and resources across the Greater Bay Area
You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to start.
So whether you are dreaming big or acting local, we believe your ideas can make a difference — not only for yourself, but for Hong Kong and the wider GBA region.
Let's build something meaningful together.
Innovation in mind. Entrepreneurship in action.
Dr Holly Chung
Associate Director
Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE)