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How has Hong Kong’s gerontech However, there are three gaps that have worsened, including
insufficient retirement protection, academics’ lack of incentives
ecosystem developed in the past
to pursue gerontech research, and complicated medical device
few years? registration processes.

In 2017, Our Hong Kong Foundation (OHKF) partnered with Put together, our survey findings suggest that there remain many Executive Summary
the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) to publish areas within Hong Kong’s gerontech ecosystem that need more
Hong Kong’s first ever gerontechnology report, titled support or attention. As such, the remaining chapters of the report
Gerontechnology Landscape Report (OHKF, 2017, June). The considers how key levers can address and overcome these gaps,
report identified 24 gaps representing areas of insufficiency and which we hope can enhance Hong Kong’s gerontech ecosystem
opportunities facing the ecosystem. in the coming years.

When we first published that report, many stakeholders were Figure I illustrates the key levers identified, as well as the overall
still exploring gerontech. But in the past years, since the storyline and structure of this report. In 2017, Hong Kong’s
report’s publication, Hong Kong’s gerontech ecosystem gerontech ecosystem was very fragmented, represented by
has organically blossomed through the launching of many the funnel with several cracks. Due to all the improvements in
gerontech-related initiatives by both public and private initiatives as well as an increase in the number of supply-side
parties. Given the notable difference in circumstances from then and demand-side players, we now have a solidified funnel under
to now, it is therefore high time to reconsider and re-formulate “Present” in the figure. While these are positive signs, we believe
our holistic analysis of Hong Kong’s gerontech ecosystem. that more can be done to further grow the gerontech ecosystem.
As such, we have proposed strategic key levers under “Future”
The first section of our report looks at the extent to which the 24 in the figure, which we believe can facilitate the expansion of the
gaps have improved. To do this, we conducted a survey to gather city’s local gerontech ecosystem and enable a smoother flow of
data on the development of Hong Kong’s gerontech ecosystem gerontech products and services from supply-side to demand-side.
with relevant stakeholders. The survey revealed that, on the
whole, Hong Kong’s gerontech ecosystem has improved
in the past years. Some of the most improved gaps include
awareness, government risk aversion, and applied research
funding, while many other gaps also saw some improvement.

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