Conferences & Events

In the view of the uncertain situation of COVID-19 and regulation on social distance, we have decided to postpone the event which was originally scheduled on 11 January 2022 at World Trade Center Club in hybrid format. Details to be confirmed.

Rundown

Speakers

Mr. Kelvin LI 
Strategy and Business Development Director
Schneider Electric

Speaker's Bio

Kelvin Li is an executive leader who holds nearly 20 years of experience in power utility, energy consultancies, and energy corporations. Currently serving as Director of Strategy and Business Development at Schneider Electric, Kelvin boasts expertise spanning across strategy planning, market analysis, business development, transaction services, investment advisory, and stakeholder engagement.

At Schneider Electric, Kelvin formulates corporate strategies to drive business growth by leveraging innovative technologies in the energy industry. His other responsibilities include developing business by engaging key project stakeholders and managing key accounts in the segments of utilities, real estate, and healthcare organizations.

Kelvin started his career as a Graduate Trainee at CLP and worked across the entire power value chain. He has also served in reputable strategy consulting firms such as Poten & Partners, The Lantau Group, and Advisian, delivering over 30 advisory projects for top-notch corporations worldwide. His career and education experiences cover London, Rotterdam, Boston, Chicago, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Kelvin holds three master’s degrees – MPA from Harvard University, MBA from London Business School, and MSc from The University of Hong Kong. He was selected to attend The Prince of Wales's Business & Sustainability Programme at Cambridge University. He also got the designation as an Energy Risk Professional (ERP) in 2019.

Abstract

With sustainability becoming crucial and critical, we all need to think bold and act fast to make sustainability more sustainable. Companies are spinning into high gear for more ambitious targets towards a net-zero economy. All players in the ecosystem must exercise concerted efforts to combat this global challenge. Embracing six core sustainability commitments at heart, Schneider Electric exercises two key sustainability strategies – leading ESG by example in our ecosystem and forming part of the solutions in our value chain – to achieve net zero in own operations by 2030 and across the entire value chain by 2050. Moreover, such adamant sustainability commitments enabled Schneider Electric to win the World’s Most Sustainable company by the Corporate Knights, a Canadian media and research company. In this presentation, Kelvin Li, Direction of Strategy and Business Development, will share more insights into corporate leadership in climate actions, bringing their net-zero ambitions into actions for more sustainable future.

Mr. Aldrin OR
Principal Innovation Adviser
WEC

Speaker's Bio

“Passionate and persistent” describe Aldrin Or on his path to becoming a successful innovator. After graduating from HKUST in industrial engineering, Or and his partner invented a nano scaffolding for artificial tissue growth using a 3D printing method. They developed bioelectret materials and composites as surface modification agents to treat the nano scaffoldings with adjustable dielectricity, wettability and biocompatabiity to control and guide the growth of tissue.

When the COVID-19 pandemic surged in early 2020, critical shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) arose immediately, in particular face masks in Hong Kong. A key reason was scarcity of an essential nonwoven material called ‘meltblown’, which has electrostatic charges that capture particulate matters too tiny to be filtered by regular textiles and filters. This electrostatic force is the conventional technical practice for virus filtration.

While conducting their normal research and development on the nano scaffolding, Or’s team pondered if their unique surface modification and processing experience with bioelectrets for biological uses could be developed to fight COVID-19. The polarity of a virus is negative, so Or and his team’s logical induction was to use a strong positive polarity to arrest the negative-charged virus.

Consequently, in February 2020, Or and his team began developing filtering material with strong positive polarity (named C-Polar for short) and experimented extensively, often with western and independent institutes. Of this time, Or has high praise for his team, “Thanks for being such a kickass team and accomplishing miracles every day. It matters. We are burning the midnight oil to burn the midnight oil.”

Or’s team discovered that C-Polar was able to significantly arrest bacteria, to a much greater degree than meltblown fabric. The invention of C-Polar bioelectret materials can give PPE the ability to remove bacteria and viruses with a particulate filtering efficiency exceeding 99.9%. Rather than simply passive protection, C-Polar proactively arrests and inhibits both coronavirus and enterovirus with a ratio of over 99.9% in five minutes. In addition, the strong positive polarity is independent of humidity and temperature, which maintains ultrahigh filtration and disinfection efficiency.

Cost-effective, practical and energy independent methods to filter viruses from fast air flow had not been well-developed and accepted before 2020. The discovery by Or’s team demonstrated clear ability to solve the dilemma, leading to development of a new technical path and affordable commercial product that outperforms conventional products. Upon submitting the invention to the US Food and Drug Administration, it was classified as “Biological Filtration”, a brand new category for US compliance.

To young people thinking about becoming an innovator, Or advises, “to think in a feedback loop, where you are constantly questioning what you have achieved and how it could be done better. It is just like machine learning for your mind training.”

Or credits his over 10 years’ experience in manufacturing engineering to enabling him to develop necessary skill sets to transform a concept into an affordable product with consistent quality. On being an innovator, he enthuses, “There is no failure as an innovator. Innovators will not fail, they have just found one million ways that won’t work. Process already lies the largest value in the innovation.”

In a nutshell, being “passionate and persistent” have made Or a successful innovator. 

Ms. Kannas LAU
Sales and Marketing Communication Manager
WEC

Speaker's Bio

After finished her bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management in Switzerland, Kannas served in luxury hotel group including Hyatt International and Harbour Plaza Hotels & Resorts with her commitment in quality customer services. In 2016, Kannas joined Worldwide Envision Centre (WEC) to provide total solutions for property management. Since then, Kannas has dedicated to introducing innovative PropTech to the industry. Currently, WEC is the leading IoT solution provider in property management and sole distributor of C-POLAR Air Filtration Technology in Hong Kong.

Registration

Physical Attendance: https://forms.gle/XAV9fWLMtRnL4DvMA

Online Attendance: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6523543644978982925

Registration Fee

Physical attendance (with Western Dinner):

• To protect the health and safety of our members and their families, all participants are required to be fully vaccinated and with LeaveHomeSafe.
• HK$ 400 for IFMA Member/ Staff of IFMA Hong Kong Chapter Corporate Partner
• HK$ 450 for Non Member

Online attendance: Free of Charge 

Capacity

Physical attendance: 45 persons with 2 for PMSA licensees

Online attendance: 500 persons with 15 for PMSA licensees

Language

English

CPD

1 Hour

Teams and Conditions

1. The organizing parties accept no liability for any eventuality that may occur to affect travel itineraries before, after or during the event, or for any incident or accident, should any occur.
2. If typhoon signal no. 8 or above or the black rainstorm warning signal will be hoisted 4 hours before the event starts, the event would be cancelled or postponed. Participants will be informed of the cancellation or the re-scheduled date of event in due course. The IFMA Hong Kong Chapter reserves its right to cancel or to change the speakers without prior notice.
3. Cancellations must be made at least 3 business days prior to the event. Otherwise, HK$450 will be charged for the late cancellation. If you are not able to attend, we welcome a delegate to attend on your behalf. Refunds will not be given for no shows after the event.
4. Those who failed to show up may not be entertained in two subsequent IFMA events.