13 Jun 2023
Towngas wins “Innovation of the Year” at “Oscars of the Eldercare Industry” in recognition of its innovative products supporting ageing in place
(13 June 2023) With the development of the Smart Controller and the Smart Meter by The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas) that allows the elderly and their family members to monitor the status of their gas appliances remotely, and the donation of 10,000 sets of the devices to the people in need, including the elderly households living in the rental estates of the Hong Kong Housing Society, both parties jointly won the “Innovation of The Year - Ageing-In-Place Model” award at the 11th Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards recently.
Dubbed the “Oscars of the Eldercare Industry”, the Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards held its final round in Singapore at the end of May. This year, the Awards received over 200 entries from 15 countries and regions in the Asia Pacific region, competing for 37 awards.
Towngas and the HKHS were invited to attend the event and present to the judges how the smart products can support ageing in place and enhance home safety for the elderly. The entry emerged as the winner of the “Innovation of The Year - Ageing-In-Place Model” award among the entrants, in recognition of the collaboration between both parties in realising ageing in place, enabling the elderly to live in a safer home environment and enjoy cooking with peace of mind.
About the Smart Controller
Towngas has been committed to using innovative technology and products to help those in need in society. The Smart Controllers and the Smart Meters were independently developed by the Company with the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The Smart Controller can be connected to the user’s existing appliance, allowing users to monitor the appliance’s status through their mobile devices and remotely turn off the appliance in an emergency. It can also be connected to eight mobile phones simultaneously, allowing the elderly with mild cognitive impairment and their carers to monitor the appliance together. On the other hand, the Smart Meter has an automatic reading function. The elderly no longer need to read the meter themselves. When abnormal usage or leaks are detected, the Smart Meter will automatically cut off the gas supply, further ensuring home safety.
In addition to this international award, Towngas’ Smart Controller and Smart Gas Meter had also won the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Age-friendly Business Innovation Award earlier. The Company is encouraged by the wide recognition of its research and development achievements.
About the donation programme
Towngas has earlier launched the “Sending Warmth to Thousands with Smart Technology” programme, donating 10,000 sets of Smart Controllers and Smart Meters to families in need with free on-site installation, in order to enhance home safety for the elderly and relieve the stress of their carers. The HKHS is a key partner in this programme, and Towngas will install Smart Controllers and Smart Meters for the elderly households in need living in the rental estates of the HKHS, with the first batch of beneficiaries residing in 11 different rental estates.
About the Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards
Launched in 2013, the Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards is the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, recognising innovative eldercare solutions in business operations and service models.
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Press photos:
Photo 1:
Ms Judy Chan Kar-po, Towngas General Manager – Corporate Affairs (centre), and Dr Carmen Ng Ka-man (3rd from left), HKHS General Manager (Elderly Services), receive the “Innovation of The Year - Ageing-In-Place Model” award at the 11th Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards, organised by Ageing Asia.
Photo 2:
The Smart Controller and the Smart Meter developed by Towngas allow the elderly and their families to monitor the status of their appliances remotely, and to turn off the appliance in an emergency with a mobile app to support ageing at home.
For media enquiries, please contact:
The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited
Mr Addie Lam
Assistant General Manager –
Corporate Affairs
Tel: 2963 2578 / 6702 6449
Email:
addie.lam@towngas.com |
Ms Kara Kwong
Senior Corporate Communications Officer
Tel: 2963 3497 / 6698 3357
Email:
kara.kwong@towngas.com |