Hongkong Land Foundation launches "AI for Good" Hackathon to strengthen community impact
The initiative supports local non‑governmental organisations ("NGOs") to address pressing community needs, reflecting the Foundation's long‑term commitment to building vibrant, inclusive and resilient communities through social innovation, stakeholder engagement and long‑term partnerships. Anchored by three strategic pillars -- People, Place and Culture, the Foundation has invested more than HK$115 million in community initiatives since its establishment in November 2020, benefiting over 630,000 people, and is increasingly focused on building partnerships that support sustained social innovation.
The two-day "AI for Good" Hackathon was held on 21 and 22 March at PolyU. Supported by Hongkong Land's volunteers and J.C.DISI's mentors, participating NGOs worked in a supportive and trusted environment to explore, iterate and strengthen their ideas. During the Hackathon, participants used AI-enabled tools to develop a visual "Pattern Book" - an investment-ready framework that consolidated field research, ideation, solution planning, and visual presentation into a single document. The AI-powered approach enabled participants to distil complex social issues into concise, actionable concepts, creating more meaningful dialogue between NGOs, judges, and potential partners.
The J.C.DISI has been a key partner in supporting the Hackathon through ideation, NGO capacity building, project management and student engagement. Students from across PolyU took part as youth consultants, working closely with NGOs to offer fresh perspectives and insights, reinforcing the programme's focus on co-creation and placemaking impact.
John Simpkins, General Counsel of Hongkong Land and Director of Hongkong Land Foundation, said "The Hongkong Land Foundation has been committed to supporting communities through meaningful collaboration. Through the Hackathon, and our collaboration with J.C.DISI, we are harnessing AI as a tool to empower our NGO partners, helping them strengthen ideas, enhance digital capabilities and unlock new creativity in social innovation. The initiative reflects our belief that lasting social impact is not created through one-off funding, but through co-creation, technology and sustained engagement. By bringing together NGOs, students and cross-sector partners, we aim to develop solutions that strengthen communities and contribute to a more vibrant city."
Sam Lam, Interim Director, Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation, said "What distinguishes this Hackathon is its focus on AI‑enabled capacity building for social innovation. Rather than a standalone pitch exercise, the programme equips NGO teams with the skill to utilise cutting-edge AI Design Thinking tools commonly used by professional consultancies, helping them compress months of strategic work to implementable solutions within 48 hours. This collaboration redefines the traditional funder–NGO relationship. Through long-term capacity building, the Hong Kong Land Foundation equips NGOs with practical skills and tools to strengthen placemaking and community engagement. Together, we translate strategic vision into solutions - ensuring impact that extends well beyond the hackathon."
Four finalist teams were shortlisted to advance to the next stage, following an initial pitch assessed by Hongkong Land executives, and academic and industry experts. The shortlisted teams will refine their proposals with cross‑sector mentors, with winning projects receiving funding and ongoing support from the Hongkong Land Foundation over the next two years.
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Hongkong Land
Hongkong Land is a major listed property development, investment and management group. It focuses on developing, owning and managing premium and ultra-premium mixed-use real estate in Asian gateway cities, featuring Grade A office, luxury retail, residential and hospitality products. With over US$50 billion in assets under management, Hongkong Land's ultra-premium mixed-use real estate footprint spans over 1.97 million sq. m. lettable area in operation and 1.43 million sq. m. lettable area under development, with flagship mixed-use projects in Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai. Its properties hold industry leading green building certifications and attract the world's foremost companies and luxury brands. Established in 1889, Hongkong Land takes a long-term view, investing significantly alongside its capital partners and concentrating its portfolio where it can create the most value for tenants, customers and investors. Hongkong Land Holdings Limited has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange, with secondary listings in Singapore and Bermuda. Hongkong Land is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group.
Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation
Established in 2012, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation (J.C.DISI) is a catalyst for transformative social change. J.C.DISI serves as a strategic vehicle advancing the University's commitment to social responsibility through human-centered approaches to society's most pressing challenges. J.C.DISI is dedicated to driving social innovation through the "Inno for Good" strategic framework, which focuses on six key innovation streams: Aging for Good, Care for Good, Community for Good, Design and Service for Good, STEAMS for Good, and Tech for Good.
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