To foster work enhancement and keep abreast of the latest market trends, SHKP organizes the Quality Raising Suggestion Scheme (QRSS) and Work Safety Suggestion Scheme (WSSS) annually to encourage our colleagues to develop innovative and practicable suggestions to raise work quality and safety. The 29th Quality Raising Suggestion Scheme and the 14th Work Safety Suggestion Scheme were recently successfully concluded, and the results were announced. SHKPnews introduces the Gold Award winners’ proposals, showing how they put new technology into practice. 

29th Quality Raising Suggestion Scheme Gold Award winner: Lik On Technology Limited
Project Title: VR Goes Everywhere

With the rapid development of technology, virtual reality (VR) is being widely applied in various areas and industries. Lik On Technology, a subsidiary of Hong Yip, developed a VR platform, called "VR Goes Everywhere". Leveraging Matterport 3D panoramic space capture technology, the team spent half a year developing a platform to provide value-added services, including the first-ever 3D WayFinding technology, which provides virtual tours of  housing developments and shopping malls. The platform can also be widely applied in various areas, including interactive mini-games for shopping malls, virtual flat tours, renovation inspections, synchronized teaching and virtual exhibitions. 

"VR Goes Everywhere" was launched more than two years ago and has become mature technology. It has been adopted by 153 clients, such as shopping malls, restaurants, public service institutions and other businesses, in 52 countries and regions, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Spain.

14th Work Safety Suggestion Scheme Gold Award winner: Sanfield (Management)
Project Title: Working Safely on Gondolas

In view of the frequent occurrence of gondola accidents on construction sites in recent years, Sanfield (Management) successfully installed individual pulley blocks on the monorail suspended work platform, commonly known as a gondola, to improve work safety and reduce potential risks. The team installed six pulley blocks to prevent gondola derailment, comprising four large pulleys supporting the gondola and two small pulleys anchoring the lifelines and buckles to protect the workers. The design passed the safety test conducted by an independent registered engineer and was recognized by the Labour Department for protecting the workers effectively.

The design can be widely applied on all SHKP construction sites, as well as other repair and maintenance projects. The design has enhanced work-at-height safety, raised productivity by 36%, and reduced labour costs and examination time by 36% and 96%, respectively. Sanfield (Management) expect the design to benefit the construction industry and provide workers with better protection.

SHKP places great emphasis on sustainable development, and its property management subsidiaries Kai Shing and Hong Yip are committed to fostering green management. In recognition of their remarkable performance, both companies clinched multiple awards at the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE), which is jointly organized by the Environmental Campaign Committee, the Environment and Ecology Bureau, and nine other organizations.

Thirty-nine properties managed by Kai Shing certified as Hong Kong Green Organizations

New Town Plaza, New Town Tower and Metropolis Plaza, which are managed by Kai Shing, received the Gold Award this year. New Town Plaza and New Town Tower have actively leveraged innovative technology and implemented various environmental and decarbonization measures. For instance, they reduced construction waste by over 160 tonnes by encouraging leaving tenants to keep their decorations when moving out. Metropolis Plaza established a green association and launched various activities and initiatives to promote a low-carbon lifestyle, including a food waste recycling programme, and an organic farm on the podium, which allows the residents to enjoy farming.

In addition, 39 properties managed by Kai Shing were certified as Hong Kong Green Organizations for their excellent performance in four environmental areas: waste reduction, energy saving, carbon reduction and indoor air quality improvement.

Hong Yip projects recognized as Outstanding HKAEE Promotional Partners

Park Central (Shopping Arcade), Tsuen Wan Plaza (Shopping Arcade), Royal Peninsula and New Tech Plaza, which are managed by Hong Yip, were recognized as Outstanding HKAEE Promotional Partners for their efforts in promoting the HKAEE and inviting their business partners to participate in the award. The headquarters of Hong Yip and 245 of the properties it manages were also certified as Hong Kong Green Organizations.

To attract more young people to join the hotel industry, the Hotel Division of SHKP and the College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPCE) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) recently organized an open day for the SHKP Hotels x PolyU CPCE Experiential Learning Programme, which provides more than 200 internship opportunities for CPCE students. The open day was well received and attracted nearly 500 students.

Providing a two-year experiential learning programme

SHKP and PolyU CPCE signed a memorandum of understanding on a two-year experiential learning programme, which is open to all CPCE students. The programme provides the participating students with more than 500 hours of training at nine SHKP hotels: Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, W Hong Kong, Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong, The Royal Garden, Royal Plaza Hotel, Royal Park Hotel, Royal View Hotel and Alva Hotel by Royal. Upon completion of the internship, the students will receive a certificate of completion and will have priority in being considered for full-time positions at these hotels after graduation.

The open day was recently held at PolyU CPCE's West Kowloon Campus. It featured booths set up by the nine hotels and introduced the relevant job opportunities in various departments and the latest developments in the industry. Michael Lam, Deputy Vice President (Asset Management) of the Hotel Division of SHKP, said the hotel industry has strong demand for manpower, as the number of visitors is expected to shoot up with the removal of all anti-pandemic measures. By offering training opportunities in various departments in the hotels, SHKP hopes that the internship programme will encourage more students to join the industry, providing new blood and creating a win-win situation for both the hotels and the students.

SHKP's property management arm, Hong Yip, has embraced a people-oriented approach, keeping pace with the latest trends and actively nurturing talent. In addition to establishing "Hong Yip People Development Academy" and providing the colleagues with innovative, diversified professional training, Hong Yip has cooperated with various universities in Hong Kong. Recently, Hong Yip signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) to collaborate in nurturing talent for the industry.

Signing an MoU with Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Over the past years, Hong Yip has collaborated with HKMU to organize training courses on sports and recreation management, civil and building services engineering, and property management. Hong Yip also recruits upcoming graduates recommended by HKMU every year, offering them internship and training opportunities at its managed shopping malls, commercial buildings, residential developments and clubhouses. This collaboration covers various initiatives, including curriculum design and implementation, student internships and career development, applied research, service learning, mentorship programmes, and development projects for students' capstone work. The graduates can acquire theoretical knowledge and practical experience in different workplaces. Alkin Kwong, Chairman and Chief Executive of Hong Yip, attended the MoU signing ceremony and remarked that the collaboration aims to support the diversified development of local university students, nurture talent for the industry, and give new momentum to the successful development of Hong Kong.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Arrangement with tertiary institutions

Since 2014, Hong Yip has signed various agreements, such as the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Arrangement and internship programmes, with various institutions, including the Vocational Training Council, The School of Professional Education and Executive Development of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the School of Continuing and Professional Education of City University of Hong Kong, Caritas Bianchi College of Careers, and Hong Kong College of Technology. Hong Yip believes that academic knowledge and practical experience are equally important for nurturing the future generation of property management talent. Therefore, through collaboration with tertiary institutions, the company provides students with internship and management training opportunities.

To foster sustainable development, SHKP participated in Earth Hour, a worldwide lights-off campaign organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) for the 15th straight year. On the evening of the event, over 400 properties owned or managed by SHKP switched off non-essential lights for an hour to promote environmental protection. The participating SHKP buildings and properties spanned Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories, including Sun Hung Kai Centre, the International Commerce Centre, Wetland Seasons Park and YOHO Mall.

SHKP is committed to developing green buildings and promoting sustainable development, and continually invests in its properties to enhance their environmental performance. Recently, four flagship commercial buildings developed by SHKP, the International Commerce Centre (ICC), Sun Hung Kai Centre, One IFC and Two IFC, received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification under "v4.1 Operations and Maintenance: Existing Buildings" from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). 

The buildings are recognized by the USGBC for their excellent environmental performance. ICC scored 87 points, the highest score among the buildings in Hong Kong, and Sun Hung Kai Centre, which is over 40 years old, was the longest-standing commercial building among the Platinum awardees in Hong Kong. One IFC and Two IFC received 84 and 83 points, respectively, and Two IFC was the first building in Hong Kong to attain LEED Platinum certification under "v4.1 Operation and Maintenance: Existing Buildings".

In addition to enhancing the performance of its existing properties, SHKP is committed to obtaining LEED certification for all its new investment properties. For instance, the company’s premium commercial project in Kowloon East on 98 How Ming Street, Kwun Tong, was awarded pre-certification for LEED Platinum, the highest rating. The development under construction atop the High-Speed Rail West Kowloon Terminus also received LEED Platinum pre-certification. Looking ahead, SHKP will continue to develop environmentally friendly buildings to contribute to the sustainable development of society.

With the city's gradual return to normal, Hong Kong's tourism and hotel industries are getting back on track. SHKP and the School of Hotel & Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) recently organized the SHKP Hotels X SHTM Hackathon, with some 40 students coming up with many innovative ideas for hotels to ride on the post-COVID recovery and growth. 

Devising innovative business proposals for hotels

Over 40 students formed 15 teams to conduct in-depth research and devise innovative proposals for one of the five participating SHKP hotels: The Royal Garden, the Alva Hotel by Royal, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong and the Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong. 

During the contest, the students closely interacted with the hotel team and acquired a lot of practical knowledge about how a hotel is managed. Champion team members Vicky and Danny who created a solution for The Royal Garden said they were very impressed by the great lengths the hotel has taken to provide premium service to customers and this is something they should learn about.  

Passing on the hotel culture through experience sharing

On the event day, Tasos Kousloglou, CEO (Hotel Division) of SHKP, and senior management of the five SHKP hotels shared their experience in hotel management. Mr. Kousloglou praised PolyU for nurturing talent for the hotel and tourism industry, and said he was delighted that the students had developed innovative ideas for the industry. Christian Poda, Regional Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, and Pierre Perusset, General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, shared the rich history and corporate culture of the hotels and taught the students how to enjoy their work in the industry, as they still do. Leo Lai, Hotel Manager of the Alva Hotel by Royal, and Patrick Sin, General Manager of the Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong, encouraged the students to keep abreast of the latest trends and to constantly look for ways to incorporate innovative technologies into the hotel business. Jenny Chan, General Manager of The Royal Garden, shared the secret of keeping her premium hotel of more than 40 years evergreen.

Joining SHKP to build a career

Many participating students learned a lot from the fruitful sharing and saw a promising future in developing a career in the hotel industry. After the award-presentation ceremony, the students met with the SHKP hotels representatives in groups to gain a deeper understanding of each hotel.

SHKP has actively fulfilled its corporate social responsibility by fully supporting the crime-prevention work of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) over the past year. In the recent Good Citizen Award Presentation Ceremony 2022, organized by the HKPF, the company received the Good Organization Award, which recognizes its contribution and efforts. 

Since the end of 2021, SHKP has made arrangements for 15 of its major shopping malls to broadcast promotional videos produced by the HKPF to enhance public awareness of various crime-prevention topics, including cyber security, illegal gambling, anti-deception and child protection. The company also provided venue support for the crime-prevention educational activities. In addition, to continue to support the HKPF’s Good Citizen Spirit promotion among the public, from now to November 2023, the Good Citizen Award Exhibition will be held in YOHO Mall in Yuen Long, New Town Plaza in Sha Tin, APM in Kwun Tong, MOKO in Mong Kok East, and IFC Mall in Central. 

St Michel, the company's residential development in Sha Tin, has an elegant, scenic greenery landscape, with an incense tree, a precious gift from nature, growing and thriving. This type of tree is rare in Hong Kong and is classified as a national second-class protected species. The construction team made a tremendous effort during the construction planning and development stage to preserve the tree in-situ.

Changing the project design for the precious tree

A great number of incense tree have been illegally felled due to their high value, so they have become rare in Hong Kong. When the St Michel project team discovered the incense tree at the site, at the early planning stage, they decided to change the design and reposition the residential towers to allow the tree to thrive in-situ. The podium roof level was changed to match the height of the tree. The design incorporated the incense tree perfectly into the landscape of the podium garden and allowed long-term tree monitoring and maintenance.

Preserving the incense tree in-situ during construction 

As the development's multi-storey carpark is located below the podium garden and equipped with electrical and mechanical facilities, the team adopted a customized engineering design and installed piles around the tree, which extended 17 metres deep from the podium garden, penetrating several storeys of the carpark to stabilize the soil during construction. In addition, to ensure the incense tree would grow healthily during the construction work, lasting several years, the team set up a water-shower system and soil moisture monitoring device to clean the leaves and irrigate the tree from the top level, as necessary. Thanks to the efforts of the team, the incense tree is growing and thriving, demonstrating the successful co-existence of development and conservation.

Facts about incense trees

Aquilaria sinensis, with the common name incense tree, secretes resin in response to fungal infection resulting from being felled or cut. The wood containing the resin is called "agarwood". Some academics believe "Hong Kong" is named after the incense tree and the related aromatic wood production and trading in the old days. As agarwood is a valuable source of incense, and agarwood artworks are regarded as a speculative investment, some wild "Aquilaria" species in Southeast Asia have already been logged to extinction. Hong Kong's native incense trees are also under the threat of illegal logging, and the trunks of the existing trees are often heavily wounded nowadays. Therefore, it is rare to see an incense tree like that at St Michel thriving healthily under the protection of the construction and property management team.