HKSTP Briefing Session on HKQAA Hong Kong Registration – Start-ups

The Briefing Session entitled “HKQAA Hong Kong Registration – Start-ups” was coorganized by Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA) on 25th Jan 2016. In order to nurture and support local technology start-ups, HKSTP and HKQAA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 24 March 2015. This collaboration aimed to strengthen the support and network for technology companies, helping them develop innovative business, fostering knowledge transfer and boosting their competitiveness. Before the briefing, we took a group photo for memory.
(Left: Mr. Antony Chan, Ms. Christine Hui, Ms. Reese Kwan, Mr. Nic Chan and I)

In the beginning, Mr. Antony Chan (Manager, Incubation Program, HKSTP) introduced today speakers - Mr. Nic Chan and I to all invited incubatees.

Mr. Nic Chan (Account Manager, HKQAA) was the first guest speaker. In the beginning, he introduced HKQAA nature and service. HKQAA is a non-profit-distribution organization which established by the Hong Kong Government in 1989. HKQAA had wide scope of services included QMS, EMS, OHSMS, Food Safety MS, Social Compliance / Accountability, etc.

Then Mr. Nic Chan briefed HKQAA Hong Kong Registration Schemes included Eco-friendly Series, Personnel Series, Recycling Service, Cooking Oil and Wine. Since Start-ups faced several challenges such as limited resources, shortage of manpower, lack of recognition and track record.

Nic also mentioned 10 good things that ISO standards can do for SMEs. Then he explained early development of HKQAA Hong Kong Registration – Start-ups which considered needs from stakeholders included Incubator, Angel/VC, Academic, Big Corporations and start-ups. After that he briefed Registration process, preliminary requirements and award levels as follows.
- Registered Platinum Start-up (90% - 100%)
- Registered Gold Start-up (80% - 89.99%)
- Registered Start-up (60% - 79.99%)

I was the second speaker and my topic was “Quality Startup Management System (QStarMS)”. My approach was to integrate Business Model Generation, HKSTP Milestone Assessment, ISO Principles and HKQAA Registration Criteria to form QStarMS.

Firstly, I shared my experience to assist our incubatees achieving different ISO standards including ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and ISO 17025, etc.

Then I explained the HKSTP-HKQAA Quality Startup Recognition idea which was the reason we established such scheme involved different parties (e.g. HKSQ, HKQAA, HKSTP, TPP, etc.)

Finally, I mentioned the QStarMS model which was the theory behind HKQAA Hong Kong Registration – Start-ups. Then I briefed the coming free workshop to help participants to fulfill the requirement of Start-up registration scheme through HKSTP ISO knowledge transfer service.

Q&A sessionIncubatees concerned the following factors which HKQAA and HKSTP would develop in those ways to enhance the scheme.
i) How many companion corporations understand/recognize this new scheme?
HKQAA and HKSTP planned to find great brand customer and partner to join and recognize this scheme through our network.
ii) Do investors know it and recognize it?
We planned to explain to different angel / VC group through our network.

Reference:

HKSTP - http://www.hkstp.org/
HKQAA - http://www.hkqaa.org
20150324: HKSTP Graduation Ceremony of Incubation Programmes & MOU with HKQAA - http://qualityalchemist.blogspot.hk/2015/03/hkstp-graduation-ceremony-of-incubation.html