Inovate for a Better World Inovate for a Better World

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Overview

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow aims to encourage the youth to leverage their STREAM (Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) skills and creativity to address pressing social issues and provide them with unique learning opportunities. Students who participate in this program will learn how to develop and implement innovative solutions to solve challenges faced by their communities. Throughout this journey, our STREAM experts will provide students with comprehensive guidance on technical skills and creative thinking, communication, and collaboration skills that are crucial for our future leaders.

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow comprises three levels of problem-solving: restatement, ideation, and actualization. In the problem-solving phase, students will define and solve issues based on their in-depth understanding of target users. First launched in the U.S. in 2010, Solve for Tomorrow now has footprints in 23 countries across the globe.

Samsung believes that STREAM, problem-solving, creative thinking, communication, and collaboration are vital skill sets for students to thrive in an ever-changing world. At the same time, Samsung hopes to gather young people around the globe to apply their knowledge, skills, unlimited creativity, and enthusiasm for new technologies to build innovative solutions to social issues that impact their communities. Samsung hopes to cultivate the thought leaders of tomorrow, equipping them with both technical knowledge and the empathy to use that knowledge for those in need.

Solve for Tomorrow 2022 Theme

Our Students Are Our Future
Samsung shapes a better future with you

The theme for this year is “Innovate for a Better Hong Kong”. Students are free to choose their areas of expertise and focus on different local social issues. They are encouraged to apply their STREAM knowledge to design an innovative solution for their ideal Hong Kong. Samsung believes this will encourage our future generation to develop a deeper understanding of their home while generating ideas addressing the most pressing social issues. Solve For Tomorrow 2022 is an opportunity for young Hong Kong talents to explore possibilities and contribute to building the Hong Kong they envision.

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Examples of Hong Kong Issues

Below are some hot local topics and their relevant local/international solutions for reference:



Special Education Needs Students（SEN）

The number of SEN students is increasing steadily every year. According to data from the Census and Statistics Department and the Education Bureau, over 56,000 SEN students are studying in mainstream primary and secondary schools in the academic year 2020/21. This number is 15% higher than the number in the academic year 2018/19, which is an issue we need to address.

Building Tailor-made Training Programs With AI

Bridge AI Limited collaborated with the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute to launch an artificial intelligence-based 3i -learning system in 2020 after developing for over a year. This learning system helped parents train their SEN children. Once parents upload their children’s learning progress to the system, it will use AI to analyse the data. The system will then automatically suggest the training content for the next day.

Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder（ASD）

According to the statics from the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department quoted by the EOC, the number of primary and secondary school students diagnosed with autism rose from 5,786 in the academic year 2014/15 to 9,537 in the academic year 2018/2019, representing a surge of 65%. The number also does not include those who have not officially reported their case to the Government. Meanwhile, there are always opinions in society hoping to enhance support for autistic people and their families.

Creating Fun Learning Situation With AI Robots

The Faculty of Education of The Chinese University of Hong Kong understands that people with autism are more interested in objects than humans. So, it developed an artificial intelligence robot. The robots teach autistic preschool and school-age children communication skills and proper ways of expressing themselves through various simulated scenarios. Using robots, the faculty hopes to reduce any possible social barriers to creating a fun and enjoyable learning environment for those with autism.

Student Stress

The high stress level faced by our Hong Kong students has always been a hot topic. Especially during the pandemic, students must constantly adapt to physical and online learning. Meanwhile, with the continuous extension of online classes, they have fewer chances to meet their classmates and friends, significantly affecting their mental health. From a survey conducted by the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (Jorden Centre) in May 2022, 20.7% and 14.7% of the respondents experienced severe and moderate emotional disturbance before and after the class resumption. Most respondents even indicated that they would instead reduce leisure time spent online during holidays to be with their families and friends.

Parents And Children Managing Emotions Together

GRWTH worked with multiple primary schools and kindergartens in 2022 to launch an app that encourages students to record and express their feelings. The learning platform builds a better relationship between parents and their children by allowing parents to easily track their children's emotional changes and talk to them when needed.

Mental Health

Hongkongers have more mental health issues under the fifth pandemic wave. A survey showed that 38% of the respondents said their mental health has deteriorated since January 2022; nearly 56% of the respondents scored lower than 52 (out of 100) on the WHO-5 Well-being Index, implying that our overall mental health is in a "poor” state.

Overcoming Anxiety and Depression With VR

AXA Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Oxford VR of the University of Oxford joined hands and launched a “Yes I Can” initiative. The resulting VR treatment program asks users to complete tasks in various virtual environments, such as coffee shops, buses, streets, and convenience stores. The approach helps them to overcome their anxiety by learning how to react in these environments.

Sustainable Development (Waste Disposal)

There is always massive room for improvement in Hong Kong’s waste management. In “Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong – Waste Statics for 2020”, published by the Environmental Protection Department, we can see an increase in the waste disposal rate per capita over the last 10 years, from 1.27kg in 2011 to 1.44kg in 2020. However, the overall recovery rate and the domestic recovery rate experienced a drop from 2016 to 2020, with the latter only reaching 19% in 2020.

Food TranSmarter To Build Green Habits

Developed by the Hong Kong Productivity Council, the Food TranSmarter is a food waste conversion system that decomposes and separates indigestible rubbish, extracts, and turns organic matter into a slurry, and converts it into renewable energy. The all-in-one system encourages Hong Kong people to reduce waste at the source and develop environmental-friendly habits in their daily lives.

Wildlife Conservation

Limulidae species, commonly known as horseshoe crabs, are called the “living fossils” as they have existed for 450 million years. You can find them in the Siu Ho Wan mudflat on Lantau Island. However, the impact of microplastics and marine debris on the environment reduced the horseshoe crab population to 10% between 2009 and 2022. According to a study in 2012, there are less than 10,000 young horseshoe crabs in Hong Kong, and the species is listed on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

Learning More About Different Species

iNaturalist is a mobile app that allows users to share the flora and fauna they encounter. They do not only learn the names on the app but also help to accumulate the research database.


Eligibility and Entry Format

The Solve for Tomorrow competition welcomes entries from all Hong Kong primary and secondary school students. They must form teams to participate, and each team should ideally comprise three to five students from the same school. There are no restrictions on the number of teams the primary and secondary schools can enter. We encourage students from different classes and disciplines to form teams for the competition.

Participating teams are free to choose their area of expertise and address diverse social issues in line with the theme “Innovate for a Better Hong Kong.” They are encouraged to design an innovative and implementable solution by applying their knowledge in technology and other areas of STREAM.

Teams are required to submit a PowerPoint proposal and a presentation video. In addition, secondary school participants must submit an Android app or a prototype to demonstrate their solutions along with the PowerPoint proposal and presentation video. We also encourage teams from the primary schools to present their concepts in formats that bring their ideas to life.

The competition starts on 1 September 2022, and teams can register via the online form on or before 31 October 2022. We request that a supervising teacher oversee the teams participating in the competition for the primary and secondary school categories. Teams will receive a confirmation email after they successfully submit their applications. If they wish to change the number of participating students or their names, they must notify the Solve for Tomorrow Secretariat by emailing SamsungSFT@pulsecom.com.hk。

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Participating teams must send the following documents (see below) to the Solve for Tomorrow 2022 Secretariat by emailing SamsungSFT@pulsecom.com.hk on or before 6:00 pm on 18 November 2022 (the prototype must be submitted by courier):

For all teams

PowerPoint Proposal

Based on the template provided by the organizer, submit a PowerPoint proposal explaining in detail the innovative solution, using graphics, images, text, audio, and video links (max. 15MB and within 15 slides).

and

Presentation Video

Film a short video of no longer than three minutes to present the innovative solution. Participating teams must upload the video to an online platform, set it as "private," and include the video link in the PowerPoint proposal.

Extra materials for Secondary Category – Actual Product (Primary School Category teams can submit the actual product if needed)

Android Application

Participating teams must upload the APK of their Android application to an online platform, set it to "private," and include the link in the PowerPoint proposal.

or

Prototype

There is no limit to the size of the prototype. It must be couriered or submitted in person to “16/F, K11 Atelier, 728 King's Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong” before the submission deadline.

Remarks

  • -
    The time of the entry submission is recorded according to the time the Secretariat’s email server receives it. Late entries will not be accepted.
  • -
    The teams will receive a confirmation email upon successful entry submission. Submitted entries may not be modified after the deadline.
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Event Timetable

Due to the uncertainties brought about by the pandemic, some activities will be held online. Details will be announced on this page shortly.

  • Stage 1
    11 August to 1 September 2022
    • Briefing section*
    • Open for applications
  • Stage 2
    Mid-September to 6:00 pm 18 November 2022
    • STREAM Workshop (5 sections) (Mid-September to early October)
      NEW!
    • Consultation Workshop (Mid-October)
    • Application deadline (31 October)
    • Entry submission deadline (18 November before 6:00 pm)
  • Stage 3
    December 2022 to January 2023
    • Judging
    • Announcement of the 8 shortlisted teams (4 teams from Primary and Secondary categories respectively)
      NEW!
    • Mentorship period
  • Last Stage
    January to February 2023
    • Presentation day
    • Public voting
    • Award ceremony
  • *Remark 1: Five extra points will be awarded to the teams participating in ALL activities, i.e., the seminar and briefing session, STREAM workshop, and consultation workshop. These five bonus points will be added to their total score.
  • *Remark 2: Corresponding SFT certificates - SFT Level 1 (Creator with Design Thinking), SFT Level 2 (Concept Realiser), and SFT Level 3 (New Generation of Communicator and Collaborator) will be given to those participating in the STREAM workshop series.
    NEW!

Awards

The 8 shortlisted teams will be announced in late December 2022 (4 teams from Primary and Secondary Categories, respectively), and all winners will be announced in February 2023. Details of awards are as follows:

Secondary School Category (10 teams):

Award Quota Cash Prize (per team) Product Prize (per team)
Champion 1 HK$30,000 Samsung products worth HK$20,000
1st runner up 1 HK$20,000 Samsung products worth HK$15,000
2nd runner up 1 HK$15,000 Samsung products worth HK$10,000
Creative Idea Award 1 HK$15,000 Samsung products worth HK$10,000
Merit Award 6 - Samsung products worth HK$5,000

Primary School Category (10 teams):

Award Quota Cash Prize (per team) Product Prize (per team)
Champion 1 HK$20,000 Samsung products worth HK$15,000
1st runner up 1 HK$10,000 Samsung products worth HK$10,000
2nd runner up 1 HK$7,500 Samsung products worth HK$5,000
Creative Idea Award 1 HK$7,500 Samsung products worth HK$5,000
Merit Award 6 - Samsung products worth HK$5,000

New Rules With More Learning Opportunities

From 2020, the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition has included STREAM workshops for participating students to learn Design Thinking. This helps students develop their work for the competition and prepares them for future R&D and problem-solving opportunities.

In 2022, we are adding a series of free workshops apart from Design Thinking to expose our participating students to a broader range of STREAM knowledge. The workshops include modular design, programming, collaboration, presentation skills, and video shooting. An SFT certificate system is also incorporated. Students participating in different stages will be awarded a corresponding certificate to acknowledge their participation.

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition projects will have a clear suggested time allocation under the Other Learning Experience scheme. Schools should consider these projects and workshops as additional courses to benefit students.

New Grading System That Is Closer to the Real-World

In addition to the original judging criteria, which include the design concept, creativity, feasibility, and technology level, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2022 has introduced two new parameters:

  • Sustainability: In recent years, Samsung has launched its "Everyday Sustainability" vision to promote sustainable development at all levels of operations. Therefore, students are encouraged to incorporate sustainable development elements into their solutions, such as using environment-friendly materials, considering whether their conceptual economic model is operationally sustainable and can be scaled, etc.
  • Business Model: To better reflect the reality, students are encouraged to take costs, ways to attract partnerships, and scaling strategies into consideration.

Samsung believes that students, as future pillars of society, can apply their STREAM knowledge and infinite creativity to design solutions for the future of Hong Kong. Furthermore, the workshops held during the Solve for Tomorrow competition will raise the students’ awareness of social responsibility, inspire them to become role models for the next generation, and create a better future together.

Useful Tips (from comments of the past judges)

  1. Since this year's Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has a broader range of topics, participating teams are recommended to select their topics carefully. They also need to build a solid foundation for the suggested solutions by briefly pointing out the relevance of the issues they are addressing or the seriousness and scale of the problem (e.g., by citing relevant news or conducting investigations).
  2. Do not solely introduce the proposal in the presentation video. This is to avoid repetitive content as judges will evaluate both materials.
  3. The sample proposal is for reference only. Participating teams are free to delete content or modify their proposals, provided their proposals are within the 15-page limit with their team information listed (including school and student names).
  4. Participating teams should actively engage in the free workshops to strengthen their STEAM knowledge and other soft skills such as presentation and video production. The workshops will also allow students to improve their solutions based on professional opinions from industry experts and entrepreneurs in attendance.
  5. Participating teams can conduct focus groups to test the effectiveness of their solutions and make corresponding improvements.

Judging Criteria

The judging panel will select winners based on these five criteria:

Design Concept and Creativity（25%） Whether the design concept of the solution can address the issue in Hong Kong and if the proposal is creative and innovative.
Feasibility（25%） The solution must have a certain degree of feasibility or practicality. The feasibility and level of completion of the Android app or prototype, such as operations and user interface for the secondary and tertiary categories, will also be graded.
Presentation（15%） Each team must be able to present its solution in a way that is easily understood by all.
Sustainability（20%）
NEW!
 Samsung has launched its "Everyday Sustainability" vision, which aims to promote sustainable development at all levels of operations. Therefore, students are encouraged to incorporate sustainable development elements into their solutions, such as using environment-friendly materials, considering whether their conceptual economic model is operationally sustainable and scalable.
Business model（15%）
NEW!
 Students are encouraged to consider costs, ways to attract partnerships, and scaling strategies to reflect reality better.

Shortlisted Teams Judging Criteria:

Design concept and creativity （24%） Feasibility（24%） Presentation
（14%） 		Sustainability
（19%）
NEW!
 Business model
（14%）
NEW!
 Public voting
（5%）
NEW!

Judging Panel (in no particular order)

Mr. Albert Wong
Chairman of Association of IT Leaders in Education (AiTLE)

Mr. Albert Wong has been a teacher since 1990 and has worked for different types of schools, including Aided School, Caput School, Direct Subsidy Scheme School and Private Independent School. He initially taught Biology, Mathematics and Integrated Sciences. Since the HKSAR Government's First Strategy on IT in Education, Mr. Wong changed his role from a Mathematics and Science teacher to a school IT Coordinator and Computer Science teacher. Besides, he currently chairs a professional teacher association, the "Association of IT Leaders in Education (AiTLE)". The primary aim of the Association is to promote quality of education using information technologies in the form of peer-sharing groups, seminars and workshops. Mr. Wong is active in public and community services to support the quality of education. He has served as Leader of Google Educator Group (GEG) Hong Kong, chairmen of CIT and ICT Subject Committees (HKEAA), and members of the Steering Committee on Strategic Development of Information Technology in Education (EDB), the Public Examination Board (HKEAA), CDC-HKEAA Committee on Information and Communication Technology (Senior Secondary) (EDB), the Standard Committee (HKEAA), and Assessment and Monitoring Committee (QEF), and Employees Retraining Board (ERB).

Ms Ling Hung
Head of Development, Hong Kong Education City

As the Head of Development of Hong Kong Education City (EdCity), Ling oversees development of all education services, business operations, marketing and corporate communications. She also serves on various education committee of the government and NGOs in promoting IT in Education, innovative learning and students’ wellbeing. Ling is a seasoned executive and marketing professional in Hong Kong. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Hon) Degree and a Master of Applied Social Science Degree in Psychology in Education.

Ms. Yiyin Zhao
Managing Director for Samsung Electronics H.K. Co. Ltd

Ms. Yiyin Zhao joined Samsung Electronics Hong Kong in 2009 and was appointed Managing Director of Hong Kong in December 2018. Yiyin is the first female to be appointed Managing Director of SEHK.

Under Yiyin’s leadership in the past 13 years, SEHK has reached various milestones, created breakthroughs and successfully became the market leader in foldables and smartphones in Hong Kong and Macau; the popularity of its tablets, notebooks, wearables, and mobile payment also surged in these markets. She strives to fulfil consumer needs, and has helped Samsung become the most-preferred smartphone brand among local consumers. She also spearheaded the offering of localized services such as Smart Octopus in Samsung Pay, bringing more convenience to Hong Kong citizens’ daily lives.

Before SEHK, Yiyin gained valuable experience in effectively implementing global business strategy in a local market when she worked at leading MNC companies in the United States and Japan. She holds an MBA degree from the Kellogg School Management at Northwestern University.

Public Voting

The 8 shortlisted teams will be announced in late December 2022 (4 teams from primary and secondary school categories, respectively). After the presentation day, public voting will determine the final winners. The public vote will count for 10% of the total score.

Details will be announced later.

Past Winners in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Competition

2021

With the theme “Innovate for a Better World,” this was the first time Samsung Solve for Tomorrow and included four social issues in the topic. These issues included sustainable development, fun learning, age-friendly technology, and public health. This provided opportunities for students to show their care for a broader range of social issues while encouraging them to shine in their areas of expertise.

St. Teresa Secondary School won the championship in the Secondary category with their AI technology-based Smart Companion Robot for the Elderly (AI腦友Jinn).

Kwong Ming School won the championship in the Primary Category with their AI Shoes for the Elderly (AI伴你同行), which works with an all-rounded app.

2020

Under the theme “Imagination that creates a greener future,” Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2020 encouraged Hong Kong students to utilize their STREAM knowledge and insights to design solutions for promoting sustainable development. Students could realize the importance of adopting a green lifestyle and take Hong Kong one step further towards the "smart green city" aspiration by taking that first step themselves.

St. Stephen's Girls' College – Smart Recycling (智識回收) won the championship in the Secondary Category

C.C.C Kei Wan Primary School (Aldrich Bay) - Smart energy-saving windows (智能節能玻璃窗) won the championship in the Primary Category.

2019

With the theme “Imagination that Spurs Happiness,” Hong Kong students were encouraged to develop various human-centered innovative solutions that could help their peers alleviate mental health problems and allow those in need to receive diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. The 2019 competition saw the largest number of participants from primary, secondary and tertiary students.

The University of Hong Kong - Pacific App won the championship in the Tertiary Category

Diocesan Girls' School - AiAo won the championship in the Secondary Category

2018

Under the theme “Imagination that Connects the World,” Solve for Tomorrow 2018 encouraged Hong Kong students to design innovative solutions or tools to address the needs of SEN students and the people surrounding them. The campaign received overwhelming support from primary, secondary and tertiary students and inspired record-breaking participation. Samsung went one step further to support the Champion team of the Secondary Category to advance their winning idea, ChiPuzzle, in AR. It was mass-produced, allowing even more SEN students to benefit.

The University of Hong Kong - Future Warriors won the championship in the Tertiary Category and the Creative Idea Award

Pak Kau College – Chinese Character Card Game AR won the championship in the Secondary Category

Rules for Solve for Tomorrow 2022

  1. Solve for Tomorrow 2022 is a team competition with two categories, the “Primary Category” and “Secondary Category,” with corresponding prizes for the winners.
  2. Each team must comprise three to five students coming from the same school. There is no restriction on the number of teams each school can enter for the primary and secondary school categories. We encourage students from different classes or disciplines to form teams for the competition.
  3. Applications open on 1 September 2022, and teams can register via the online form on or before 31 October 2022. We request that a supervising teacher oversee the teams participating in the competition for the primary and secondary school categories.
  4. The teams will receive a confirmation email upon successfully submitting their applications. If they wish to change the number of participating students or their names, they must notify the Solve for Tomorrow Secretariat by emailing SamsungSFT@pulsecom.com.hk。
  5. The theme for this year’s competition is “Innovate for a Better Hong Kong.” Participating teams are free to choose their area of expertise and address different types of social issues. They are encouraged to apply their knowledge in STREAM (Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) to design an innovative and practical solution for their ideal Hong Kong.
  6. Five extra points will be awarded to the teams participating in ALL activities – the seminar and briefing sessions, the STREAM workshop and the Consultation workshop. These five bonus points will be added to their total score.
  7. Teams must submit their entries on or before 6:00 pm on 18 November 2022. The entry submission time will be recorded when the Secretariat’s email server receives the entry form, and late entries will not be accepted. Teams will receive a confirmation email upon successful entry submission. Submitted entries may not be modified after the deadline.
  8. All teams are required to submit a PowerPoint proposal and a presentation video, while teams from the Secondary School category are required to additionally submit an Android app or a prototype to demonstrate their solutions. For more details, please refer to the “Entry Submission” section.
  9. The shortlist is expected to be announced in December, and then the mentors will provide further guidance before the "Presentation Day." After the "Presentation Day," the judges will score and rank the entries, and the prizes are expected to be officially announced and awarded in February 2023.
  10. Each team can submit ONE entry only. If a team submits more than one entry, the last entry submitted just before the deadline will be accepted.
  11. We request a supervising teacher to oversee the teams participating in the competition for the primary and secondary school categories to serve as the main contact person.
  12. Submitted entries must be developed by the students and should not have been submitted to any other competition. Entries that are plagiarized from others will be disqualified. Entries that do not satisfy the entry conditions will not be accepted.
  13. External sources of information must be appropriately referenced. Materials used in the entries, such as graphics, images, text, audio and videos, should not infringe any copyright. The main organizer/co-organizers/supporting organizations shall not be held liable for copyright infringement. Teams found to have plagiarized others and/or infringed on copyrights will be disqualified immediately and will bear the responsibility.
  14. The organizer reserves the right to use the submitted entries for any purpose and to modify, translate, edit, use and copy all or part of the entry content without obtaining the consent of the participants or paying any fees in advance.
  15. The judging panel determines the results of the competition. The results and awards decision are final, and we do not accept disputes or appeals.
  16. All personal information provided by the participants will be kept in strict confidence and destroyed within three months after the competition ends. For more details about Samsung’s privacy policy, please refer to https://www.samsung.com/hk_en/info/privacy/
  17. The organizer reserves the right to amend details concerning the competition without further notice. In the event of discrepancies between the Chinese and English versions, the Chinese version shall prevail.
  18. The organizer reserves the right of amendment and final interpretation of the abovementioned rules and arrangements.
FAQs Contact Us

Organizer

Main Organizer

Co-organizers

FAQs

1
Q：
How can we confirm our successful registration for the competition?
A：
A confirmation email will be sent out when we receive the application forms.
2
Q：
Can a team be comprised of students from different grades (e.g., two F.4 students and one F.2 student)?
A：
Yes. Students from different grades can form a team.
3
Q：
Can the same student participate in two different teams?
A：
No.
4
Q：
Can a team submit an Android app and a Prototype for its entry?
A：
Yes, but the Android app and prototype must reflect the same entry.
5
Q：
Can participants upload the presentation video to Dropbox or Google Drive or submit the video by USB flash drive?
A：
Participants may upload their presentation videos to online platforms, and we suggest setting the video to “private”. Submission of the video by USB flash drive is not accepted.
6
Q：
Apart from Cantonese, can the team use English or Mandarin in the presentation video?
A：
Yes.
7
Q：
What language should be used in the PowerPoint proposal?
A：
Chinese or English language is accepted.
8
Q：
Can overseas students participate in the competition?
A：
This competition is open only to students from local primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong.
9
Q：
Will the organizer provide any support to the participating schools?
A：
A consultation workshop will be held for teachers and students in November, before the submission deadline. Mentors will advise the teams on their preliminary ideas at the consultation workshop. After announcing the final round of 8 teams in December (4 teams from Primary and Secondary categories, respectively), mentors will provide further advice before Presentation Day. Please refer to the announcements on our website for more details and registration methods.


Contact Us

Solve for Tomorrow 2022 Secretariat
Email: SamsungSFT@pulsecom.com.hk