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[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] What could an aircraft maintenance bay management system, a stablecoin payment platform and e-ink display simulator possibly have in common? The answer is that these three innovations were all named winners in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) AI Hackathon Hong Kong. The city-wide competition challenged top tech talents to create transformative generative artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, with the aim to address real-world issues specific to the Hong Kong market. Using one of two GenAI tools: AI-powered assistant Amazon Q Developer and agentic AI integrated development environment (IDE) Kiro, over 130 teams in Hong Kong submitted their big ideas to reshape Hong Kong's retail, tourism, F&B, and FinTech industry. Notably, the champion earned the ultimate gift for tech enthusiasts: a full conference pass to the annual AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas, inclusive of round trip flights and hotel accommodation, plus the indisputable honour of winning Hong Kong's inaugural AWS AI Hackathon. "We are beyond excited to have brought the AWS AI Hackathon to Hong Kong. As a global innovation and technology hub, Hong Kong has an abundance of talent and potential. We wanted to encourage local developers to explore AWS's latest technology and we are glad to witness contestants lay the foundations for the future of Hong Kong using artificial intelligence," remarked Andy Chan, Head of Business Development at AWS Hong Kong. HAECO Bay Management System: Engineering the Future of AviationThe winning idea is a web-based management system for aircraft maintenance bay assignment, invented to eliminate human error and automate a previously manual task. Developed by HAECO, a major aircraft engineering and maintenance service provider, the bay management system is embedded with a visualisation portal and optimisation engine, providing well-informed suggestions after factoring in external variables, including geographical dependencies, aircraft size and task type. What sets the solution apart is Kiro’s strong logical mindset, which proved to be instrumental from the initial stages of vibe coding, to subsequent design validation and clarification, making sure requirements remained consistent throughout the product lifecycle. The system doesn't simply streamline logistics and operations, it enhances productivity and resource allocation for a key pillar of Hong Kong's tourism industry, targeting a specific pain point to elevate the city’s position as an aviation hub. Reflecting on the achievement, the HAECO team shared: “By leveraging Kiro and working closely as a team, we turned ideas into reality for HAECO in just two weeks. It is exciting to see how collaboration and technology can spark real innovation.” StablePay: Revolutionising Cross-Border Payment for SMEsSecuring the silver trophy is StablePay, a HKMA-compliant stablecoin payment platform operated by Wisdom Link AI, which settles overseas payments within just 15 minutes. While traditional bank wires may take up to five business days with a 3-5% add-on charge, StablePay leverages Hong Kong's advanced financial infrastructure to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) improve cash flow and competitiveness. Embracing integration with Hong Kong's licensed crypto exchanges, international payments made in Stablecoins can instantly be converted into Hong Kong dollars through the Faster Payment System (FPS), delivering up to 90% in cost reduction. Built entirely on Kiro to ensure data sovereignty, StablePay boasts support from major local banks, as well as Chinese Mainland connectivity via the Cross-Border Inter-bank Payment System (CIPS). With the objective to deepen collaboration across the Greater Bay Area, the platform no doubt serves to bolster Hong Kong’s already robust financial ecosystem, creating strong impetus for FinTech development. Reflecting on his experience at the AWS AI Hackathon, Ryan Wu, Founder of Wisdom Link AI and a key driving force behind StablePay, shared his vision for the project: “I’ve been approached countless times for VC vetting, incubation competitions, and seeding funds, always with the same question: What do you have to offer—expertise, connections, a proven track record? Sure, I’ve got an MBA under my belt along with years of hands-on experience in IT and business operations, but without a live project to demonstrate it all, it felt like I had nothing tangible to show. Joining this campaign was my way to change that—to turn my idea into reality and prove to myself and the world that in the new AI era, even solid credentials like these take a backseat to a brilliant idea and sheer determination. There’s no stopping startup innovators when they harness that power.” He also offered advice to aspiring innovators who want to bring new ideas to life: “If you’ve got an idea that solves a real problem today—or even one on the horizon—don’t wait for tomorrow; the time is NOW. AI is propelling tech startups to unprecedented heights at a pace we couldn’t have imagined, with entry barriers lower than ever before. Sign up for Kiro today and launch your vision without delay.” e-ink-sim: Bridging the Divide with E-ink Simulation Taking third place is e-ink-sim, a Chrome extension developed and operated by 3ook.com, that transforms any browser into an accurate e-ink display simulator. In a world filled with vibrant LCD and OLED screens, the paper-like comfort of e-ink displays still holds a special place in many hearts, thus triumphing in the Freestyle category within the hackathon, even though the project does not fit into Hong Kong’s key industries. Going beyond a simple grayscale filter, the E-ink Developer Extension simulates slow refresh rates (1–15 Hz), replicates the characteristic white/black "flash" during screen updates, and even offers pre-configured settings for Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Clara HD, and other popular e-ink devices. Recognising a massive gap in the developer toolchain, Chong Wai Lun (William) and Ng Wing Tat (David), Co-founders of 3ook.com, shared: “The Kiro-built extension is a powerful, developer-first tool that is immediately usable without the need for configuration or physical hardware, opening up a new frontier in inclusive design to ensure web accessibility.” From Aviation to Finance: Homegrown Innovation Leading the Future With a wave of brilliant ideas and overwhelming participation, the AWS AI Hackathon made it clear that Hong Kong's tech talents aren’t just waiting for the future to arrive—they are actively building it. Not only demonstrating Hong Kong's readiness to embrace cutting-edge technologies, the diversity seen across the 841 solutions also highlights how generative AI can be applied across a spectrum of industries to solve issues specific to the local market. The hackathon may have concluded, but the spirit of innovation doesn’t end, especially when champion developers are still looking to take their solutions to the next level. Empowered by AWS’s world-class AI technology and comprehensive service infrastructure, the solutions born in Hong Kong can grow to their full potential and drive impact across industries and even around the globe. There are no bounds to digital transformation, and this competition has proven to be more than a trial of speed, but a launchpad for next-generation ideas that can truly make a difference. As a cloud computing service provider, AWS Hong Kong remains committed to fueling this momentum through events like the hackathon, enabling both SMEs and major enterprises to innovate and accelerate. As technology continues to evolve at an unforeseen pace, it is integral for businesses of all sizes to adapt and learn to turn existing challenges into growth opportunities. Hong Kong's advantage lies within its unique position at the intersection of East and West, and when combined with a strong technical infrastructure as well as the brightest innovators in the region, it is poised to lead the way in AI development.
