It’s certainly starting to change the way energy is used in Hong Kong construction. Ampd Energy’s Enertainer units now power more than 70 major construction sites across the city. Next up is expansion to new markets in Asia. Indeed, Ampd Energy’s impact potential was global from day-one, with Ng choosing to locate his company in Hong Kong because of the city’s “global outlook”. 

Hong Kong’s strong talent pipeline and history of innovation was also a factor. Ng says that to foster the culture of innovation he needed in his team, he simply let it flourish naturally. “The first thing to do is to not put yourself on a pedestal, because you become inaccessible and people become afraid to voice their opinions,” says Ng. “You need to understand that you’re just another employee in your company, in pursuit of the same vision that you’re all pursuing.”

Clean energy has been Ng’s driving force the last decade, but only now, he says, is the world catching up, with Covid-19 changing our priorities and focusing the world’s attention on building a greener “new normal” post-pandemic.

“Covid has made us realise that a lot of our existing infrastructure is weak. We need to modernise and build back better, but do that sustainably,” says Ng. “That’s where Ampd comes in. We take infrastructure for granted because it’s not glamorous, but it’s so important—really it's the backbone of modern civilisation.”  

Innovation Starts Here is a year-long celebration of Hong Kong innovation initiated by Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), to mark its 20th anniversary in 2022. The campaign showcases how HKSTP harnesses the innate spirit of natural ingenuity that lives inside Hong Kong, redefining I&T in the city and the world.