MEMSI 2025 Highlights
Smart Airport Challenge 2025
MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node
Publication Date: February 5, 2025
MIT Innovation Node recently hosted 40 MIT and local university students for a 12-day entrepreneurship bootcamp in collaboration with Airport Authority Hong Kong. Students proposed innovative ideas to enhance accessibility at Hong Kong International Airport.
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It’s not a bootcamp if it’s not intense.
MEMSI 2025 is an adventure that will transform the way you see the world — especially the post-pandemic world.
Students from MIT and Hong Kong get together and form teams to build a tech-enabled venture pitch in just two weeks! This is a unique opportunity to work with industry partners to gain insight into business processes that will help you solve a pre-defined industry problem with exposure to Asia. You will build prototypes, create a business model that makes sense, and then pitch your proposal to supporters of entrepreneurship on Showcase Day.
You will discover weaknesses you never knew you had and strengths that will help you soar. Along the way, you will make lifelong friends and become part of an international community. Don’t worry about program expenses – we cover them! But this bootcamp is not edu-tourism and don’t let that be the reason you apply.
MEMSI 2025 will operate 100% in-person, with MIT students flying into Hong Kong to attend the bootcamp in-person. We are only offering MEMSI in January. There is no summer MEMSI.
About the Hong Kong International Airport (MEMSI Industry Partner)
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is one of the world’s busiest airports, with an extensive global air network reaching over 220 destinations.
Being the world’s third busiest international passenger airport and the world’s busiest cargo airport, HKIA is one of the few in the world that is busy in both passenger and cargo traffic. Over the past 20 years, passenger volume has increased over 160% to 75 million, and cargo has grown 209% to over 5 million tonnes.
Through continuous development of passenger and cargo services, cross-boundary transport networks, and a wide range of commercial facilities in and surrounding the airport, HKIA is transforming from a city airport into an Airport City. The Airport City vision will strengthen HKIA’s status as an international aviation hub, enhancing its ability to capture the increasing traffic demand from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, China’s most open and wealthiest economic region with a population of around 70 million.
Catering to increasing air traffic demand, HKIA is also undertaking a series of development projects to increase capacity and enhance services, including the expansion of the airport into a three-runway system.
Application Timeline
MIT Students
- Applications open: September 20, 2024
- Applications close: October 25, 2024. MIT applications are no longer accepted.
- Interviews: On a rolling basis via ZOOM
- Acceptance notifications: On a rolling basis. Accepted students must confirm their attendance within 48h.
- MIT Cohort Finalized: November 2024
Hong Kong Students
- Applications open: September 20, 2024
- Round 1 Applications close: November 22, 2024
- Round 2 Applications close: December 6, 2024. HK applications are no longer accepted.
- Interviews: On a rolling basis via ZOOM
- Acceptance notifications: On a rolling basis. Accepted students must confirm their attendance within 48h.
- HK Cohort Finalized: By January 2024
Apply as a Student Venture Team
Join as a Student Venture Team to:
– Learn MIT’s disciplined entrepreneurship framework
– Forge valuable connections
– Present your innovative ideas to our industry partners!
Who may apply?
Undergraduate and graduate students in degree-bearing programs at any of our partner universities in Hong Kong (CityU, CUHK, EdUHK, HKBU, HKU, HKUST, LingU, PolyU) may apply as a TEAM.
You will need to have a pre-formed startup team, the idea should be a relevant application for the aviation sector.
Application Deadline:
Dec 15, 2024 (Applications are closed)
Apply Now:
https://form.typeform.com/to/aXtIJcOf
MEMSI 2025 Challenge statements:
How might we leverage technology and innovative design to enhance accessibility at the Hong Kong International Airport?
Designing airports with accessibility in mind is essential to ensure all passengers can navigate comfortably and independently. Accessible solutions not only can enhance the travel experience for individuals with reduced mobility but also promote inclusivity and customer satisfaction within the aviation industry.
Key elements including, but not limited to:
- Universal design
- Physical accessibility
- Wayfinding and navigation
- Communication accessibility
2025 Cohort Statistics
