If you have been following the news, you may be aware of the controversy surrounding the Hong Kong prize this year. The award was awarded to a film that was widely regarded as a propaganda piece against China and its leaders. The winner of the prize, Ten Years, tapped into residents’ worst fears about Beijing’s grip on the semi-autonomous city. However, the film only had a short general release in cinemas and was banned in mainland China. Despite this, it took home the top prize at the Hong Kong prizes.

The prize was founded by a group of alumni from the University of Hong Kong. It is intended to encourage young scholars to explore new areas of knowledge and contribute to society through their research. This year, the prize has been renamed from the Hong Kong Scientific Innovation Prize to reflect its commitment to promoting science and technology innovation in Hong Kong. It also aims to attract global top science talent and nurture forward-looking scientists, with the vision of building Hong Kong into an international scientific innovation and technology hub.

Besides the main prize, the HK$5 million prize money is split into three categories: the first prize, a cash award of HK$1.5 million, and two merit awards of HK$500,000 each. The finalists were chosen by a panel of judges composed of academicians, business leaders and policymakers. They were screened for their academic and professional achievements as well as their leadership qualities.

The BOCHK SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PRIZE is open to Hong Kong scientists and teams in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics, life and health, new materials and new energy, and advanced manufacturing and fintech. The award will be assessed on the candidates’ academic and scientific innovation achievements, the transformation of the achievements, and the social or economic value created. The review shall be carried out professionally, objectively and without any influence from any organisation or individual.

In addition to the main prize, the winning team will get a HK$2 million cheque, a certificate, and a trophy. The second-placed team will receive a HK$2 million cheque and a certificate, while the third-placed team will get a HK$1.5 million cheque and a certificate.

The unit investment for each Mark Six Entry is $10 with several types of entries available for selection. Each Entry consists of multiple numbers or bankers that are selected from 1 to 49. Partial unit investments are also accepted. Prizes will be paid based on the fraction that the Partial Unit Investment bears to the Unit Investment. Detailed rules and regulations can be found in the official website of Mark Six.