14 Jun 2017

Hong Kong wants to Invest in Umeå Business

The company LunaLEC from Umeå, northern Sweden, has developed a unique technology that has been internationally recognized. The company has been offered an introduction to the Asian market through Hong Kong's state-owned Science and Technology Park. "This is a great opportunity for us", says Managing Director Patric Stafshede.

LunaLEC applied for a state-funded, so-called soft-landing programme, run by Hong Kong Science and Technology Park. A soft landing is an initiative to help businesses establish in a new country.

Since 2013, when the soft-landing programme was first introduced, there have been 450 applicants from nine different countries. A total of 114 projects have been accepted. LunaLEC recently received the good news that Hong Kong believes in its technology.

"The reason we applied is that we have good contacts in Europe and the United States, but Asia is an unexplored region. It's very hard to establish yourself without local connections and someone who knows the continent. This is a great chance and a wonderful door opener for us. I'm very excited”, says Patric Stafshede. 

"We want to get closer to potential suppliers and customers who might consider manufacturing our products under license, but we are also interested in specific applications, such as making products based on specific needs", Stafshede adds.

A first step involves an introduction to Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, followed by seminars, match making, factory visits and networking.

LunaLEC has developed a unique technology that enables it to make thin and flexible light sources in a plastic that conducts electric current. Using this technique, the health care sector could simplify the treatment of jaundice in newborns. But there are also other uses – a carton of milk that lights up when the best-before date has expired. Or an artificial sky at home, instead of lights hanging from the ceiling, just to mention a few examples that show the wide range of possibilities.

"This is a process that has been going on since November 2016, during which we have cooperated with Hong Kong to provide as relevant information as possible about our region, our companies and about LunaLEC. ", says Susanne W Lindström, Director of international business at North Sweden Cleantech, who has been involved in the process.

Patric Stafshede adds: "It is an honour to be selected, and it highlights that we have a product and an idea that many believe in.”