Gen.T lister Janice Leung-Hayes, founder of Tong Chong Street Market.

"With the government's plan to begin charging for waste disposal [from 2019] and increased awareness surrounding green issues, there will definitely be an increase in action taken towards being more environmentally sustainable—going plastic-free, reducing waste, composting, more demand for transparency in sourcing and so on. It will become something that diners expect, rather than a special feature." 

Gen.T lister Alister Musgrave, founder of financial comparison platform MoneyHero.com.hk.

"Expect 2018 to see a continuation of last year’s trends, albeit at a more rapid pace as consumers demand better products and the regulatory background encourages more innovation.

Last year, Hong Kong benefitted from many new consumer-centric fintech product offerings that shook up banking. In 2018, consumers will be faced with even more competitive, non-traditional options for their banking and payment needs, and the traditional incumbents who don't move fast and put the customer first will lose out quickly as consumers vote with their feet and switch providers."

Gen.T lister Stefan Bruun, managing partner of Nova Founders Capital.

"I believe the big drivers for fintech in 2018 will be a continued de-bundling of financial services—particularly on the consumer side, with new players challenging the banks for niches—and further growth in blockchain technologies (and consequently, a continued focus on tokens and cryptocurrencies). Whether they will continue to grow all the way to the end of 2018 is hard to predict."

Gen.T lister Michael Leung, urban farmer and founder of HK Farm and HK Honey.

"In 2018, both organisations and individuals will escalate their sustainable initiatives and environmental efforts. We will see a collective commitment to future generations by taking better care of our land and our resources and putting people before profit."

Gen.T lister Laurel Chor, founder of Hong Kong Explorers Initiative.

"I think the world will become increasingly vegetarian and vegan as societies become more aware of the environmental and ethical issues that surround modern agriculture. There will be a lot of growth in innovative companies that are working on tasty and nutritious alternatives to meat and dairy products."

Gen.T lister Chloe Ho, progressive ink artist whose recent exhibition, Ascendency, featured virtual reality ink paintings. 

"Historically, the movement of art has been demonstrated through schools of thought or style—and technology may be the next influence on more traditional creative expression. I believe that installation works and broad-based exhibitions where artists are creating in different mediums reflecting a central theme, as per my recent Ascendence exhibition, will continue to flourish."

Gen.T lister Kino Law, co-founder and CEO of K&K Property.

"With rising interest rates and geopolitical conflicts in North Korea and the Middle East, I would remain cautious in my investments in 2018. I expect One Belt One Road to be a hot topic as China becomes increasingly influential in the region and we continue to see strong economic growth in Southeast Asia."

Gen.T lister Cynthia Mak, co-founder of fashion label Cynthia & Xiao.

"The retail industry will keep moving towards online sales in 2018 as it continues to gain acceptance from customers due to its convenience. 

We’re seeing lots of innovation from different companies to make it easier for customers to buy from them. One thing we think will be big is sales through live-streams, where customers can see the store’s products live and buy them instantly during the stream from anywhere in the world. I think the interactive nature of these live-streams will create a much better customer experience."

Gen.T lister Otto Ng, co-founder and design director of LAAB.

"With augmented reality (AR) technology becoming more mature, we should see digital experiences seamlessly weaved into the physical environment much more frequently.

In 2018, I look forward to seeing more ground-breaking public space designs in Hong Kong—designs that are more interactive and engaging. We will see more creative design of interactive public furniture, avant-garde pavilions and experimental art installations."

For more 2018 trend predictions from Generation T listers, see part one.