From Neighborhood Shop Gates to 3D Printing: HKSTP and Orange Terry Unveil The Next Move Xiangqi Set for Its 25th Anniversary

Bringing “Innovation. Next by Nature.” to life, this reimagined traditional board game becomes a contemporary cultural object that connects the innovation community.

Innovation has never been a straight path forward; it is a strategic undertaking shaped by vision, strategy, and courage. To mark its 25th anniversary, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has launched a new initiative in collaboration with local multimedia creator Orange Terry: a limited-edition xiangqi set titled The Next Move. Guided by its core philosophy, “Innovation. Next by Nature.,” the pair pays tribute to the innovators within HKSTP who instinctively explore what lies ahead and move toward new possibilities. The chess set is conceived as a contemporary cultural object designed to bring together people from different backgrounds and inspire future-facing thinking. Since its founding in 2001, HKSTP has been committed to building Hong Kong’s thriving innovation and technology ecosystem. To date, it has brought together more than 2,600 technology companies and 17,000 research professionals, and has nurtured 14 unicorns.

At its core, The Next Move uses xiangqi—a popular, strategy-driven game—as a cultural object through which to reflect HKSTP’s 25-year journey of ecosystem building: one defined by clear goals, close collaboration, and strategic vision, along with the belief that every step forward begins with the right move, meaningful dialogue, and the right community. As an ecosystem that embodies the spirit of “Innovation. Next by Nature.,” HKSTP hopes to look toward the next generation and enter a new chapter for the future together.

Revealing the creative origins of the project, Orange Terry shares in a documentary interview that his design was inspired by the everyday warmth of Hong Kong’s local neighborhoods. “My main inspiration came from walking through the community and seeing neighborhood shopkeepers raise their shutters and open their doors for business—there’s so much interaction and conversation,” he says. To him, the opening and closing of a metal shop gate marks more than the beginning and end of the day; it is the start of opening up and beginning a dialogue with customers and the community. He deftly translates these everyday person-to-person interactions onto the board, seeing every move as a chance to get to know one another anew—like starting a fresh game of exchange with someone.

The team carried HKSTP’s spirit of exploring the intersection of the future and technology through the materials and production process. Every piece in the set was made with 3D-printing technology, bringing traditional imagery together with modern industrial techniques. For its visual language, Orange Terry moves beyond the traditional xiangqi convention of identifying pieces solely with Chinese characters, incorporating universally recognizable elements of Western chess. He gave each piece a figurative form—for instance, the elephant features oversized ears and the outline of a trunk—creating a distinct visual language for the work.

At the heart of this cross-disciplinary work is the idea of elevating gameplay into a dialogue about innovation. “I don’t think xiangqi is simply about competition or winning and losing,” Orange Terry says. “There is so much exchange and learning throughout the process.” For HKSTP and the creative team, The Next Move is more than a board game; it is a vehicle for sparking new ideas and strategic dialogue. Through every moment of consideration and every move on the board, Orange Terry and the HKSTP team hope to foster an exchange of ideas among communities from different fields, allowing people to share their visions for the future and cultivate new ways of thinking together. This mindset of refusing to stand still while seeking collaboration and breakthroughs echoes HKSTP’s role as an innovation engine, turning every fresh idea into tangible impact.

As it reaches its 25-year milestone, HKSTP will continue to serve as a hub for advancing the future. As Orange Terry notes at the end of the film, his own next move is “to keep pushing the boundaries of materials, so people can continually see familiar everyday things in a new light and stay connected to their curiosity about life.”

The new The Next Move xiangqi set and related 25th-anniversary initiatives will be rolling out soon.