Young people, with their innovative mindset, enthusiasm, unwavering determination and aspiration, are often the driving force behind contemporary technological advances. Timothy Cen Bangjie, an alumnus of the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Macau (UM), is one of them. Despite his young age, Timothy is the founder of Zidian Technology Co Ltd, and a recipient of the first Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Outstanding Young Entrepreneur Award. He shares how he transformed himself from a student to a young entrepreneur by pursuing his goals, applying his knowledge, and turning his aspirations into tangible reality.
Highly acclaimed technological innovation
On the day of our interview, a young man arrives 20 minutes early in a suit and with a walking cane. Despite his leg injury, he reassures us, ‘I am fine. I just have to rush to a business matching session for innovation and technology companies after this interview,’ he says. This is Timothy, the inventor of safe air disinfection technology, who shows great passion for his start-up business.
Timothy, who graduated from UM two years ago, has more than five years of experience in entrepreneurship. In 2019, during his first year at UM, Timothy founded Zidian Technology Co Ltd with the support of UM’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). A few months later, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and Timothy’s air disinfection product, which he had been developing for years, was put to good use. Capable of eliminating 99.99% airborne viruses and bacteria, the product was used to support epidemic prevention and control in Macao, and helped to protect the health of residents.
Timothy’s air disinfection product proved to be an excellent tool in the fight against the epidemic, and his company gradually gained momentum. He established the company’s headquarters in Macao, and a manufacturing plant in Foshan, a mainland Chinese city known for its manufacturing industry. To date, nearly 13,000 of these air disinfection machines have been sold in the Greater Bay Area and installed in shopping malls, hospitals, and science museums in mainland China and Macao.
The birth of the air disinfection machine
As stated in the Analects, the Chinese philosopher Confucius dedicated himself to learning at the age of 15. It so happens that Timothy was exactly 15 years old when he resolved to develop safe air disinfection technology, and his vision started with SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), an epidemic he experienced as a child.
Timothy and his uncle were both deeply affected by SARS. His uncle was a doctor on the front lines of the epidemic, and young Timothy unfortunately contracted the virus. In addition to the suffering caused by the virus, Timothy clearly remembers his uncle expressing concerns about the potential side effects of the air disinfection machines used at the time. Those machines typically used ozone and high-voltage electrostatic technology, which was harmful to patients. ‘It was then that I had the idea to develop a safe air disinfection machine that causes no harm to people,’ says Timothy.
When Timothy conducted market analysis and technical research for his air disinfection product, he discovered that there had been no innovations in air disinfection technology for almost 20 years. Timothy decided to embark on his entrepreneurial journey, but there were many obstacles to overcome. ‘I started my safe air disinfection machine project in 2014 and went through a long process of trial and error,’ Timothy says. He recounted the challenges he faced in developing each generation of the product—the second generation addressed the its predecessor’s large size and heavy weight; the third generation focused on mitigating the release of harmful substances; the fourth generation aimed to improve the efficiency of air purification; and the fifth generation focused on enhancing the material of the product, a critical step that took fire safety into account.
After three years of relentless effort, Timothy finally developed the ideal material and improved the control chip. However, as with all start-ups, the challenges of securing funding and exploiting market opportunities lay ahead.
‘Without the support of CIE, my product might not have made it to the market’, Timothy adds.
Receiving recognition from the Chinese Academy of Sciences
In 2019, Timothy was admitted to UM. Learning that CIE offers incubation services for student entrepreneurial projects, he approached the centre and presented the core technology and vision of his product. Recognising his entrepreneurial potential, centre staff assisted Timothy in registering his company and provided support in finance, taxation, and legal consultation. Most importantly, the centre encouraged Timothy to enter various entrepreneurship competitions. He responded by winning a number of awards, including a gold award in the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Division of the ‘China International College Students’ “Internet+” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition’, and a silver award in the ‘“Challenge Cup” National College Students’ Extracurricular Academic Science and Technology Contest’.
According to Timothy, winning these awards not only validated the feasibility and innovation of his product and showcased the research capabilities of Macao’s younger generation, but also gave him the opportunity to communicate with and receive guidance from experts. ‘Their suggestions were very helpful in improving my product. It is very encouraging that my product received recognition from eminent figures such as academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This valuable experience lays the foundation for introducing and promoting my product to medical institutions in the Greater Bay Area,’ he says.
CIE also nominated Timothy to attend business matching sessions and roadshows, where he was able to secure funding and raise his profile. As a result, Timothy’s company secured investment from angel investors, leading to the successful launch of the product.
Understanding human nature is essential
An entrepreneur needs not only hard skills but also soft skills. ‘I have come to understand that effective management is crucial to stabilising a business and running it well. That is why I decided to study psychology at UM. I wanted to learn some management techniques,’ Timothy says.
Timothy’s emphasis on management skills stems from his father’s experience of setting up an air conditioning manufacturing plant in mainland China in the 1990s. His father often expressed concerns about production management, where workers’ varying skill levels, lack of discipline, and low efficiency posed risks to the factory’s operation. ‘Drawing from my father’s experience, I decided that my future company should have standardised production processes and structured management to ensure product quality. Most problems are people problems, and the more I understand about human behaviour, the better decisions I can make. Psychology is the discipline that helps me understand these aspects,’ he adds.
Timothy’s application of psychology in his career goes far beyond management. He applies his knowledge of psychometrics and consumer psychology and uses big data to analyse the behaviour patterns and needs of target customer groups. This enables him to develop a target market strategy, and build a brand image. In important business negotiations, he cleverly uses the foot-in-the-door technique he learned in psychology classes—a compliance tactic that aims to get a person to agree to a big request by getting them to agree to a modest request first. ‘Psychology helps me understand human nature better, which has been very useful in my entrepreneurial journey,’ he says.
Every star shines in its own time
Timothy is grateful for the education he received at UM. Over the years, he has supported activities organised by CIE, sharing his experiences and insights and encouraging other UM members who are also starting businesses.
Timothy started the air disinfection product project in 2014. The past decade has flown by and he remains committed to product development. He points out that there are two key elements to entrepreneurship: perseverance, which helps one find their own way; and interest, which guides the journey despite hardships and challenges. ‘My father still jokes about my laser-focused gaze when observing production processes in the factory and my determined face when assembling mechanical parts alone in a corner. I even sat in on my father’s meetings with the workers,’ he smiles. Growing up in such an environment, young Timothy became familiar with a variety of production issues that would be difficult for an outsider to understand. These experiences laid the foundation for his future career in technological innovation and product development.
‘I always remember my grandfather’s motto, “Every star shines in its own time”,’ Timothy says. ‘In his view, we will succeed if we find the right direction of development and persist in pursuing the career we are truly passionate about. With this motto in mind, I want to use my strengths in science and technology to create social value and continue on my journey of research and development and entrepreneurship.’
Text: Clara Cheang, UM Trainee Reporter Zou Huiying
Editor: Gigi Fan
English translation: Winky Kuan and Kelvin U
Photos: UM Reporter Yupeng Ying, with some provided by the interviewee 
Source: My UM Issue 140