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SCI & TECH2d agoHong Kong electronics fairs to showcase 120 robots as firms aim to expand AI useMore than 120 robots, including humanoid machines designed for factory work and elderly care, will be showcased at two major Hong Kong electronics fairs, as mainland Chinese manufacturers seek to expand the commercial applications of AI and tap overseas markets. The Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) and electronicAsia will open on Tuesday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, bringing together more than 3,200 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions for four...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH2d agoHong Kong’s ‘AI city brain’ could undergo testing next typhoon season: Eric ChanHong Kong’s artificial intelligence management system could take shape and be tested as early as the typhoon season next year, the government’s No 2 official has said, adding that the project will give authorities a “full picture” of the city once it is in full swing. In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said the “AI city brain” system aimed to connect independent databases maintained by different government bodies. “With the invention of...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH3d agoSpirit of Hong Kong Awards: biotech firm eyes cervical cancer test breakthroughHong Kong biotech entrepreneur Ricky Chiu Yin-to is seeking to make cervical cancer screening easier through urine-based HPV testing, using sample-concentration technology developed by his company. His company, Phase Scientific, made its name during the Covid-19 pandemic through its rapid antigen test, Indicaid. The product received US emergency-use authorisation in July 2021, was used in Hong Kong community testing and sold in more than 30 countries. At the start of the pandemic, the firm...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH4d agoSpirit of Hong Kong Awards: explorer inspires youth through glacial field tripsWhen Wilson Cheung took Hong Kong secondary school students into the Swiss Alps this summer, terrain he had once been able to reach had become inaccessible. Glacier melt and thawing ground had destabilised parts of the mountain, while rockfall made fieldwork more hazardous. Only weeks earlier, Cheung had completed a roughly 1,700km (1,056-mile) scientific snowkite traverse across Greenland in 2026. The journey took him across the ice sheet while he continued collecting data in one of the world’s...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH4d agoNew Taipei-Hong Kong subsea route opened to cut risk and meet AI demandOne of the world’s biggest network service providers has opened a new subsea route between Taipei and Hong Kong to strengthen the system against repeated underwater cable disruptions around the island. Britain-headquartered RETN said the new route would take its total to six serving Taiwan: four connecting Taipei and Hong Kong, and two linking Taipei and Tokyo. “Like many island economies, Taiwan’s international connectivity relies heavily on subsea cables, which creates exposure to risks such...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH5d agoSpirit of Hong Kong Awards: scientist’s soybean research pushes agricultural frontierWhen Professor Lam Hon-ming returned to Hong Kong after completing postdoctoral work in the United States in 1997, he was fixated on one question: how can science help feed the country and the world? He found that soybeans offered part of the answer. In addition to its nutritional value, the crop can fix nitrogen levels in the soil, reducing reliance on chemical fertiliser, and some varieties can be bred to tolerate drought and salinity. Lam went on to spend almost three decades studying soybean...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH5d agoSpirit of Hong Kong Awards: firm uses 3D-printed tiles to restore coral reefsIn 2014, a University of Hong Kong research team watched two years of reef restoration work collapse in Sai Kung. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department had asked the researchers to speed up coral recovery. Cement structures were placed on the seabed and coral began to grow. But as the colonies became larger, they became unstable. “They have no roots,” said Vriko Yu Pik-fan, then a doctoral student on the project. “The bigger they got, the less stable they were.” That failure...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH5d agoFrom kitchen waste to sky-high costs: inside Hong Kong’s quest for green jet fuelChina’s once-notorious “gutter oil”, recycled from kitchen and drainage waste, has almost vanished from dining tables in recent years and now carries the nickname liquid gold. The substance has become a highly sought-after feedstock for producing clean energy, especially sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with biofuel producers such as Hong Kong-based Ecoceres sourcing gutter oil across the Greater Bay Area. EcoCeres’ co-chairman, Alan Chan Ying-lung, witnessed how the restaurant waste transformed...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHOct 7Hong Kong’s AI city brain must understand how people really speakChief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s vision of an “AI city brain” is bold and timely. An integrated system linking data across transport, public works, environmental monitoring and emergency response could help Hong Kong manage risks more proactively and coordinate services more effectively. The initiative is highly commendable. It also raises a critical question: can a city brain truly understand a city if it does not understand how its people communicate? The truth is that communication is...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHOct 5Hong Kong outlines 4-step AI ‘talent ladder’ to offset entry-level job shockHong Kong has unveiled a four-step artificial intelligence (AI) “talent ladder” strategy to counter entry-level job shock and foster industry leaders, viewing the technology as a “catalyst, not a threat”. Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Kevin Choi Kit-ming warned on Monday that the “entry-level shock” was real because AI performed well in many routine tasks that once made up a graduate’s first job, such as basic coding and first-line customer service. Speaking at the...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHOct 3Chinese AI model Qwen gives alarming answers to questions about Hong Kong, controversial topicsQwen, a popular Chinese AI model, might have been programmed to give government-friendly answers to controversial questions, according to new research. CBS News' Josh Boswell has more.CBS News
SCI & TECHOct 1Hong Kong invests billions to accelerate innovation of impactful solutions as an AI-powered future comes into focus[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Artificial intelligence has rapidly evolved from an emerging technology into a cornerstone of Hong Kong's economic transformation strategy. Under the Government's AI+ initiative, further reinforced by the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the HKSAR (2026-2030), the city is stepping up efforts to integrate AI across industries, public services, scientific research, healthcare, finance and...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 30China’s Tiangong space station camera captures its first images of Hong KongA remote-sensing camera aboard China’s Tiangong space station that was developed by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has released its first images of the city ahead of the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The university published a series of videos and photos on Wednesday captured by the Musico camera, saying they showcased the major achievements of the Hong Kong research team’s participation in the national space programme. Professor Zhang...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 29Hong Kong firms lag mainland China on AI adoption amid legacy-system burden: AccentureHong Kong businesses are lagging behind their mainland Chinese peers in adopting artificial intelligence, as entrenched legacy systems and a risk-averse corporate mindset slow the city’s digital transition, according to a senior executive at consultancy Accenture. Only 10 per cent of Hong Kong firms surveyed by Accenture had integrated generative AI across multiple business functions, compared with about 21 per cent of mainland enterprises, said Robert Hah, Hong Kong office lead at Accenture...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 27Hong Kong delays AI copyright law to focus on guidelines firstHong Kong authorities will delay a proposed legal amendment to protect copyrighted works from being used to train artificial intelligence (AI) models and will issue operational guidelines first, the South China Morning Post has learned. The Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2025, which aimed to introduce an “opt-out” mechanism for text and data mining to support AI technology development, was originally scheduled to be submitted to the Legislative Council in the first half of last year. The item was...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 27Hong Kong can offer AI governance solutions for major economies: Paul ChanHong Kong can offer trusted solutions in artificial intelligence (AI) governance for major economies by leveraging the city’s unique strengths, including its common law system, internationally connected standards and professional services, the city’s finance chief has said. “As major economies begin discussing AI governance, data, compliance and risk management, Hong Kong can leverage its unique strengths in providing ‘rules’ and ‘trust’,” Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po wrote in his weekly...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 26Hong Kong tycoon-backed start-up bets on new battery to challenge energy-storage giantsEnerVenue, a start-up co-founded by Full Vision Capital, the family office of Hong Kong tycoon Peter Lee Ka-kit, has begun manufacturing a new battery it expects to challenge existing energy-storage technologies dominated by mainland Chinese players, amid surging global demand for green energy. The California-based company can now produce 250 megawatt-hours (MWh) of nickel-hydrogen batteries annually at its factory in Changzhou, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, and plans to raise capacity to...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 25Hong Kong astronaut Lai Ka-ying sends Mid-Autumn Festival wishes to residents from spaceHong Kong’s first astronaut has delivered a Mid-Autumn Festival blessing to residents from outer space, expressing her deep affection and longing for her home city. “Looking at the moon from here and looking down at the earth, I increasingly miss my family and friends in Hong Kong,” Lai Ka-ying said in a Mandarin speech recorded in China’s Tiangong space station. “On this occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival, I wish people across the country good health and a happy family, as well as a happy and...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 18Hong Kong to recruit AI chief by mid-2027, with confidence in local talent poolHong Kong will begin recruitment for an artificial intelligence (AI) commissioner in the second quarter of next year to assist in drafting policies for the technology and risk governance, with authorities confident the city does not lack suitable talent. Tech authorities on Friday revealed details of the new post under the Digital Policy Office, which will pay between HK$262,125 and HK$278,200 (US$33,414 to US$35,436) a month. Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Kevin...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 18The need for speed as Hong Kong plugs in[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Hong Kong is preparing for many more electric vehicles on its roads. The city’s First Five-Year Plan, announced alongside the Policy Address, calls for the steady electrification of vehicles and safe, efficient charging networks, with around 10,000 fast chargers expected by 2035 to support about 500,000 EVs. That longer-term target follows an updated EV roadmap released in February, which calls for fast chargers to...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 17Hong Kong’s ‘AI city brain’ will not tap personal data, breach privacy: John LeeHong Kong’s new “AI city brain” will not involve personal data and poses no privacy concerns, the city leader has said, adding that the system will also help improve visitor management during “golden week” holidays. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also stressed on Thursday the importance of AI education and the need to nurture young people’s AI literacy, citing overseas examples of adolescents who became socially isolated after relying too heavily on the technology. In his annual policy address...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 16Hong Kong to set up ‘AI city brain’ to boost disaster response and public safetyHong Kong will create an “AI city brain” system to strengthen its response to extreme weather events, major incidents and public order management, while creating the role of artificial intelligence commissioner to tackle emerging challenges. While the city’s first five-year plan set out a vision to advance technology development, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu outlined seven key areas of AI risk governance in Wednesday’s policy address, including efforts to combat the use of AI in crime and...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 16Hong Kong aims to raise zero-carbon energy share of fuel mix to 30% by 2030Hong Kong has pledged to boost the share of zero-carbon energy in its electricity generation fuel mix to 30 per cent by 2030, up from the current 28 per cent – one of four binding environmental protection targets set out in the city’s first five-year plan on Wednesday. The binding goal aligns with existing climate protection strategies that target a zero-carbon energy share of between 60 and 70 per cent by 2035, as part of the city’s broader push towards carbon neutrality by 2050. “With these...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 16Hong Kong Jockey Club to plough HK$3b into new research facility in Northern MetropolisThe Hong Kong Jockey Club has said it will funnel HK$3 billion to support the construction of a Life and Health Academic Research Building at the city’s new Northern Metropolis University Town. During his policy address on Wednesday, Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu announced the creation of an integrated teaching and scientific research building in the Northern Metropolis. In a statement issued soon after the chief executive’s speech, the club said its Charities Trust had made a donation that...South China Morning Post