According to a recent press release, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) held an exhibition entitles the “AI+U: Explore and Experience Exhibition”, its first-ever Artificial Intelligence (AI)-themed showcase. ‘
The event brought together roughly 70 companies demonstrating various ready-for-deployment AI technologies and applications and showcased the unlimited potential of the city’s AI capabilities.
The event attracted nearly 1,000 attendees and gathered large corporations, businesses and industry players to connect with the participating AI companies.
HKSTP also announced two new initiatives aimed at further boosting the development of AI and Robotics (AIR) in Hong Kong.
These included, first, the establishment of AI Plug@HKSTP dedicated to providing technical support and knowledge exchange on AI technologies.
Second, the expansion of the Robotics Catalysing Centre (RCC) was announced. This will provide a more comprehensive range of support to facilitate the development of Robotics solutions. Both initiatives will be set up at Hong Kong Science Park for the AIR community in Hong Kong.
Themed Showcase to Converge Industries and Drive AI Deployment
To accelerate the application of AI technologies in different industry sectors, the “AI+U: Explore and Experience Exhibition” gathered around 70 local and overseas companies with their ready-for-deployment AI technologies and innovations in six key areas, namely Smart Manufacturing, Logistics, Retail & E-Commerce, Finance, Platform and Next Generation.
Some of the innovations were commercialised solutions for various industries, such as factory production line management systems, workforce planning systems, financial data analytics, AI-powered alarm systems, and AI-powered healthcare solutions.
In addition to the solution demonstrations, business matching sessions were also arranged for the participating companies to connect with potential partners and investors.
AI-themed challenges
Along with the main exhibition, two other activities were organised during the event.
In one of the challenges, six companies specialising in chatbot solutions competed for their chatbots for the most accurate replies and fastest response speed in answering a set of challenging questions. The winning chatbot received a prize of HK$30,000.
Another highlight was the sharing session by a major supply chain solutions firm on their recent hackathon held in late February 2019. The hackathon involved a competition where participants were asked to develop autonomous drones for the use in smart warehouse operations. The winning team championed with the most outstanding smart drone solution with the highest accuracy and speed.
New Infrastructural and Service Support for AIR
With AIR as one of its strategic technology focuses, HKSTP announced the launch of AI Plug@HKSTP, featuring four key programmes in the first phase of its roll-out – the A.I. Academy, Tech Shop, Corporate Innovation and AI Infrastructure.
These programmes will expedite technology development and adoption in various industries, through providing technical support services that can aid in shortening product development cycles, offering tools and infrastructure for R&D, running AI training programmes, as well as organising business matching services.
Meanwhile, the existing RCC will also be expanded from the current space of 4,000 sq. ft. to a total of 25,000 sq. ft. The RCC 2.0 will provide even more comprehensive support for robotics-related research and testing. Additional laboratory facilities and equipment will be set up to support companies across proof-of-concept testing, product development, prototyping and technology trials, etc.
The Chief Executive Officer of HKSTP stated that AI and robotics technologies open up new possibilities to disrupt traditional industries and create tremendous opportunities for an innovation-driven diversified economy.
It is encouraging to see so many home-grown AI technologies developed at the Park, adopted and deployed across various sectors and industries. As the market continues to expand, HKSTP is seeing more companies, especially start-ups, getting on the AIR bandwagon.
As such, the Park will further dedicate more resources to expanding its infrastructure, providing extensive training and value-added services, as well as strengthening industry connections with strategic networks and talent.
With the launch of the AI Plug@HKSTP and RCC 2.0, it is hoped that more Hong-Kong-based AIR innovations will be driven and developed, thereby turning Hong Kong into a regional AIR hub.
