SITI attends Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona, Spain (with photos)
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Delivering a keynote speech at the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) Ministerial Programme "2025+: A Tech Odyssey", Professor Sun said Hong Kong is actively building a smart city and a digitally inclusive society to bridge digital divide. "One of the best testimonies to a city's I&T achievement is the degree of digitalisation. In Hong Kong, all submissions and payments to the Government have electronic options. More than three millions of people are enjoying the convenience and efficiency of accessing government services and online identity verification through a mobile application called 'iAM Smart'. A corporate version of 'iAM Smart', nick-named CorpID, is upcoming too."
He noted that on digital inclusiveness, Hong Kong's household broadband penetration rate and smartphone penetration rate are both approximately 97 per cent. The internet usage rate among Hong Kong citizens aged 65 and above rocketed, from 56 per cent in 2018 to 84 per cent in 2023, slightly ahead of the European rate of around 78 per cent.
He added, "As society becomes so digitally knitted and increasingly mobile, we recently launched the 'Smart Silver' Digital Inclusion Programme for Elders, to address the challenges of an increasingly aging society. This programme fortifies our digital inclusive efforts by providing elders with community-based training and on-the-spot helpdesks to enhance elders' knowledge on new digital technologies and support their navigation by common mobile applications."
During the Congress, Professor Sun met with the Head of Greater China of GSMA, Ms Sihan Bo Chen, to learn about the international mobile industry association's work in developing the mobile communications industry and ecosystem as well as promoting industrial innovation in Asia.
Professor Sun visited various exhibition pavilions on-site, including the EU Quantum Flagship, to learn about the latest quantum technologies and initiatives of companies under the flagship.
Professor Sun and the delegation also visited the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. They were briefed on the technology of MareNostrum 5, one of the most powerful supercomputers in Spain, and quantum computers, the establishment of AI factories, and the innovative achievements in promoting the development of high-performance computing in Spain and the whole of Europe as well as applications.
Members of the delegation include heads from the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC), Cyberport, the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute and the Hong Kong Microelectronics Research and Development Institute, as well as representatives of 24 local I&T enterprises or institutions. The HKSTPC and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council co-ordinated the participation of the I&T representatives of the enterprises and institutions at the MWC 2025.
Professor Sun Dong will proceed to Lisbon, Portugal on March 6 (Lisbon time) to continue his visit.
Ends/Thursday, March 6, 2025
Issued at HKT 9:00
Issued at HKT 9:00
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