Commissioner for Digital Policy visits Hangzhou and Shanghai (with photos)
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During the first stop in Hangzhou, Mr Wong visited Zhejiang University on August 24 and 25 to attend the 2025 Hong Kong Information Technology and Cybersecurity Special Training Course. Addressing the opening ceremony, Mr Wong said, "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is fully committed to aligning with the nation's technological innovation and development strategy, and safeguarding cybersecurity is of paramount importance in the pursuit of promoting high-quality development in innovation and technology (I&T) for the nation and Hong Kong." He encouraged participants to actively engage in discussions, fostering knowledge sharing and mutual learning to strengthen Hong Kong's cybersecurity and digital ecosystem, thereby contributing to the high-quality development of the nation's digital economy.
The training course attracted 30 industry representatives from Hong Kong, representing government departments, public organisations and key infrastructure operators across sectors such as public services, banking, financial services, energy, communications, and transport, etc. During the seven-day training course, participants will engage in classroom learning, pay visits to prominent innovative technology enterprises in Hangzhou, and attend related seminars and discussions.
Mr Wong then proceeded to visit Shanghai to show his support for the Hong Kong teams competing in the HSODC 2025 and serve as one of the judges for the Grand Award. Jointly steered by the Digital Policy Office (DPO) of the HKSAR Government and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Data, the HSODC 2025 marks the third consecutive year of collaboration between the two cities. With the theme "Co-creating a Data Industry Platform for the Two Cities", the HSODC 2025 encourages contestants to harness the extensive open data resources available in the two cities to create innovative projects and develop frontier applications that emphasise four key areas, namely smart mobility, smart living, smart environment, and smart economy, thereby jointly driving deeper integration and fostering synergy in the digital economies of the two cities.
The Final Judging and the Awards Presentation Ceremony were held in Shanghai yesterday (August 26) and today (August 27) respectively. The Hong Kong delegation, comprising 13 teams from various enterprises and institutions, performed outstandingly in the competition, with Territory North Group winning the Grand Award and Best Smart Environment Award with their solution "Hong Kong Environmental Database", while Metro Maestro claimed the Best Smart Mobility Award with their solution "Passenger Route Choice Simulation". Some of the contesting entries will be nominated to compete for the national 2025 "Data Element x" competition jointly organised by the National Data Administration and relevant departments, further showcasing Hong Kong's I&T strengths.
Mr Wong remarked, "In response to the national strategy of unleashing the multiplier effect of data elements, the governments of Hong Kong and Shanghai have jointly organised this competition again this year to deepen collaboration in digital technology, thus driving high-quality economic and social development in both cities. In April this year, the DPO and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Data signed a Memorandum of Understanding between Shanghai and Hong Kong on Digital Economy Co-operation (the MOU) to further deepen I&T co-operation and promote the joint development of the digital economy in both cities, thereby opening up deeper and broader collaboration prospects for the I&T industries between the two places." He also extended his heartfelt congratulations to the winning teams and encouraged all participants to continue striving for breakthroughs and progress in innovation and data application for making greater contributions to the country and society.
In addition, Mr Wong called on the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Data today and cochaired a mid-term review meeting following the signing of the MOU, with the Director of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Data, Dr Shao Jun. During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on deepening collaboration on areas of the digital economy, digital transformation and data element development between the two places, which included the promotion of mutual authentication of corporation identities, the promotion of connections of the governments' platforms and the support for the innovative application of open data. Mr Wong expressed his gratitude to the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Data for its prompt efforts in compiling a list of practical and feasible co-operation work items with Hong Kong that were in line with the I&T developments in both cities after the signing of the MOU. This will help enhance the joint development of I&T and the digital economy between Shanghai and Hong Kong, thereby achieving mutual benefits.
Tomorrow (August 28), Mr Wong will call on the Shanghai Municipal Cyberspace Administration to share the implementation experiences and latest developments of the facilitation measures on the Standard Contract for the Cross-boundary Flow of Personal Information within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Mainland, Hong Kong), and visit the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Shanghai Center, as well as the Shanghai Innovation Institute and the MetaX Artificial Intelligence Data Centre to learn about the latest developments in the local AI technologies and industry. Mr Wong will conclude his visit and return to Hong Kong tomorrow evening.
Ends/Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Issued at HKT 19:18
Issued at HKT 19:18
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