Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Robot Contest (ABU Robocon) 2026 Opening Ceremony (August 23):
      
Mr Nadeem (Secretary General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, Mr Ahmed Nadeem), Cordelia (Chairman of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), Ms Cordelia Chung), Angelina (Director of Broadcasting, Ms Angelina Kwan), ABU Robocon contestants, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
      
     Good afternoon. What an exciting moment to be here at ABU Robocon 2026 - and to welcome 16 outstanding teams, from 15 countries and regions.

     Since the inaugural contest in 2002, ABU Robocon has grown into the largest of its kind in the Asia-Pacific Region. But its real achievement is not scale. It is the generations of young people it has inspired to turn imagination into engineering - and to build careers in innovation and technology.
      
     I have seen the robots you brought with you. And I see that familiar look on your faces - the mixture of nerves and excitement that belongs to anyone trying into turn imagination to reality.
      
     We are living through an extraordinary period of technological change. Over the past two years or so, artificial intelligence (AI) has moved faster than most observers predicted. Machines can be an all-round researcher, write poems, or even pass professional examinations. And while all of that happens on a screen, AI's next frontier is now moving from the screen to the physical world.
      
     Robotics is how it gets there. Once an algorithm can see, hear and understand, it still needs a body - something to move with, reach with, and grip with. That body is the robot. Indeed, every swing of a robotic arm in this hall today, every tweak to a balance algorithm, is groundwork for embodied intelligence. People in the industry say that embodied intelligence is still waiting for its ChatGPT moment, or its DeepSeek moment. That moment may be closer than we think.
      
     So do not think of this as only a contest. Every attempt you make today - the clean grasp and the spectacular tumble alike - is part of how this technology finds its way forward.
      
     That is what makes Robocon so valuable. It is not really about whose robot is fastest or steadiest. It is about the leap from thinking to doing. Here, you meet reality: deadlines, budgets, parts that break the night before, teammates who disagree, and failures nobody saw coming. No textbooks can really teach you that.

     This will also count for something later. Robocon gives you much more than a line on your CV that employers or graduate schools look for. Perhaps, someday your teammates may become the co-founders of your startup. The judges and mentors you meet - and the rivals across the field - may become your collaborators or even investors. The network you build in this hall may prove to be worth more than the trophy.
      
     I know that every competition produces rankings, and only one team lifts the cup. But look at it another way. If you have given this everything, you already leave with three things. First, experience: you now know what works and what does not. Second, knowledge: knowledge you have practised until it became capability. Third, friendship: which is forged over all-nighters and stubborn bugs. By that measure, everyone in this room wins today.
      
     Nor should you underestimate yourselves. You have fewer resources than the big technology companies - but they carry bigger burdens: layers of management, long approvals and products to protect. You have speed, curiosity and no fear of trying something that might not work. When technology shifts this fast, that is the more valuable asset.
      
     So if I may have three pieces of advice for you. First, keep imagining - do not let today's technical limits set the boundaries of your thinking. Second, keep your hands dirty - build, test, break, repeat. Third, keep learning, because the pace will only quicken, and only those still learning can keep up with it, or even lead it.
      
     Ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong is proud to host this competition once again, 14 years after we last welcomed ABU Robocon. Many of you know Hong Kong as Asia's leading international financial centre, with one of the world's most active markets for listing and fundraising. We are also fast becoming an international innovation and technology hub. This is a direction firmly supported by our country in its National 15th Five-Year Plan.
      
     Our innovation ecosystem is growing quickly. Last year, our startup community hit a record of more than 5 200, up by nearly 40 per cent in five years. More than 30 per cent of their founders are non-locals. Our universities give that ecosystem a deep foundation. Five of them rank among the world's top 100, and three rank among the global top 30 in AI and data science. Our innovation flagships, including Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport, provide startups with funding, facilities, networks and mentorship at every stage of their growth.
      
     Then look at the map. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is home to more than 87 million people and is the world's leading innovation cluster. Here, an idea travels seamlessly from research and design to prototyping, testing, manufacturing and market. For a robotics company, the component you need is usually within half an hour's drive.
      
     Hong Kong is also a wonderful place to live and work. To our friends from overseas - do take time to explore our harbour, our food, our hiking trails and our culture. And above all, meet our people: open, friendly and enterprising.
      
     My sincere thanks to the ABU for choosing Hong Kong as the host city this year; and to RTHK, HKSTP, and all the supporting organisations, sponsors, judges, volunteers and supporters who made this event possible.
      
     Finally, I wish all teams the very best of luck. May your code compile, your batteries hold, and your robots be bold.

     Thank you very much.

Ends/Sunday, August 23, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:05

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