Speech by STL at Future of Low Altitude Economy - An Inter-City Dialogue (Commercialisation and Standardisation) Forum (English only)
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Professor Ip (President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Professor Nancy Ip); Professor Cheng (Vice-President for Research and Development of the HKUST, Professor Tim Cheng); the Honourable Elizabeth Quat (Legislative Council Member and Founding President of the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance, Dr Elizabeth Quat); Mr Guo of OCMFA (Counsellor of Policy Research Department of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Guo Xin), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends and partners throughout our interesting journey of the LAE (low altitude economy) development,
I have been looking forward to this event for months because apart from having the staunch support from Professor Ip, Professor Cheng and the Honorable Dr Quat on the LAE development, this very special place, that is the HKUST means a lot to us. In just less than one and a half years ago, we are back to this place where we held the LAE Regulatory Sandbox launching ceremony back in March last year.
Time flies, and technological advancement would not wait for us. With the dedication and passionate support of the University, and a lot of stakeholders around in this auditorium, we have achieved quite a lot. Moments ago, Professor Cheng has summarised and highlighted a number of key achievements and visions for the months ahead. What I intend to share with you all is to take stock of what we have worked on so far, what we have achieved, what we are planning at the present moment, and most importantly, our landing zone - what we hope to achieve in a year or, say, three years' time.
Next week will be the announcement and launching of the Chief Executive's Policy Address and Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan. No matter whether the LAE subject will be featured or not in these two important documents, the concept and mindset of having a five-year planning horizon is very critical and important to the development of LAE in Hong Kong.
Just a year and a half ago, right at the Piazza next to us, the Government announced that 38 projects were selected under our LAE Regulatory Sandbox, officially bringing the LAE into our city's regulatory framework.
My gratitude also goes to the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance for cohosting this event with the HKUST. This creates another ideal platform for us to dive into inter-city collaboration and dialogues on how we can joint hands in driving the commercialisation and international standardisation of LAE, a theme which is actually featured in the Belt and Road Summit and the event throughout today.
Through the LAE Regulatory Sandbox, we have provided a safe and controlled testing ground for innovative LAE solutions and applications. These trials have culminated in the regularisation of diversified scenarios of LAE applications. These applications do not only contribute to substantial productivity gains, but also major enhancements to emergency response, operational safety and more importantly, innovative and technology advancement. Since June 2025, more than 140 applications have been approved by the Government, namely, the Civil Aviation Department, in accordance with our applicable guidelines and technical circulars. When the media asks whether or not we are still trying out or keeping on testing, the focus and highlight in our subsequent publicity or promotion should impress upon the community that LAE applications in Hong Kong have gone into the regularisation stage, and no longer just at a trial and test stage. The guidelines promulgated by the Civil Aviation Department form the essential foundation and backbone for the standardisation of LAE. Though we are still some distance apart towards the harmonisation or international standardisation, I think we are actually moving along that path already, and some kind of standardisation and parameters have been emerging. Building on this foundation, we are redoubling our efforts in launching the "Regulatory Sandbox X" to tackle more advanced and complicated scenarios for LAE applications such as cross-boundary logistics operation and unconventional aircraft including those for carrying passengers.
Commercialisation and standardisation are really two sides of the same coin. You cannot scale a technology commercially unless the world trusts that it is safe and certifiable, and you cannot build reputable international standards without operational data and evidence from real-world application scenarios.
I know we are joined today by guests from Kuala Lumpur. Last month, our team alongside with the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance visited Malaysia and Indonesia to meet with regulatory bodies to discuss LAE applications and standardisation. In particular, we have shared with them our valuable experience in the LAE Regulatory Sandbox regarding standards harmonisation. The absence of unified international standards in LAE is a pain point we all share. We have to acknowledge that and be aware of these pain points and shortcomings.
No single city can establish a global standard alone. That is why we are joining hands with all the stakeholders in different cities and our GBA partners to proactively reach out to various jurisdictions across the globe that recognise the potential of LAE development. On this note, I am glad to share that my bureau, on behalf of the HKSAR Government, just exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Kazakhstan at the Belt and Road Summit yesterday to lay the foundation and groundwork for deepening our collaboration in LAE development. In gist, the MOU covers a few aspects, namely standards harmonisation, talent cultivation and regulatory exchange.
I believe that the upcoming session, where distinguished scholars, stakeholders, technical experts, and industry professionals from key cities across the Chinese Mainland will take to this stage to sign a joint statement of intent, is another great example of collaboration in LAE as well. This agreement pledges collaborative and collective action to benchmark airworthiness and safety certification, advanced air traffic management and cybersecurity, while harmonising cross‑border logistics and data protocols, and promoting international exchanges.
Just a moment ago, I saw from a slide in Professor Cheng's presentation on the development of the use of AI in traffic control systems which cuts across air, land and sea. My bureau also oversees different areas of air, land and sea transport. The advancement of technology actually does not stop in LAE but also applies to other aspects as well. The development of an LAE traffic control system gives us a very good opportunity to leverage our expertise and to expand our resources to other areas.
Now, onto a key question: why is Hong Kong so vital to setting global standards? It comes down to our rare combination of advantages. To name a few, we have a very robust common law system, globally respected aviation expertise, and our unique status as a sophisticated international financial and a commercial centre, enjoying strong support and close partnership from the Chinese Mainland, our motherland. Most importantly, we have a high-density environment perfect for real-world testing. While our unique topography and very dense population did pose a great challenge to our LAE applications, these give us valuable, unique data and experience to promote Hong Kong and lead the world in global standard setting. We have different scenarios and challenges on the ground, and a whole cluster of experts and industry professionals. We are a good melting pot. I look forward to trusted institutions including the HKUST for us to put Hong Kong into that unique and advantageous position.
Through concerted efforts alongside our neighboring cities, I am fully confident that our robust legal system and internationally renowned aviation regulatory framework will serve as the cornerstone for globalising LAE standards.
Equally important is Hong Kong's role as an ideal platform for Mainland enterprises to go global. We always say that Hong Kong is a "super connector" and a super value-added platform. This is no different in the aspect of LAE. I am happy to share with you all that, at the Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation held recently in Malaysia, EHang presented to the International Civil Aviation Organization and over 210 participants from 40 civil aviation authorities and international organisations Hong Kong's inaugural eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) pilot trial at Cyberport two weeks ago under the LAE "Regulatory Sandbox X". It was widely circulated on social media and attracted high circulation rate.
The presentation was very well received. This is a vivid testimonial demonstration of Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department being a trusted international regulatory standard setter, or in Chinese we say 金漆招牌. We set the 金漆招牌 to all state-of-the-art eVTOL or other unconventional aircraft being manufactured in and supplied from our Chinese Mainland. It also demonstrates to the world that the Government embraces the wisdom of the industry, academia and research institutes for establishing new standards shaping the new world of LAE. Yes, we embrace that and we are more than willing to collaborate with you all.
We provide an internationalised environment for domestic LAE solutions to showcase their capabilities to global buyers, while supporting their overseas expansion with top-notch professional services. Through large-scale exhibitions and international outreach, we serve as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" to propel our country's LAE development and industry onto the global stage.
I am sure you will have many more in-depth exchanges ahead, and I have no doubt that today's conversations which started from this morning and will last this afternoon, and the relationships we build through this gathering and the exchange sessions will endure well beyond this afternoon. Once again, thank you all for bringing your expertise to Hong Kong. I hope to see you all in the very near future. Thank you very much.
Ends/Thursday, September 10, 2026
Issued at HKT 19:26
Issued at HKT 19:26
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