Keynote speech by SITI at Applied Artificial Intelligence Conference 2026 in Vienna (English only) (with photo)
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Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure to join you all today at the Applied Artificial Intelligence Conference here in Vienna—a city that has always known how to hold tradition and innovation in the same hand.
We meet at a moment of accelerating digital transformation, as the world moves towards an AI-driven future. Amidst this global shift, Hong Kong has elevated AI into one of our core industries and is emerging as one of the most dynamic international I&T (innovation and technology) centres. Today, I am here not only to share our progress, but also to invite Austria to shape the next chapter with us.
AI as a pressing priority: a foundation for partnership
Like Austria, we see AI as a critical driver for economic competitiveness, research excellence, and public service modernisation. With the guiding principle of "strengthening infrastructure and promoting the application-oriented approach", the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government is steering Hong Kong towards "industries for AI" and "AI for industries".
This strategy rests on Hong Kong's solid research foundation: Three Hong Kong universities ranked among the world's top 30 in data science and AI. We have also recently established Hong Kong AI Research and Development (R&D) Institute to spearhead Hong Kong's innovative R&D as well as the industry application of AI.
Through our flagship R&D initiative, InnoHK, we have co-operated with more than 30 world-renowned universities and research institutes across 12 economies, including Oxford, Stanford and EPFL. On this platform, the AIR@InnoHK research cluster specifically supports R&D in AI. Through collaborating with leading R&D institutions throughout the world and gathering global AI talents on the same platform, we hope to drive advancements in AI and robotics technologies, and further develop academic research outcome into ready-for-use technologies for the industry.
Foundational research aside, we are also mindful of the importance of popularisation of AI across all sectors of society. To this end, the HKSAR Government also set aside resources to empower enterprises, industry players as well as the general public to enhance their professional competitiveness and daily living convenience through responsible application of AI.
Computing power is key to accelerating AI development. The Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster, now under full-speed construction, will provide 180 000 PFLOPS (peta-floating point operations per second) computing power by 2032, a 36-fold increase from today's capacity. This will lay a solid foundation for a sustainable AI future and reinforce Hong Kong's role as an advanced data and computing hub in the Asia Pacific and in particular the Greater Bay Area.
A trusted gateway: linking global innovation to the Greater Bay Area
Talking about the Greater Bay Area, may I also share with you Hong Kong's unique role in linking up global innovation with the vast market opportunities in this Area which has a population of 88 million and annual GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of RMB 15 trillion (approximately €1.97 trillion). Hong Kong is a highly open economy underpinned by a robust legal framework, a simple and low tax regime, strong IP protection, ease of capital raising, and world-class logistics. For many years, Hong Kong has been ranked the freest economy in the world. Through Hong Kong, European companies can reach not only the Greater Bay Area, but also ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the broader Asia-Pacific. This is why many overseas partners see Hong Kong as a strategic anchor in such an increasingly complex global landscape.
We are backing this role with ambitious I&T infrastructure. The Hetao Hong Kong Park, opened last December, is designed to be a world-class I&T hub connecting the Chinese Mainland and the world, offering seamless cross-border access of crucial I&T elements such as data, joint laboratories, and preferential policies for global talent and enterprises. As a natural extension of the Hetao, the San Tin Technopole serve as Hong Kong's flagship I&T industrial base, spanning prototyping, pilot production and mass production. Together, these two sites form a bridge linking global tech talents and enterprises with the Greater Bay Area's market and comprehensive supply chain.
None of the above works without talents. Hong Kong is home to five universities ranked among the world's top 100, supported by internationally acclaimed and award-winning experts, and a growing pool of global tech talents. To further attract world-class talent, we also launched the Frontier Technology Research Support Scheme, enabling universities to recruit top international scientific researchers to lead frontier research in Hong Kong. We warmly welcome scientists and researchers from all over the world to join us on this meaningful journey.
Measuring up: Hong Kong's track record in the global rankings
Our innovation momentum is reflected in global benchmarks. Hong Kong ranked second globally in the 2026 IMD (International Institute for Management Development) World Competitiveness Yearbook and fourth in the 2025 World Digital Competitiveness Ranking. With such a favourable climate, the number of start-ups has grown by 40 per cent in five years to a record high of 5 200 and we have witnessed the birth of 20 unicorns. This year, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster is once again ranked number one in the world by the World Intellectual Property Organisation—a clear signal of the cluster's world-class capability, resilience, and sustained innovation.
Looking ahead: a shared agenda for innovation
Hong Kong and Austria are separated by thousands of kilometres. Yet, I believe we are closely aligned as we both see AI not as a race to be won alone, but as an opportunity to be seized together. Following the release of Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address last week, our commitment to accelerating AI adoption, promoting industry upgrade while regulating AI ethics is firmer than ever. Hong Kong stands ready to act as a bridge—connecting East with West, research with industry, and challenges today with opportunities ahead. Let us take this forward hand in hand and work towards a future where innovation is open, inclusive and beneficial to the humankind. Thank you.
Ends/Thursday, September 24, 2026
Issued at HKT 22:00
Issued at HKT 22:00
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