Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the Hong Kong International Computer Conference (HKICC) 2026 today (November 9):

尊敬的陳副部長 (Deputy Director-General of the Department of Economic and Financial Affairs II of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Chen Dali), Dave (President of the Hong Kong Computer Society, Mr Dave Chen), Charlotte (Conference Chairperson of the HKICC 2026, Ms Charlotte Wong), Tony (Programme Chairperson of the HKICC 2026, Mr Tony Wong), Professor Cui (Deputy General Secretary of the China Computer Federation, Professor Cui Peng), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good morning. It is my honour to join you all today again at the Hong Kong International Computer Conference 2026. This year's theme, "Hong Kong's Next 5 Years: from AI+ to Competitive Advantage", is timely as artificial intelligence (AI) has become the core engine reshaping our industries and the world.

     In tandem with our country's "AI+" Initiative, the HKSAR Government is accelerating "industries for AI" and "AI for industries" to power high-quality development. Guided by Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address, we aim to establish Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology centre, harnessing "AI+" to build enduring competitiveness. As such, I would like to share our focus on three fundamental pillars over the next five years.

     First, we are building world-class infrastructure and institutional capability to support "AI+". The Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster currently under construction will substantially expand Hong Kong's computing capacity and is expected to provide 180 000 PFLOPS (peta-floating point operations per second) of computing power after 2030, a 36-fold increase from the current capacity. Alongside, the Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute will promote frontier AI research and transformation of research outcomes, while our InnoHK research clusters continue to bring together leading local and international research expertise. In addition, through further injection of $1 billion into the Artificial Intelligence Subsidy Scheme, we will support the use of high-performance computing power for frontier research and accelerating innovative breakthroughs.

     Second, we are accelerating AI adoption across industries and society. Our Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme encourages small and medium-sized enterprises to adopt AI-related solutions to enhance their daily operations. The Government is also leading by example. We are optimising our public services with AI technologies to enhance operational efficiency and service quality. Meanwhile, we are upskilling our local talent pool through the "AI for All" Inclusive Programme so that all of us, no matter whether we are from the business sector or the general public, may deploy various AI tools to help our business or make our lives more convenient.

     Third, we are ensuring safe and responsible AI development. As set out in the 2026 Policy Address, the Government will adopt a multipronged approach to advance our AI risk management. The DPO (Digital Policy Office) will select pilot departments to require bidders for public-facing AI projects to submit safety and ethics compliance declarations for AI technologies used. We will also drive industry-led development of their governance frameworks and also promulgate safety-management guidelines for AI agents. We hope these measures will foster public trust, safeguard citizens' rights, and make Hong Kong a secure place for global AI deployment.

     World-class research must be connected with industrial application in order to convert technological breakthroughs into economic competitiveness. As much as government policies may catalyse this transformation, the true driving force lies in cross-sectoral collaboration. We appeal to universities, businesses, industries, as well as every one of you here to join hands with us to reap the benefits brought by AI in this technological transformation of our time.

     Thank you, and I wish you all a fruitful experience. 

Ends/Monday, November 9, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:35

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