Thomas (Ir Prof. Thomas Ho, Chairman of Construction Industry Council), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon! It is my great pleasure to join you all at the “Global Construction Digitalisation Forum and Exhibition 2024” and the “Forum on Future Construction”. My thanks to the Construction Industry Council (CIC) for organising such a diverse programme filled with insightful sharing from renowned speakers, as well as thematic exhibits showcasing the latest cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions for the construction industry.

Digitalisation is the theme of today’s event. Earlier this morning, the Forum already featured illuminating sharing on various digitalisation technologies, including Building Information Modeling (BIM) and AutoCDE. This afternoon, there will also be exciting lineup of talks focusing on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twin - tools that are increasing being adopted in the construction industry.

The construction industry has witnessed a remarkable shift towards digitalisation in recent years, with the industry embracing innovative technologies and processes to enhance their efficiency, productivity and sustainability. For example, BIM is now commonly adopted to create the 3D model of a building to facilitate project management, better construction process control, cross-disciplinary collaboration, communication with external stakeholders, decision support and risk management. In addition, the BIM technology has vast potential to be integrated with other advanced construction technologies for optimising the operation and maintenance of buildings and facilities, such as integrating BIM with the geographic information system (GIS), Internet of things (IoT), and the digital twin technology. I understand that CIC has also set up the CIC Digital Twin Hub recently to lead the industry to enhance productivity and efficiency. This signifies CIC unveiling commitment in promoting construction digitalisation and embracing the immersed potential of digital technology.

To press ahead with digitalisation in Hong Kong, we have established the Digital Policy Office to formulate policies on digital government, data governance and digital infrastructure, so as to enhance governance and drive the development of digital government by bolstering the Government’s capabilities in addressing long-term and strategic issues. We are actively promoting the digitalisation of public services to bring convenience to the citizens, including the digitalisation of all licensing and government services involving applications and approvals, as well as the implementation of the Consented Data Exchange Gateway to facilitate data interchange with government departments, both of them were completed in June 2024. We are also progressively upgrading the “iAM Smart” platform with the target of full adoption by all government departments by 2025 to enhance users’ digital and one-stop experience. We will also continue to foster the development of digital infrastructure, including setting up the “Digital Corporate Identity” (CorpID) Platform by 2026 to facilitate secure, convenient and efficient online business transactions among enterprises and with the Government and Cyberport’s phased establishment of an AI Supercomputing Centre which will be launched later this year.

Apart from driving digital transformation within the Government, we have also set aside $500 million for Cyberport to launch the Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme this March, under which subsidies will be provided on a one-to-one matching basis to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in applying ready-to-use basic digital solutions, thus facilitating their digitalisation.

In closing, my great thanks go to the CIC for organising this insightful event. To fully harness the benefits of digitalisation, stakeholders in the construction industry must continue to invest in innovative technologies, cultivate skills and expertise among professionals, and foster effective collaboration among the industry, academia and the Government. I look forward to the continued support and partnership of all parties in the coming years as we accelerate the pace of digital transformation together. I wish everyone here a fruitful and rewarding experience. Thank you.

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