Sunny (Ir Sunny LEE, BBS, JP, Board Chairman of the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute), Prof. Yeung (Prof. Raymond YEUNG, Choh-Ming Li Professor of Information Engineering, Chinese University of Hong Kong), Prof. Shimojo (Prof. Shinji SHIMOJO, Chairman of the Asia Pacific Advanced Network), Philip (Mr Philip LEUNG, MH, Chairman of the Joint Universities Computer Centre Board of Management), esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon. It is my great honour to join you all for the Opening Ceremony of the 60th Asia Pacific Advanced Network (APAN) Meeting. On behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, I would like to extend my warm welcome to all participants, particularly those who have travelled from afar to be part of this significant regional event.

First and foremost, let me express my sincere appreciation to the Joint Universities Computer Centre, JUCC, for their exceptional work in organising this landmark event. Since 1970, JUCC has been serving as the cornerstone of IT collaboration among universities in Hong Kong, fostering inter-institutional partnerships that have significantly advanced the development and application of IT in the higher education community, contributing to education and the development of IT in Hong Kong. The APAN, with its mission to coordinate network technology developments and promote advanced applications across the Asia Pacific region for nearly three decades, represents the enduring commitment to building bridges between nations, institutions, and brilliant minds throughout our region.

The theme of this conference, "AI and HPC: Powering the Next Frontier", perfectly captures the present momentum of unprecedented technological transformation. Hong Kong is keen to embrace this transformation with strong determination and substantial investment.

To support the increasing local demand for computing power, we established the Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Centre (AISC) at Cyberport in December 2024 to provide world-class high-performance AI computing facilities for supporting massive data processing and advanced analytics, enabling breakthroughs across healthcare, finance, manufacturing, environmental research, etc. To empower local institutions, research and development (R&D) centres and enterprises in leveraging the computing power of the Centre, we launched the HK$3 billion AI Subsidy Scheme to subsidise up to 70% of computing costs for local institutions and enterprises in using the AI facilities, broadening their access to the necessary computing power for developing advanced AI applications and fostering innovation across sectors. This initiative not only accelerates R&D but also attracts international talent and enterprises to Hong Kong, strengthening our role as a bridge between Mainland China and the global AI ecosystem.

The Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center (HKGAI), established under the AIR@InnoHK, a government funded platform to promote global innovation and research collaboration on AI and robotic technologies, has also launched its locally developed HKGAI V1 AI large language model in February this year. Riding on this large language model, the HKGAI has developed a number of AI applications. For instance, one of its applications “HKPilot”, which is a generative AI document processing co-pilot application, is now actively in use by over 20,000 civil servants across more than 80 government departments to enhance public service delivery and operational efficiency. The large language model developed by the HKGAI has been optimised for Hong Kong's trilingual environment and cultural context, and it presents an enormous opportunity for further application to enable a paradigm shift in how government services are delivered, supporting user-friendly citizen interactions and streamlined administrative processes.

While embracing the unlimited possibilities of AI, we are well aware of the importance to establish a robust AI governance framework to ensure responsible and ethical development of AI. In this regard, we formulated the “Ethical AI Framework” in 2021 to assist organisations in adopting AI and big data analytics technology, ensuring that ethical considerations are properly integrated into their IT projects or services. We also released the Hong Kong Generative Artificial Intelligence Technical and Application Guideline in April this year, facilitating the industry and the public in developing and applying generative AI technology in a safe and responsible manner.

Looking ahead, we further earmarked HK$1 billion for the establishment of the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute to spearhead upstream R&D as well as midstream and downstream transformation of R&D outcomes and expanding application scenarios. This institute will serve as a catalyst for regional collaboration, fostering cross-border innovation partnerships.

Hong Kong has all along been serving the role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder". Under the "One Country, Two Systems", Hong Kong is uniquely positioned as an international city bridging the Mainland with the global community while providing seamless access to the Greater Bay Area's economy. Our pioneering cross-boundary data flow framework, including the Standard Contract for Cross-boundary Flow of Personal Information launched in December 2023, serves as an enabler for regional integrated digital economy development. This initiative exemplifies how our unique advantages can facilitate international cooperation while building a world-class digital bay area.

Ladies and gentlemen, as we embark on this 60th APAN Meeting, Hong Kong stands ready to contribute meaningfully to the next frontier of AI and HPC development. Our substantial infrastructure investments, commitment to international collaboration, and unique position as a global connector enable us to support and facilitate the partnerships and innovations that will emerge from this gathering.

In closing, I wish you all a fulfilling and successful APAN Meeting and a delightful time in this Asia’s World City! Thank you.

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