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SCI & TECH1d agoHong Kong teen battling rare disease creates AI avatar to ensure his story lives onA Hong Kong teenager with a rare muscle-wasting disease has created an AI version of himself, hoping the digital twin can continue sharing his life story and message of perseverance even after he is gone. Chen Tsz-kin, 17, unveiled “AI Tsz-kin” at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Sunday, weeks before his 18th birthday – an age the student said he had long feared reaching because he was once told it was the average life expectancy for people with his disease, Duchenne muscular...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH3d agoHong Kong is lagging in the AI race – can it raise its game, and how?In the third of our series of previews on the five-year plan and policy address, to be announced on September 16, Leopold Chen and Theodora Yu look at how the city can raise its game and expand the adoption of artificial intelligence. Read part one here and part two here. Spotting bags of construction waste illegally dumped near a temporary refuse collection point in Hong Kong’s Southern district last year, former lawmaker and resident Michael Tien Puk‑sun immediately dialled the government’s...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH5d agoHong Kong astronaut inspires pupils across city’s school halls in historic live lectureHong Kong’s first astronaut Lai Ka-ying has conducted a live lesson for students of her alma mater from the Tiangong space station, showing them how chicken wings are cooked in zero gravity and how she locates the city’s lights from the darkness of space. In a livecast to teachers and students of Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College on Wednesday that was also streamed at other campuses across Hong Kong and Macau, Lai offered a glimpse of life in orbit and the experiments her team...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH6d agoHong Kong’s first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, delivers live lesson from spaceHong Kong’s first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, will deliver a live lesson from space to students and teachers at her alma mater on Wednesday morning, with the 90-minute event broadcast to campuses across the city and streamed live on television. Lai and her two fellow Shenzhou-23 crew members – mission commander Colonel Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan – will take part in the “Tiangong Class” at Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College. Representatives from the youth sector and innovation and...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH6d agoChina Shenzhen - Hong Kong - Guangzhou remains world biggest innovation cluster : reportA report indicates that the China Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou region continues to be the world's largest innovation cluster. This highlights the region's significant role in global technological and economic development.en.people.cn · China
SCI & TECH6d agoShenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou retains crown as world’s top innovation hubA cluster comprising Hong Kong and two mainland Chinese cities has been ranked the world’s top innovation hub for the second consecutive year by a United Nations body. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster retained its crown in the 2026 Global Innovation Index (GII) released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on Tuesday. Tokyo-Yokohama, San Jose-San Francisco, Seoul and Beijing followed in the rankings. A government spokesman welcomed WIPO’s ranking, saying it reaffirmed...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH6d agoHong Kong’s first astronaut to give live space lecture to students on WednesdayFirst Hong Kong astronaut Lai Ka-ying will deliver a live lecture from space to students and teachers at her alma mater on Wednesday morning, with the session also broadcast to pupils across the city and in neighbouring Macau. According to an Education Bureau notice delivered to all primary and secondary schools on Tuesday, Lai, alongside her two fellow Shenzhou-23 crew members, mission commander Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan, would take part in the “Tiangong Class” at Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 7Didi to apply for driverless vehicle tests in Hong Kong this yearMainland Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing will apply to test autonomous vehicles in a Hong Kong urban area this year, a government adviser has revealed, with the trial runs potentially being expanded later on to cover more new development areas. The announcement followed a visit to Didi’s Beijing headquarters last Wednesday by Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan and a group of lawmakers. Gary Zhang Xinyu, a member of the Transport Department’s working group for promoting...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 5Shoppers interact with Hong Kong’s first robot shopkeeperHumanoid robots have begun serving shoppers at convenience stores in Hong Kong.Al Jazeera [en]
SCI & TECHSep 5Hong Kong’s first astronaut Lai Ka-ying to give live lecture from spaceHong Kong’s first astronaut Lai Ka-ying and her two fellow Shenzhou-23 crew members will deliver a live lecture from space for students and teachers in the city and neighbouring Macau. Hong Kong authorities revealed on Saturday plans for live broadcasts of “Tiangong Class” to take place soon, without specifying the date and time. The activity, jointly organised by the Hong Kong and Macau governments and the China Manned Space Agency, includes an expert lecture, an in-orbit demonstration and a...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 1Rain, internet outages hit first day of Hong Kong’s robot convenience storesHeavy rain and internet outages have marred the first day of operations for Hong Kong’s fully automated convenience stores, but visitors say they appreciate the new robot shop manager’s work. The “Galbot Stores”, operated by wheeled humanoid robots, opened two outdoor outlets in Hung Hom and Wan Chai and an indoor unit in Kai Tak on Tuesday, marking the city’s first fully automated retail roll-out. Shelves carry a mix of snacks and drinks, along with local souvenirs such as pineapple-bun and...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 31At your service: Hong Kong welcomes first humanoid robot-run convenience storesHong Kong’s first convenience stores operated by humanoid robots will open on Tuesday, with the Beijing-based company behind it planning to establish about 10 more outlets locally as it makes the city its first stop in “going overseas”. Following an opening ceremony on Monday, the first “Galbot stores” will open in Hung Hom, Kai Tak and Wan Chai the next day, marking the company’s first outlets outside mainland China. The embodied-intelligence robotics company launched its first store on the...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 30Reusable rocket milestone opens a door for Hong Kong’s space ambitionsOn the morning of August 19, LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Area. After deploying its second stage and payload into orbit, the rocket’s first stage touched down softly at a recovery site in Gansu province using deployable landing legs. It was China’s first successful land-based recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster that had just completed an orbital mission – a feat previously achieved only by SpaceX. Just over a month earlier,...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 28Unmanned electric aircraft makes maiden flight in Hong KongAn unmanned electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft made its maiden demonstration flight in Hong Kong on Friday, as the city pushes to develop a low-altitude economy, with the government aiming to complete drafting relevant legislation by 2027. The flight marked a collaboration between mainland Chinese autonomous aerial vehicle firm EHang, local transport operator Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings and the city’s technology hub, Cyberport. The flight took place at Cyberport in Pok Fu...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 27Hong Kong to launch free AI courses with tech giants Google, Microsoft for SMEsFree courses coordinated by the Hong Kong government will leverage the expertise of tech giants such as Google and Microsoft to help boost the adoption of AI by businesses for content creation, data analysis and workflow efficiency. The Hong Kong Productivity Council on Thursday announced the launch of the programme targeting industries such as education, healthcare, manufacturing, retail and logistics as part of the government’s HK$50 million (US$6.38 million) “AI for All”...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 27Hong Kong to expand AI use on 1823 platform to vet public inquiries by end of yearThe operator of the Hong Kong government’s 1823 platform will expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the year to transcribe, summarise and triage residents’ inquiries, freeing frontline staff to handle more complicated cases. The Digital Policy Office also said on Thursday that it would start exploring the application of agentic AI from the fourth quarter this year and study how it should be expanded to other departments “with a safe and controlled approach”. The government’s 1823...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 25Hong Kong to revamp senior secondary science and maths curriculum from 2029-30Hong Kong’s education authorities will revamp the senior secondary school science and extended maths curriculum by providing additional syllabus options from the 2029-30 academic year in a bid to attract more students and nurture talent in the field. The Education Bureau also said it had asked schools to actively encourage students interested in science and mathematics to take two or more science subjects to create a synergistic effect. The bureau said in a circular to schools on Monday that the...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 23Major tech firms to help upskill Hong Kong workers under ‘AI for All’: Paul ChanHong Kong will partner with major tech firms to launch an AI training programme for the working population in November, the city’s finance chief has said. In his Sunday blog, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) “AI for All” inclusive programme announced in February would feature more than 200 activities and was expected to benefit 50,000 people within two years. “The development and application of frontier technology will pose challenges to the job market....South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 22Hong Kong-built greenhouse gas tracker device ‘functioning well’ on space stationA greenhouse gas monitoring instrument developed by a university in Hong Kong is operating successfully aboard the Tiangong space station and is expected to contribute to sustainable development, the city’s technology minister has said. Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong also revealed more details in a blog post on Saturday about the life of the city’s first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, who he said had a busy schedule at the space station. The Multi‑Spectral Imaging Carbon...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 22Electrochemist Liu Jiawei moves from Singapore to Hong Kong to start her own labFor materials scientist and chemist Liu Jiawei, moving to Hong Kong supported her pivot into launching her own research group. After a decade immersed in Singapore’s research ecosystem, Liu sought a transition that would keep her closer to family in mainland China while maintaining an international, high-standard research environment. Now establishing her laboratory at City University of Hong Kong (CityU), two years after her move, Liu said Hong Kong’s academic landscape operated on an...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 21CUHK researchers perform Hong Kong’s first robot-assisted pelvic fracture surgeryA team of researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has conducted the city’s first robot-assisted pelvic fracture surgery in what promises to be a safer, less intrusive alternative to a procedure typically considered among the most challenging. CUHK’s faculty of medicine said on Friday that the novel orthopaedic robotic surgical system could turn a “new page” in trauma care amid a rising number of pelvic fracture cases among the city’s rapidly ageing population. Dr Ronald Wong...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 20Hong Kong drivers to renew vehicle licences in 1 day by year-end under AI systemHong Kong drivers will be able to renew their vehicle licences within one day by year-end, down from the current processing time of up to 10 working days, under new artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives aimed at streamlining transport services and traffic management. The “Easy Licence Application Approval” system, announced by the Transport Department on Thursday, will be launched by the end of this year. It will use large language models to automatically recognise, cross-check and verify...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 17Hong Kong halves environmental impact review times with AI in efficiency driveHong Kong authorities have slashed the time required for environmental impact assessments by up to half using artificial intelligence, with an official saying that AI adoption reduced wait times for some public services by up to 90 per cent. The first batch of 30 projects aimed at enhancing efficiency was announced on Monday. It involves 13 government departments, covering transport and food business licensing, leisure and sports facilities, environmental hygiene, complaint handling, and...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 17Hong Kong inventors win grand prix, 35 medals at Silicon Valley festivalHong Kong innovators have won the top prize, eight special awards and 35 medals at a major international invention competition in Silicon Valley, with a solar-powered fertiliser production system claiming the event’s highest honour. The city’s delegation secured 22 gold and 13 silver medals at the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival (SVIIF), which concluded at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California on Sunday. Amonova’s regenerative, solar-powered air-to-fertiliser production...South China Morning Post