From innovative environmental solutions to sensor-powered parking spaces, smart city ideals are gradually making the switch from a dream to reality.
In December 2017, the Hong Kong SAR government released its Smart City Blueprint to bolster its vision of making Hong Kong a world-leading smart city within five years.
The long-awaited Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong 2.0 (Blueprint 2.0) was launched in December last year as part of a package of initiatives that Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor pledged in her fourth policy address to double down on turning the city into a technology and innovation hub.
Chan Ching-chuen, Hong Kong’s first academician of the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Engineering, believes what matters most is that the SAR government should lose no time in acting on its innovative ideas outlined in the Smart City Blueprint to remain ahead of the pack
Chan Ching-chuen, Hong Kong’s first academician of the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Engineering, believes what matters most is that the SAR government should lose no time in acting on its innovative ideas outlined in the blueprint to remain ahead of the pack.
With the development of smart cities earnestly underway around the world, Hong Kong, claiming to be Asia’s World City, is evidently trailing behind despite its long-cherished strengths in many areas.
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“The smart city vision cannot go without smart government and smart policies. From this point of view, we’re heading in the right direction,” says Chan. “But, it’s worth noting that the smart city vision on the mainland and many other regions has been already translated into real practice rather than an idea on paper. Since Hong Kong unveiled its first smart city blueprint three years ago, little progress has been virtually made. We must press ahead with new initiatives to catch up with our neighbors.”
Chan thinks that in-depth cross-boundary cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area should give real meaning to Hong Kong’s vision of using technology to create a smart city. Hong Kong’s smart city ambition, he points out, makes it more relevant to the meteoric rise of a high-tech powerhouse on a national level. Not only local scientists should look to be a driving force in the national technological push, local talents definitely should not be excluded from the big story unfolding in the motherland, he says.
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“The Chinese mainland’s vibrant tech environment — much more vibrant than those of Hong Kong and many major Western countries — spells potentially huge opportunities for those with the foresight to jump on the bandwagon,” notes Chan. “Many Hong Kong youths are desperately looking for greener pastures elsewhere, yet barely thinking of setting their sights on the mainland.”
“I’m not against Hong Kong talents going abroad. But they definitely should not miss out on the golden opportunities right here under their nose.”
Chan says the rollout of favorable policies is just a good starting point. More educational and promotional work is needed to genuinely get them off the ground. Cross-boundary exchange programs or tours, in particular, should be organized to give Hong Kong youths a taste of Shenzhen’s expeditious technological development.
