A two-day media tour to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao-Greater Bay Area, which began on Saturday, shined light on the nation’s latest autonomous driving technology and building construction.
Over 30 journalists from various media outlets in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, together with the city's political and business heavyweights, took part in the tour to southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen to learn about the development momentum in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The Working Group on Patriotic Education – which was established by the HKSAR government in April 2024 to enhance the education on the country's culture and development as well as promoting patriotism in the city – organized the media tour.
The event began with a visit to DeepRoute.ai, a Shenzhen-based startup focusing on the research and development and application of artificial intelligent driving technology.
Introducing DeepRoute.ai's driverless software systems, a representative of the company showed journalists the trial runs on various cars in different Chinese mainland cities.
Each testing collected real-world data including blind spots, inability to recognize obstacles and challenges in the interaction between humans and machines.
To resolve the technical issues, the startup conducted troubleshooting and eventually developed a new system, such as its cutting-edge VLA model, which was expected to be launched on five automotive models soon, according to the representative.
Another highlight of the visit was to allow journalists to take a 10-minute ride and witness how a car equipped with DeepRoute.ai's driverless technology could operate in the real world and avoid obstacles under the monitoring of a human driver.
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Starry Lee Wai-king, convener of the working group, pointed out that the tour started with this startup as it was an example the country's new quality productive forces.
"DeepRoute.ai has developed general AI technology in the physical world, pioneering in the transformation in the smart driving sector with innovation", said Lee, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and a member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council.
Journalists were later invited to the Hailong Building Science and Technology Research Institute, a subsidiary of China State Construction International Holdings Limited, to gain insights into modular integrated construction (MiC) and prefrabicated housing.
Ben Poon, director of Chinese State Construction Hailong Technology Company Limited, pointed out that MiC could simplify the onsite construction process by combining building components in a factory in advance and transporting them to the sites to reduce construction time.
"The Greater Bay Area is our base for technical breakthrough, with R&D and production centers set up in the region," Poon said, adding that the company aimed at "building a house like building a car".
Blending technology into construction, the company is also integrating smart housing, advanced materials and design features friendly to the elderly and children into its projects in different mainland cities, Poon pointed out.
"As far as I know, MiC originates from Hong Kong. It's Hong Kong's wisdom, the Great Bay Area's innovation and a contribution to the nation," said Lee, convener the working group.
Describing MiC as a technology which "can tell a good story of China", she said, adding that it has not only been recognized in the Greater Bay Area, but also applied in construction projects in different parts of the country.
Echoing Lee, Poon expressed the company's hope to promote MiC to global market under the support of the Belt and Road Initiative.
