The iconic Charles K Kao Auditorium stands among buildings in Hong Kong Science Park. The Science Park is a hub for innovation in the city. (JUSTIN CHIN / BLOOMBERG)

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp launched its Data Technology Hub on Thursday in a bid to fortify the development of the data economy, which is crucial for implementing the government’s reindustralization initiative.

In 2016, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government commissioned HKSTP to develop the DT Hub to encourage technology companies that deal with high-value-added software, big data and artificial intelligence to establish a presence there.

“Creating a strong data economy here is essential to implement the reindustralization vision because data is the indispensable element in the value-chain of advanced manufacturing such as developing bid data analysis and internet of things technologies,” HKSTP CEO Albert Wong Hak-keung said at the opening ceremony.

“In our digitally integrated world, data is the fuel for every industry today, and in the future,” he added.

Comprising total gross floor space of over 290,000 square feet, the DT Hub has already lured 20 tenants from different technology segments

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Comprising total gross floor space of over 290,000 square feet, the DT Hub has already lured 20 tenants from different technology segments. In the DT Hub, tenants can connect and co-create with each other in the technology areas of cloud computing, hosting services, telecommunications, internet services, 5G and IoT technologies.

Besides enjoying the facilities provided by the DT Hub such as a reliable power supply, a 24-hour chilled water supply, fiber/copper transmission lines and high-speed connectivity, tenants can also be the neighbor of the current 11 data centers in the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate.

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The first batch of tenants moving into the DT Hub include e-commerce platform BuyLive, material and precision engineering company LUMI Technology, high technology products vendor Shun Hing Technology, and IT services provider Speedy Group.

“Green-energy products, elderly domains and e-commerce will be the company’s three main business lines in the future. As these three sectors require data, it makes sense for us to establish a technology engagement center in the DT Hub to accelerate co-creation and partnerships with companies across HKSTP’s innovation and technology companies,” Shun Hing Technology Managing Director Gary Ng said.

“Electric-car-charging solutions is one of our business focuses. Data collected during the charging process will be useful for us to consider which locations to install our electric car charging facilities,” he said.

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The DT Hub, adjacent to HKSTP’s advanced manufacturing center, is situated in the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate and is slated to open next year. The 1.1-million-square-foot multistory industrial building embracing the Industry 4.0 standard is customized to suit highly automated production and operation processes for tenants from multiple industries.

HKSTP collaborated with global integrated logistics service provider DB Schenker as the exclusive logistics partner for AMC, whereas DB Schenker will provide automated and smart logistics solutions for tenants of AMC.

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Under the government’s reindustralization initiative, the MARS center in the Tai Po Industrial Estate is also slated to open this year. The precision manufacturing center in Tai Po Industrial Estate has already opened in 2018 while the HK$2 billion (US$258 million) microelectronics center in Yuen Long Industrial Estate is estimated to launch in 2024.