The much-anticipated 2025 Policy Address of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has finally landed with a 106-page thud on the desks of all with an interest in the future direction for Hong Kong. As eagerly anticipated as ever, this time it contains some vital, new components that, as an astrophysicist and space scientist, have warmed my heart to a degree that I never thought I would feel.
Among all the usual policy details on supporting business, trade, the economy, the city’s role in the world, and pressing social issues of great importance, there was a significant new departure.
For the first time in my over 10 years in this beautiful and remarkable city, there was a clear intent for the role we can play in the burgeoning aerospace and NewSpace sector commercially, scientifically, and technologically. This is recognized and stated in the policy blueprint as a national strategic emerging industry for China, and now, by extension, for the Hong Kong SAR. It is effectively a sea change with focuses not just on science and education but now also on aerospace and New-Space. It is concomitant with a super-strong pivot to the technology that will underpin it.
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For years, a select, disparate band of voices has been calling for policy movement for explicit support to help facilitate the emergence of NewSpace as a true commercial powerhouse for Hong Kong, myself included. Over the last 12 months in particular, these voices have been more effectively garnered and more stridently articulated across media, opinion pieces, direct submissions to the government, and a selection of white papers and research notes that, from various angles and emphases, have cried out for a clear, supportive policy. While waiting on the launch pad for movement, I believe the rocket fire was finally lit at Legislative Council member Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee’s impactful Global Prosperity Summit in May, at which “space” was the opening theme. Legislative Council members Duncan Chiu and Eunice Yung, in particular, have also been strong advocates for recognition and policy change. I believe that, taken together with all the green lights from the Chinese mainland and the increasingly loud local and influential voices, a change was coming.
The low-altitude economy (LAE) was introduced in last year’s address and has since become a strong focus. However, the realization that the LAE cannot function without low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, which provide telemetry, has been previously underappreciated.
NewSpace and Aerospace have now arrived in policy intent. Their importance will come to be appreciated going forward as the fruits of enacted policy will ripen and be harvested across new businesses, institutes, and the halls of academe. This will be via research and development, investments, tailored regulatory frameworks, space law, insurance, compliance, and much more. All these can leverage our existing great strengths in these areas. My firm belief is that Hong Kong can play a crucial commercial role in facilitating investment in NewSpace and serve as a global hub for space sustainability, making influential international contributions.
For fun, I did a quick search of the entire policy document for the words “education”, “international”, “technology”, “space/aerospace”, “science”, “LAE”, and “universities”. Suppose one considers the frequency that an individual noun appears in the policy document as some reflection of the relative importance of the area it refers to. In that case, the following statistics are interesting. Leading the pack is “international”, which appears 122 times across 42 pages (cf. 143 times across 52 pages in 2024), again reflecting the tremendous importance attached to our superconnector aspirations and an outward-looking mindset. The words “technology” and “education” are next at 62 and 60 times across 33 and 24 pages respectively for 2025. So far, so good. Next, we have “LAE” 19 times; “universities”, 14 times; “space”/“aerospace” 13 times, and “science” only 12 times (cf 17 in 2024). All are similar and important, given that “aerospace” received only four mentions in 2024, while “LAE” had 22 mentions. This is a significant shift. Indeed, “aerospace”/“NewSpace” got two entire numbered points at 158 and 159. But what do they say under the grand heading of “Promote the Development of Aerospace Science and Technology and Support the Space Economy”?
Point 158, first and foremost, states recognition that China has identified commercial aerospace as a strategic national priority. Hence, by extension, Hong Kong must also do so, particularly given our role as a top three global financial and commercial center. Second was the appreciation of how vital our international credentials are that can be leveraged to support the national strategy. Third, we recognized the pivotal role our globally elite universities can play by leading by example through deep participation in national space missions, which provide legitimacy and showcase our prowess in cutting-edge technological and scientific endeavors. Here, I have to make a shout-out for PolyU and HKUST being at the forefront of these efforts, along with the Lab for Space Research at my own HKU.
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Point 159 discusses the steps the government has already taken through InnoHK research clusters to support China’s Chang’e 8 moon mission, leveraging our leadership of a lunar robotic rover and the special “one-off” Innovation and Technology Support Programme Special Call on Aerospace Technology. This allocated over HK$100 million ($13 million) to support six university R&D projects — I can modestly add the LSR’s own significant funding to this for a lunar orbiting satellite that will measure micro-meteorite impacts as part of threat assessment for the planned manned lunar base. I hope the government transitions from “one-off funding” to an annual, ongoing call for our universities to support more of our great aerospace projects and ideas. Also under this point was the intent to streamline vetting and license applications for LEO satellites, and an implicit recognition that Hong Kong will be involved in the satellite business. Finally and crucially, there was mention that the HKIC will actively pursue real investments and funding for commercial aerospace and the general NewSpace economy.
So, all in all, the “2025 Policy Address for Aerospace” is finally looking up, both figuratively and factually! The view will be amazing, so buckle up!
The author is director of the Laboratory for Space Research at the University of Hong Kong.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
