All being well, a curious public will be able to watch a robot designed to work underwater at City University from the end of this week. This submersible was not developed in the traditionally technology-leading United States or Europe, but in China.
The exhibit - as long as university's swimming pool proves big enough - will be part of a scientists' jamboree to join in events marking the handover.
The Technology for Tomorrow exhibition, at City University from Saturday to the following Friday, will involve nearly 100 organisations from the territory, including all the tertiary institutions, and about 30 mainland ministries co-ordinated by the nationwide umbrella body, the China Association for Science and Technology.
The organisers admit that some exhibits, particularly computer systems, have not been developed in Hong Kong, but adapted from Western models.
'The subjects will cover aeronautics, navigation, aerospace - I'm thinking as I go along here - electric vehicles, robots, medical equipment, new materials, information technology, computer systems . . .,' said co-chairman of the organising committee of the Technology Sector Reunification Celebration Association, Edmund Leung Kwong-ho.
More than 150 stalls will have senior staff available to explain how items work or what systems are trying to do. There will also be organised talks.